COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
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Philanthropy lies at the heart of strong communities.
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hilanthropy lies at the heart of strong communities. It is about using our resources and applying them to improving the wellbeing of those living in our local community—by doing so, it is our goal to create a diverse, kind and nurturing place that we can all call home.
As part of our COVID-19-related Strategic Guiding Principles and our focus on building for the future, Shawnigan Lake School has committed to stepping forward to support the local and surrounding community with our resources wherever possible. We help make this vision a reality by leading the development of new community partnerships; by forming year-round relationships with local government and business leaders, local community-based organizations, advocacy groups, and individuals; and by facilitating Shawnigan’s student community outreach opportunities through Service Club initiatives. Most recently, our outreach has taken a number of different forms. We joined the THINKShawnigan Advisory Group to support the development of a new community design plan that offered our students an opportunity to work with MVH Urban Planning & Design and the Cowichan Valley Regional District. In partnership with the Shawnigan Residents’ Association and our Area Director, we also established the Shawnigan Hearts Campaign that supported Nourish Cowichan in their work to feed hundreds of local families living with food insecurity issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We established partnerships with First Nations artist Arthur Vickers, and the Malahat Nation and Cowichan Tribes, which led to hosting our first ever Orange Shirt Day event where students and staff were able to meaningfully connect with our Indigenous neighbours. This connection then led to professional development opportunities for our staff and other teachers within ISABC schools, themed around Indigenous Ways of Knowing. Finally, we created a partnership with those independent and public schools connected by the Shawnigan Creek, where the Heads meet monthly to support one another and help guide our schools through these challenging times. We are proud to contribute to the health and development of our surrounding communities, and to share this important work with our students so that they, too, will act as community contributors and leaders in their future.
Sara Blair Director, Stewardship & Community Partnerships sblair@shawnigan.ca (250) 743-6206 21
