Executive Brief
Principal
The Linden School
About The Linden School
Mission
The Linden School is a socially-progressive community where innovative best practices in girls’ education promote and strengthen student voice, well-being, academic excellence, and global engagement.
Values
Inclusivity: We support a genuinely student-driven culture; students are empowered to actively seize leadership opportunities and confidently contribute to the making of our academic and social community.
Diversity: We work within an anti-oppression framework by approaching the curriculum from multiple perspectives; our academic inquiry includes equity and social justice issues from feminist and anti-racist viewpoints.
Intellectual Risk: We support respectful dissent and encourage an enthusiasm for inquiry and interdisciplinary exploration; we challenge ourselves and others through independent thinking, well-informed opinions, and critical debate.
Founded in 1993 by Diane Goudie and Eleanor Moore, Linden is the only school in Canada created to incorporate cutting-edge research on girls' educational needs, from primary to secondary school. The school's academically challenging program and unique girl-centred philosophy ensure that girls and young women feel empowered to discover their intellectual curiosity, take risks, and develop the confidence to find their voice.
In its development, The Linden School's pedagogy and philosophy were influenced by prominent educators and theorists working for women's equality and social change at that time. Our school is based on Carol Gilligan's concept of an “ethics of care," which entails a recognition that learning is not simply intellectual, but deeply relational. We know from decades of research on gender and learning, that girls flourish in a collaborative learning environment, and we foster this through our pedagogy and a strong sense of community. Our curriculum helps students view the world through multiple lenses to uncover the complex intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability. We educate girls to take on leadership roles in local, national or international arenas. Our goal is not only to have our students gain the confidence, knowledge and skills it takes to be leaders in their chosen realms; but also to help them develop the critical lens through which to question the structures and assumptions of the realms they will occupy.
For more information on the 2020-2022 Strategic Plan, visit: https://www.lindenschool.ca/strategicplan