OUR COMMUNITY
St. John’s Academy Shawnigan Lake is a growing IB (International Baccalaureate®) school nestled against Shawnigan Lake on Canada’s Vancouver Island. The school intentionally brings together both local and international boarding students so that all have an enriching and academically rigorous experience.
St. John’s Academy Shawnigan Lake is proud to be an active part of the Shawnigan Lake Community. From our participation in beach cleanups, the salmon run, or being the preferred school of choice for many local residents, Shawnigan Lake is our home. In fact, St. John’s Academy’s community engagement is often spoken about in local papers, like the Shawnigan Focus.
OUR HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
We continue to be inspired by the community and the natural beauty of Shawnigan Lake and seek to grow as a school in a way that honours both. For some years, we have been engaged in a process of learning and growing regarding the much needed expansion on our campus. We’ve been so thankful to the community for helping refine our thinking and develop a plan that will not only allow us to serve more children but also become better neighbours.
In addition to creating a boost to the local construction industry, our proposed expansion will create new teaching jobs and operational jobs. We will provide a unique educational experience, allowing the opportunity for local students to interact with international students for an enriched multicultural experience.
As our school grows, we have been engaging the broader community throughout the process to invite feedback, including a digital town hall during the pandemic about our hopes for the future.
Strengthening community connections and addressing community needs/ expanding partnerships with local organizations such as O.U.R. Ecovillage and the Island Corridor Foundation, St. John’s Academy understands the importance of water, and we will give special attention to our campus connection with Shawnigan Lake as a sensitive community water resource. We will preserve our Heritage, retaining essential trees, protecting species habitat space and area ecology, and enhancing connections to local heritage features such as the E+N Railways and local trails.