Since 1909, Lower Canada College (LCC) has had a reputation of putting students first. As of 2020, LCC proudly has the honour of being an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) Authorized World School, making it the only English school in the province to offer both the Middle Years and Diploma Programmes.

Though LCC has been phasing in the program’s approach since the 2018-2019 school year, the authorization process was set to be completed during the 2019-2020 school year. When the global pandemic hit and schools were closed last March, administrators faced a dilemma; halt the authorization process (which had started three years earlier) or push forward despite the extra obstacles and effort it would take to do so during an already challenging period. LCC opted for the latter.

“The time it took to make it official allowed us to ensure that our teachers were ready to teach under the MYP framework,” says Constance McGuire, Director of Academics. “And we’ve received so much support from our community, from teachers, parents and our students.”

MYP follows the Quebec Education Program in terms of curriculum all while involving teachers and students on a deeper level. “With the MYP framework we are really focused on planning, teaching, learning and assessment,” says June Takacs, IB MYP Coordinator. “The content of the program is really a vehicle for how we go about teaching.”

In other words, it’s not just about what students are learning, but how they learn. “Our students are better prepared when they finish the program—whether they are going on to the Diploma program or to CEGEP or university—to become more independent learners,” says McGuire. In addition to new approaches to teaching and learning, the IB MYP also allows for more personalized forms of assessment to take place throughout the school year, notes McGuire.

LCC’s approach is unique in that all students entering grade 7 through 10 will be taught within the IB MYP framework, making their offering as inclusive as possible. After that, students can enter the Diploma Programme if they wish.

“LCC has made a commitment to quality and excellence, and what surprises parents the most is how much professional training and development our teachers receive on an on-going basis,” says Takacs.

In the final year of the IB MYP, students are required to produce a personal project in tune with their interests. Students have six to nine months to complete their personal project through a combination of independent work and guidance from a supervisor. “Students are expected to use the skills they have developed over the four-year program and this project is the culmination of their learning, and it’s quite exciting,” says Takacs. “The students really love it, and it’s great preparation for the Diploma Programme.”