About UWC > Colleges > Profile: Pearson College
Founded: 1974 Student Profile: 200 students aged 16–19
Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
The campus of Pearson College is nestled among towering old growth forest on the rugged shoreline of Canada’s West Coast near Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. Two hundred students, representing more than 80 countries, and many faculty members and their families live together in this international community.
"I feel Pearson College was the gateway to many things to come. It opened and broadened my horizons and perspectives on life in ways that I cannot possibly describe. Let's just say the entire Pearson College experience was overwhelming in very positive ways and very enriching at the same time. It has definitely left an indelible mark on me which I am sure to proudly carry wherever I happen to go."
Abubakarr Bah, Sierra Leone (PC 95–97)
Facilities include five student residences, a waterfront dining room, state of the art science labs, classrooms and facilities for theatre and the visual arts. The Education Resource Centre harnesses advanced technology to support the diverse educational needs of both students and faculty and utilises print, multi-media and on-line resources. In addition to a wide range of International Baccalaureate courses, the Active Citizenship Program and the Pearson Ethics Initiative equip students with the skills to be effective agents of change throughout their lives in our increasingly global society.
Beyond the classroom, students experience rigorous outdoor expeditions in the nearby mountains and on the ocean. At Race Rocks Marine Protected Area, which is operated by Pearson College, leading-edge technology, including live-streaming video, links the College's student researchers and scuba divers to the world through the www.racerocks.com website. High on the campus at the Godin/Newton Observatory, students peer deep into space with the College’s large computer-guided telescope.
Pearson College has established long-term commitments to community development projects both locally and internationally. Students gain real life experience in supporting the development of healthy communities both through the service and activity programmes at the College and by volunteering for affiliated projects in developing countries between their two UWC years or after graduation. At a local level, they take part in programmes for the disabled, visit the elderly or work with disadvantaged young people. For one week each year, students also develop their own projects: these have included working with street youth, leading expeditions, and providing workshops about racism and other social issues to local schools and organisations.
Pearson College is financially supported by foundations, governments, companies, UWC National Committees and primarily the many individuals who share its beliefs that international education is the ultimate weapon for peace. The commitment of these supporters means that all students attending Pearson College do so on full scholarships.