What are the benefits of boarding school?
Boarding schools offer an unparalleled experience to young people — within an intentional community, students are immersed in a 24-hour educational environment where academics are enhanced by exceptional opportunities in the arts, sports and socialization. It is so often said that it takes a village to raise a child, and boarding schools function as a self-sufficient village with the specific goal of raising children to become conscientious, upstanding leaders.
What sets boarding apart from other education options?
- Boarding is a unique opportunity – according to Boarding School Review, around 11,000 students attend boarding schools in Canada, and according to US News and World Report, about 35,000 students attend boarding schools in the US
- Boarding school is a unique learning environment – in addition to living with their fellow students in boarding houses, campuses are special places where students experience new surroundings and develop new bonds
- Bonds created at boarding school instill a deep sense of belonging in students – the school community creates a family feeling for students away from home
- Because boarding school is a 24-hour commitment, students flourish academically, athletically, artistically, and socially
- The college campus feel helps better prepare students for post-secondary life, in academic and non-academic aspects
- Smaller class sizes at boarding schools mean more one-on-one time, and teachers have more freedom to try new things
- Boarding school students are more success-oriented with aspirations to attend university – boarding schools often have excellent university guidance departments that help students find the perfect fit for post-secondary studies
- Boarding school provides an intense academic experience with round-the-clock mentorship from staff members and fellow students – because many staff members are on campus at all times, they have time to spend with students outside of the academic arena, getting to know them and nurturing them outside of the classroom
- Students at boarding schools learn responsibility, accountability, and self-discipline, and become more independent, self-reliant and self-assured
- Students have socialization opportunities with peers of different genders, ages and backgrounds, which helps them learn communication, empathy, humility, respect, teamwork and collaboration, which are essential skills in the workplace and life
- Long-lasting traditions are upheld, such as uniforms, the house system, school gatherings twice a week, and communal dining
- There is more integration of cross-curricular programs because students have extra time at school — sport, arts, and other activities, on and off campus, are intrinsic to academic success and physical, mental and emotional health
- Top boarding schools are often academic innovators and are ahead of the curve in terms of creating or integrating innovative education techniques
- Safety of students is paramount, both in terms of keeping the campus secure and providing constant supervision and care for students
- Students are educated in proper use of technology – both how to work with it, and the proper decorum for where, when and how to use their devices
- Manners and etiquette are held in high regard as boarding schools want to produce students with strong and clear principles and values
- Students are held accountable when they make poor choices, with regard to academics, school rules, and their interactions with other students, and staff are intentional in turning these moments into opportunities for learning and growth
- Students are not stuck inside the campus gates – programs give students opportunities to explore the world around a boarding school and to get to know and experience their local communities in a variety of ways
While choosing boarding represents a significant decision for a family, families who opt to send their children to boarding schools see clear benefits.
For more information about boarding at Shawnigan, please email admissions@shawnigan.ca
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
