This past week we have celebrated International Women’s Day, as established by the United Nations in the 1970s. While current students are ignorant as to the progress that has been made, it is imperative that we teach history and sow seeds for a brighter future. It was only a couple generations ago that women could not hold their own credit cards, own property or lead serious companies. We are proud to be a female-owned organisation, providing opportunity to people from all genders, backgrounds and walks of life.
Female empowerment does not come at the cost of lifting up men as we have men in senior management positions, using their unique skills and abilities in collaboration with our social and academic worldview. We know that when we work together, as one, our benefits are multiplied in tandem, contributing to the rich Canadian tapestry that we all hold so dear. Rather than making inefficient-and broad-stereotypes, we look at everyone as a unique individual, each with their own strengths, weaknesses and interests. This is a credit to our teaching methodology and classroom format, which prioritises small classrooms and maximum teacher-student interaction.
Canadian Female Leadership
Canada is widely considered one of the most equitable nations on earth, giving positions to candidates based on merit and not on gender. We know that we cannot progress while some are left behind, forcing us to prioritise diversity in every facet of our business. This is exactly the type of sentiment expressed to current federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, who was inspired by our story and values. It goes far from hiring token female leaders but extends to embracing women as absolute equals, seeing their participation as vital to our success. When female students attend our learning centers (or private schools), they feel supported, empowered and loved. Barriers are removed from under their feet and are instead replaced by mountains. We would not be surprised if one of our alumni were to become the second female prime minister of Canada, after Kim Campbell’s mandate in the 1980s.
What Makes Inspiration Unique?
While some schools invest in brick and mortar, we invest in our teachers and other academic staff. Professional rooted in both the scholarly and “experience-based” domains, they are able to leverage the best of the Eastern and Western teaching methodologies. This allows students to prepare for rigorous academic tests while developing their critical thinking and communication skills. Rather than being just one of many, our students are given individualised attention not offered anywhere. Rather than parents making choices by chance, our team takes full control over their education and maps the steps needed to reach their goals. From volunteer placement to extracurriculars to developing their portfolios, our students are afforded opportunities that sow for future harvest.
Our Female Students are the Captains of their Ships
“It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.”
BY WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY
The term “invictus” is the Latin word for “unconquered”, suggesting that there is no ceiling to our students’ potential, no role that they must satisfy, no path that they must take. This means that girls can aspire to become corporate executives and boys can become elementary school teachers. We know that when the shackles of limitations are taken off, society moves forward and everyone is free to chart their journey. We refuse to pigeon-hole our stakeholders in anyways, allowing everyone to serve in roles that best meet their skills, interests and personalities. While some countries dictate what students should do, we educate about a world with infinite opportunities. These values continue well beyond when they graduate from our program and shape how our students view the world, making it a kind and compassionate place.
Going Forward
What does this mean for the next 21 years of Inspiration? The sky’s our limit! In fact, some of our students dream of becoming astronauts, perhaps the first people to plant their flags on Mars. Every major accomplishment starts with a dream and it takes a very special education system that can enable those dreams to come to fruition. In other words, there is nothing stopping our students from realising their true potential, uninhibited by social (or cultural) pressures. For those with more “terrestrial” ambitions, we would love to have them as a proud owner of an Inspiration franchise, providing the same level of care that was afforded to them. We are just getting started!
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