A new dormitory and recruitment of overseas students promises to make Summerland’s new private school truly international.
UNISUS International School opened its doors this September with classes for local Okanagan junior kindergarten to Grade 6 students.
A goal of the world-class education offered at UNISUS is to create a global community of young leaders from both Canada and other countries to meet the challenges of tomorrow, said UNISUS International School, in a news release issued Friday.
“We will bring the world to our Canadian students in Summerland by welcoming international students,” said UNISUS founder and director Cindy Leung.
Construction is now underway of a 100-bed dormitory to house students from around the world and across Canada.
“Completion of this first phase, Tower 1, is anticipated for May 2019 in time for the 2019-2010 academic year. As the school grows, Tower 2 will be constructed,” said Rich McLeod, whose duties at UNISUS include overseeing the school’s facilities.
The three-storey dormitory is designed to meet the needs of modern students ranging from spacious rooms and fibre optic Wi-Fi to relaxation lounges equipped with visual and audio equipment and a state-of-the-art security system.
Upon completion of the dormitory, UNISUS will be the only international school in western Canada offering junior kindergarten to Grade 12 programs and weekly full-time boarding, said Leung.
Recently, Leung and UNISUS recruitment manager Anke Jenkins met with representatives of schools in Brazil before Jenkins continued onto Vietnam and China.
UNISUS also has staff in Africa recruiting outstanding students from Kenya.
“We are excited about the connections we made with the Brazilian schools,” said Leung.
These connections include bringing students from Grade 8 through Grade 10 to Summerland beginning in September 2019 and becoming partner schools, she said.
The partnerships will involve the exchange of teachers and class projects on which students working together.
An example is the project on Indigenous languages - the 2019 theme of the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network - in which students will learn about the Indigenous languages in their own country and other countries, she said.
“The innovative technology at UNISUS makes this project possible and brings the world a lot closer to our students. The classroom becomes so much more than four walls,” said Leung.
For more on UNISUS International School in Summerland, click here.
