Why co-gender education?

A co-gender approach to education allows our Lower School students to develop socially and emotionally in a diverse environment of both boys and girls. This encourages self-esteem, social skills, and prepares them for a world where both genders play important roles. We teach our students to respect their opposite gender peers during these pivotal years of growth and development. This also allows us to expose our students to different viewpoints. Research shows co-ed environments at this age help students to break down gender stereotypes.

“At some point, boys and girls will return to a co-ed environment, and they need to know how to get along and work together. It is very important that boys learn to listen to and respect the intellect of girls and that girls feel comfortable speaking up in front of boys.”

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto

Within our Lower School co-ed environment, our teachers attend to a student’s individual learning needs, rather than teaching under the assumption that all boys or all girls learn the same way. By using our learning and training through The Gurian Institute, we are able to weave the “art” and the “science” of teaching into our curriculum and instruction. The holistic nature of this brain-based, gender-lens approach grows from the three fundamental arenas of child development: nature, nurture, and culture. With this understanding, we employ the best practices in educating both boys and girls to excellence.