Mentorship & Leadership

Community Engagement and Learning

The Community Engagement and Learning programme at St. Michael’s College School actively builds on this progress by further fuelling discovery, exploration, deeper student learning, and achievement — by taking classroom learning into the outside world.

It does this by connecting curriculum programming directly to real-world knowledge.

Strategic and impactful partnerships with individuals and organizations bring both of these worlds together, providing students with practical educational experiences that can illuminate in-class course material in new, unexpected, and positive ways.

At the core of each Community Engagement and Learning experience are three key elements:

Experiential Learning

• Knowledge acquisition through real-life experience, reflection and application.

Independent Study

• Student learning driven by motivation and curiosity.

Learning Partnerships

• The relationship between individuals learning from each other.

In seeking out meaningful collaborations, a dedicated Community Engagement and Learning Lead connects multiple dots and parties.

The process begins with classroom teachers and understanding the specific subject matter being taught. Research is then conducted to pinpoint an appropriate partner with expertise in that domain.

Finally, using the school’s extensive network of alumni and community members or by tapping companies in particular industries, an appropriate connection is made.

Working together with the learning partner and faculty member, the Community Engagement and Learning Lead brings their knowledge as an educator to assist with the format, resources required, and execution of each learning partnership.

The objective is to ensure that the agreed-upon learning partnership enhances and strengthens a student’s knowledge, inquiry, and interest in that subject matter.

Each experiential learning opportunity should also meet the criteria of Deep Learning.

Deep Learning / Inquiry-based Learning

An approach to teaching and learning that uses the Six C’s of 21st century global competency: Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Character, Community, and Citizenship.

Since being launched in 2017, the Community Engagement and Learning portfolio has facilitated a wide variety of experiential learning opportunities across subjects, industries, and professions, including: legal, healthcare, business, engineering, information technology, architecture, and design thinking, among others.

View the Community Engagement and Learning brochure.

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Leadership Opportunities

There are numerous opportunities for leadership skills to be formed, developed, and practiced, across every grade level, at St. Michael’s College School.

Whether through formal curriculum teaching, service and volunteer initiatives, clubs, activities and athletics participation or experiential learning, each student has a variety of leadership resources available to explore on their personal journey.

Even before a student begins attending SMCS, he is introduced to student leaders from the school during several events including: Shadow Days (a current student ambassador acts as a chaperone for a prospective student for the day), off-site events (prefects and student leaders act as guides sharing knowledge of their school at fairs, symposiums and other events with visiting families looking to learn more about independent school education).

Once at SMCS, the Outdoor Experiential Education orientation camp is the first touchpoint for every student, with programming and activities designed to set the framework for leadership development over the course of a student’s time at SMCS.

During the camp experience, students also interact with select senior students who have had formal leadership training earlier in their high school experience. These senior students continue to hone the skills learned as cabin leaders or in other assigned roles.

Leadership skills development is also encouraged and applied within a classroom setting through collaborative projects, group work, presentations, discussions and other activities.

Within the school building, structured roles and activities with a leadership theme are available to interested students. Student government positions, prefects, ambassadors, volunteers (for events and other happenings), athletics duties (guides, timekeepers, video filming, etc.), and House System leaders are among the opportunities available.

School clubs and activities provide another venue for students to learn about and practice their leadership skills on a regular and ongoing basis. This could include helping staff moderators facilitate a discussion or activity, acting as the student lead for that particular activity, or taking the reins on some other aspect of the club experience.

Every student is encouraged to discover and hone his personal leadership skills at his own pace and comfort level.

Prefects

Every school year, a formal process is undertaken to appoint 35 to 40 students who will serve as Prefects.

These students are chosen from eligible applicants and nominated by faculty, staff and administration.

Each Prefect is judged by a standing committee of faculty and staff, who score the applicant based on academic references, school involvement and an interview, conducted by members of the selection committee.

The top-ranked applicants are appointed to Prefect roles when vacancies occur.