Purcell Collegiate School (PCS) is pleased to announce that its application for candidacy for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) has been approved. PCS is excited to begin the process of trial implementing the MYP framework as it works toward full authorization as an IB World School.

The achievement of candidacy for the MYP is a significant milestone for PCS that creates local access to a highly-regarded and globally-recognized learning framework. According to PCS Head of School, Duncan MacLeod, once authorized, PCS will become the only IB school in the Kootenay Rockies region of British Columbia.

“There are IB schools to the west of us, in the Okanagan, and of course in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island but there aren’t any in the Kootenays. We’re excited to be bringing the IB MYP to the Kimberley-ʔaq̓am-Cranbrook area, in the heart of the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa Peoples, creating regional access to a truly international education opportunity.”

As MacLeod goes on to explain, the IB MYP provides a framework ideally suited for use with the redesigned British Columbia curriculum and well-aligned with PCS’s educational philosophy and pedagogical approach.

“The IB Middle Years Programme extends and enhances learning with a particular focus on international- mindedness. It marries really well with what we are already doing at PCS, particularly in relation to STEAM, sustainable thinking, Indigenous Ways of Knowing, and First Peoples Principles of Learning. It engages educators and students in inquiry-based teaching and learning in a manner and for a purpose that is meaningful, even inspiring, particularly in the context of interdisciplinary projects, service learning, and community engagement.”

PCS’s approval for candidacy demonstrates the school’s commitment to meeting the rigorous standards set by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). It also affirms the school’s alignment with the IBO’s mission, which reads as follows:

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

The process of achieving full authorization as an IB World School is comprehensive and empowering. It starts with the appointment of an MYP Coordinator who will guide the PCS team through the professional development and curriculum design process that will take place over the course of the trial implementation.

Deputy Head of School Mark McWhinnie is eager to engage this role on behalf of PCS and will work closely with Principal Liam Fitzpatrick, an experienced international educator with prior IB training and experience, to shepherd the implementation process for both staff and students at PCS. McWhinnie had this to say about PCS’s achievement of candidacy:

“The IB Middle Years Programme provides students with an exceptional framework for their educational journey. It sets them up for success in high school, post-secondary education, and their adult lives.”

Which makes the IB MYP an excellent fit for PCS.

It is PCS’s mission to be a paradigm-shifting international school that sets the standard for transformative learning and sustainable thinking, providing an educational experience that is place-based in nature but global in scope, delivering a unique, close-knit community experience that nurtures social conscience and fosters thoughtful leadership.

And it is PCS’s goal for local students to have access to that opportunity—and contribute to it. That’s a message MacLeod is excited to communicate to the public.

“PCS is an option for local students. You don’t have to be an international student who boards with us to attend PCS. Day students from the local area are welcome to enroll and are a key part of both the learning environment we are fostering and the broader educational experience we are cultivating.”

PCS has a limited number of fully-funded spaces available for local students which are being filled as qualified applicants are admitted. Interested families can learn more about how to apply for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year and the early-admission process for the 2024-25 school year by calling 250-432-1349 or emailing [email protected].

Purcell Collegiate School is a candidate school* for the MYP. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. IB World Schools share a common philosophy- a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education- that we believe is important for our students.

* Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP), or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.

For further information about the IB and its programmes visit http://www.ibo.org.

Lead image:  Purcell Collegiate School is located at historic St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino in the ʔaq̓am Community. Photo credit:  St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino

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