Today’s generation of students face many complex challenges, from artificial intelligence and a global climate crisis to increasing mental health concerns. Young learners require adaptable, innovative curricula with tailored support to navigate a changing and unpredictable world.
Mulgrave School in West Vancouver is designed to meet students where they are at and support them as they journey to where they want to be.
“We’re preparing students for success, not just as academics, but as human beings,” says Kailan Leung, Mulgrave’s Senior School vice principal for teaching and learning. “Global volatility has really changed the landscape for the future of work, the future of education—and we are well positioned to respond to that at every level.”
Leung notes that Mulgrave School embodies continuous education by establishing its future-focused, innovative and global educational philosophy as early as age three in the preschool program. Through this continuum, students develop these skills and concepts and this learning sense as they progress through the schools.
“My daughter is in the preschool program right now, and the community and care established early on is essential,” says Leung. “As a vice principal in the Senior School, I’m really seeing both ends of the continuum.”
At the heart of Mulgrave’s philosophy is the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which Mulgrave offers at every school level. The IB is a rigorous and holistic global education curriculum fostering critical thinking, problem-solving and a love of learning through three main programs for students from ages three to 18.
“An IB education, in my experience, is the best preparation for gathering the fundamental knowledge pieces one needs to survive and thrive in today’s world,” says Leung. “Beyond knowledge, it’s about the dispositions: the attention to connection and the importance of service, creativity, activity and extensive individual inquiry.”
Mulgrave School is also one of four schools worldwide copiloting an exciting new IB course specifically meant to provide students with practical skills for a rapidly changing future. In Systems Transformation: Leadership for Just and Sustainable Futures, high school students in the IB Diploma Programme tackle complex, real-world problems through applied learning. Three key themes underpin the course: systems thinking, experiential education and the seventh-generation principle, a decision-making philosophy rooted in Indigenous wisdom. Students also develop their ideas and put them into action during “immersions,” or extended local stays, to bring new systems interventions to life.
“This course wouldn’t be possible if we didn’t genuinely believe in the capacity of young people to be changemakers,” Leung says. “We have enough trust in our learners and in our community to give them the resources, connections, time and space they need to see what they can do.”
A Mulgrave experience, Leung notes, isn’t just about academic rigour. It’s about raising humans through this education continuum who will contribute to the greater good while also providing them with a sense of safety and belonging.
“We have strong values and foundations, but we’re always innovating to prepare kids more effectively for the world of tomorrow,” he concludes.
Learn more about Mulgrave School and the IB program at mulgrave.com.
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