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THE OUR KIDS REPORT:
Unisus School

Grades JK TO Gr. 12 — Summerland, BC (MAP)

Unisus School:
THE OUR KIDS REPORT
REPORT CONTENTS:

Pages in this report:

  • Grades
    JK — Gr. 12
  • Gender
    Coed
  • Class Size
    Varies
  • Tuition
    $12,945 to 56,500/year
  • Language of instruction
    English
  • Associations
    EMA, FISA, IB
  • Enrolment
    100 day students, 30 boarding students
  • Curriculum
    Progressive & International Baccalaureate
  • EBROCHURE
    N/A

School address

  • 7808 Pierre Drive, Summerland, British Columbia, V0H 1Z2 (MAP)
  • Busing available (View details)

School Busing:

Unisus (IB World) School offers bus transferring. Service options offered are airport pick-up, regular rider, occasional rider.

The regions Unisus (IB World) School offers busing from are:

  • Penticton
  • Kelowna
  • West Kelowna
  • Summerland

Additional notes: We offer bussing daily from Penticton and West Kelowna. In addition, we support our 5-Day (M-F weekday) boarders with transportation options if required. Transportation to boarding events, activities and weekend adventure programs is on our Unisus school busses, driven by our licensed professional drivers.

Our Perspective

How we see Unisus School


The setting for the campus couldn’t be more attractive, nestled comfortably on 17 acres in the Okanagan Valley. The school prides itself on a ability to remain agile, and to innovate programs and approaches. It’s a candidate for the full IB continuum, though, as any school in a similar position, is of course already teaching to that curriculum. While we think of  innovation in terms STEM instruction—engineering and digital design perhaps particularly—there is also a core belief in what outdoor education can offer, something that adds dimension to the academic delivery and the student experience. The boarding program adds depth and diversity to the student population. Founded in 2016, Unisus is comparatively a young school, though the leadership brings a wealth of experience in private schooling. The school was founded to offer an exceptional learning experience, something that it has proven, through hiring and program development, to be very adept at achieving.

School's Perspective

Compare with:  

How Unisus School sees itself


The school administration answered our questions

Who are you, as a school?

"Looking for an education that's out of the ordinary? Unisus School is a Pre - K to Grade 12 day and boarding school in Canada's beautiful four-seasons Okanagan, offering the International Baccalaureate program + the B.C. Diploma (Dogwood) with a strong focus on outdoor education, technology and entrepreneurship. Everyone knows each other’s name in our safe, tight-knit, and inclusive community: students and boarders never get lost in the crowd."

  • Beautiful 17 acres safe and secured gated campus
  • The school is situated in the Okanagan Valley, the natural surrounding to learn: indoors and outdoor
  • Four pillars program: IB, Outdoor education, Tech and Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
  • Local Canadian day school students with international boarding students from around the world
  • University and colleges in the surrounding area: UBC, Okanagan College
  • Our pathway program helps students as early as Grade 8 to prepare their path to university
  • BC curriculum and B.C. Diploma are known to be one of the best in the world
  • After school activities, Weekend Adventures program (boarding and day), Outdoor Education focus
  • International Baccalaureate Diploma Program School + offering B.C. Diploma - 2nd year of grads!
  • Program of health wellness, emotional, financial, and academic supports

What do you do differently and uniquely well?

"As an IB World School, the IB curriculum encourages students to think critically, challenge assumptions and consider both local and global contexts. Outdoor Education is a foundational part of our K-12 learning curriculum. Unisus is based in the four-seasons Okanagan Valley with access to unparalleled outdoor recreation, including skiing, boating, and watersports! We offer English language instruction. We offer ELL, Outdoor Ed and boarding in our custom-built facility."

To your knowledge, why do families choose your school over others?

"Where you send your child to school is one of the most important decisions you will make as a parent. At UNISUS, we inspire our students to be globally-minded citizens and critical thinkers through Academic Excellence, Student Empowerment, and Global Citizenship. We are proud to be the only IB World Boarding School in the Okanagan. Our location in beautiful Summerland allows us to offer an extensive and varied outdoor education program, including downhill skiing. High standard+high support."

What aspect of your school is underappreciated?

"What might surprise students - particularly international or national boarding students - is the opportunity to explore four-season outdoor recreation activities: skiing, snowboarding, hiking, canoeing and kayaking, water sports. Boarding students who had never skied before arriving in the Okanagan, are all proficient skiers after spending weekends at Apex Mountain Ski Resort and Nickel Plate Nordic Centre! Add to that, a tight-knit, supportive community where no student feels lost in the crowd."

What might families find surprising about your school?

"Based in the beautiful Okanagan, British Columbia, we have a unique chance to ignite a passion and respect for outdoor exploration and recreation. The UNISUS outdoor education program has the natural advantage of the renowned sunny Okanagan climate and four-season outdoor activities, including skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, swimming, rock climbing, ziplining and direct access to some of the best hiking trails, lakes, and ski hills in the world. We also boast a tight-knit, caring community!"


School Facilities

Photo-tour of facilities


Athletics facilities


Arts facilities


Campus


Classrooms


Residences


Science facilities


Instructional resources


Shared spaces


School Videos

School leadership

Top-down influence on the school’s direction and tone


Message from school leadership

Dr. Beverley von Zielonka, Head of School
D.Ed. Administration, Boston University, M.A. Education, Oxford Brookes, B.Ed., Simon Fraser University

Looking for an education that's out of the ordinary? Unisus School is a Pre - K to Grade 12 day and boarding school in Canada's Okanagan, offering the International Baccalaureate program + the B.C. Diploma (Dogwood) with a strong focus on outdoor education, technology and entrepreneurship.

Everyone knows each other’s name in our safe, tight-knit, and inclusive community: children never get lost in the crowd. Every single student is known, accepted, encouraged, and supported to discover their voice, true self, and potential to shine. Small class sizes and dedicated IB teachers (most of whom have lived and taught overseas) mean your child will never be just a face in the crowd!

Founded in 2018, the UNISUS campus sits on a 17-acre hilltop at the base of Giant’s Head Mountain, in Summerland, the Central Okanagan. The school and our custom-built 60-student capacity boarding facility (and dining hall) is nestled among miles of vineyards and orchards, with a view to Lake Okanagan and all lake life has to offer. The Okanagan Valley offers four season recreation, a beautiful natural environment, and a safe place to learn and live

The UNISUS IB Diploma Programme (DP) offers students world-class university preparation programs and pathways to esteemed universities worldwide. The academically rigorous Diploma Programme (DP) offers an unsurpassed breadth and depth of knowledge that develops students intellectually, emotionally and ethically - increasing our student's candidacy to their university of choice (100% of our graduates continue to universities in Canada, the U.S. and Europe).

Students become confident and capable globally-minded citizens and thinkers, empowered to meet life's challenges with intelligence, compassion, and courage.

UNISUS is a community guided by three Learning and Teaching Goals:

Academic Excellence: where students are continually challenged and excel in their learning within a curriculum rooted in rigorous standards and real-world applications

Student Empowerment: where students develop the skills, confidence and resilience to embrace challenges and opportunities

Global Citizenship: where students commit to international mindedness through ethics, global perspectives, communication, leadership through service, and sustainability.

These learning and teaching goals are based on research and intention and ensure that UNISUS students are “future ready” and best equipped for our rapidly changing, interdependent world. We think our graduates will agree!

Dr Beverley von Zielonka


THE OUR KIDS REPORT: Unisus School

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