The Founders

 Message from the Founders

Dare to Dream

As parents, we believe that young women need time and space to discover and develop their voices, and strengthen their ability to dream of a future that holds success for them. A considerable body of research supports single gender education for girls during the junior high school years. As parents of adolescent girls, we found ourselves committed both to a strong public school system and to our daughters. The dual commitment led us to form the Nellie McClung Educational Society to develop an innovative, single gender education program within the public school domain.

What do we want the young women to achieve?

• self assurance and confidence
• develop the tools for success
• technology literacy
• personal strategies
• learning strategies
• critical thinking
• networking
• develop entrepreneurial skills
• access positive role models and mentors
• a passion and thirst for learning and education
• skills and habits of healthy active living
• thoughtful risk taking behaviour
• to overcome the fear of failure
• to develop the ability to make informed choices

Single gender education does not mean isolation. We realized that we need a classroom without walls (metaphorically speaking), and partnerships with the community. The Nellie McClung Girls' Junior High Program provides the environment to achieve educational objectives in enriching, innovative ways through CEEDS programming. Other opportunities and innovations are only restricted by the length of the school day and time to implement more extensive programs. All of the innovations of the program are based on sound principles of learning.

The Nellie McClung Girls' Junior High Program is not static or written in stone. Indeed, it must continue to evolve. It needs to mirror the change  in education, society and most importantly, the changing needs of our daughters. Each site is unique in its programming approach. We ask you to remain vigilant so that the Nellie McClung Girls' Junior High Program does not devolve into simply an all girls programs with uniforms. The Nellie McClung vision needs to continue to grow.

The program is a partnership, and its continued success needs the active participation of all of the partners: students, educators, parents, and the community.

The Founders of the Nellie L. McClung Educational Society:

Bob Hopchin

John Masson