West Island College

The West Island Colleges (WIC) is a set of private Canadian junior high and high schools, one of which is located in Montreal's West Island, and the other in the south-east of Calgary. The school briefly opened a branch in Ottawa but it was later closed. The school offers a program known as Class Afloat that provides students with an educational experience while sailing around the world.

History

The College was founded in 1974 by Terry D. Davies in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, located on the West Island of Montreal. The Montreal campus has since moved to Dollard-des-Ormeaux. It was then in 1980 that West Island College of Ottawa was formed only to be later closed. With more success in Calgary WIC opened a new school which has remained open.

Class Afloat

In 1984 the United Nations, under the banner of "International Youth Year", invited schools and agencies worldwide to interpret the themes of "participation, development, and peace". Founder Terry Davies interpreted those themes by taking a group of WIC students and teachers on an extended field trip aboard the chartered Sailing Vessel Pogoria to visit other students in countries around the world. Students may sail for one or two semesters during which time they learn seamanship and work as crew members while earning high school credit with help from their on board teachers. Port programs in the cities visited provide the students with an opportunity to meet and interact with other cultures, giving them an international perspective on their education. Since that date, more than 1,500 West Island College Class Afloat alumni have continued to commit themselves to those original themes. They have sailed more than 700,000 nautical miles to over 250 ports of call worldwide. Any student from grades 11, 12, university or GAP year may take part in Class Afloat so long as they pass the application process.^[1]

In 1992 the school commissioned the building of their own ship, the SV Concordia.

During the 2008/2009 year, the school operated a second vessel named the SY Fryderyk Chopin in addition to the SV Concordia. Students enrolled in the high school program were placed upon the Concordia, while students in the gap year program were placed on the Fryderyk Chopin.

On February 17, 2010, The Concordia was knocked down in a squall and subsequently sank, about 550 km from the coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. All the passengers and the crew were rescued without serious injuries by two merchant ships after being located by the Brazilian Navy.^[2][3] In the aftermath WIC Calgary severed it's ties with the program and no longer sponsors it. However, WIC Calgary students are still allowed to partake in the voyage.

Since 2010, the Class Afloat program has taken place aboard the SS Sørlandet, a fully rigged Norwegian vessel, built in 1927.^[4] In 2013 students of the Class Afloat Program will make three trans-Atlantic crossings visiting ports such as St. Helena, Tristan De Cunha and Fernando De Nohorona.

The S/V Concordia alongside the programs current vessel SS Sørlandet.

To this day, Class Afloat continues to be a co-educational sailing program that provides high school credit to students while living aboard a tall ship. Students may sail for one or two semesters during which time they learn seamanship and work as crew members while taking high school classes with teachers on board. Port programs in the cities visited provide the students with an opportunity to meet and interact with other cultures, giving them an international perspective on their education.

The ship operates with a full complement of professional crew, administration, teachers and students. It sailed a different route every year and it circumnavigated the globe many times. In 2008-2009, the Concordia crossed the Atlantic three times, sailing through Northern and Western Europe, South America, Western and Southern Africa, and the Caribbean before finishing the year in Nova Scotia.

Notable Attendees

Marc-Édouard Vlasic

See also

• S.V. Concordia
• Sørlandet (ship)

External links

• WIC Calgary
• WIC Montreal
• Class Afloat
  • Class Afloat Progress Page

References