At Pearson, learning does not stop at the classroom door. During CAS Week (Creativity, Activity, Service Week, formerly known as Project Week) education spills onto the land, water, and into the community. The week invites students to slow down, connect deeply with place, and engage creatively, actively, and in service to others.
From coastlines to forests, bikes to canoes, kitchens to galleries, CAS Week is a living expression of learning through experience.
Grounded in Place and Purpose
Time on the Land asks students not only to be on the land, but to understand their relationship with it—who it belongs to, how it has been shaped, and how it shapes us in return. That grounding was reflected in the Time on the Land Showcase, the culmination of a week of collaborative learning.
The showcase brought together art, storytelling, and education to explore decolonization and the vital role creativity plays in connecting climate action with Indigenous justice. Embedded in the local community on lək̓ʷəŋən Territory, students curated an exhibition that raised funds for RAVEN Trust an organization supporting Indigenous Peoples in court to defend their lands, sovereignty, and ways of being.
Activity on Land and Sea
Across the region, other students were learning through movement and challenge.The Bikepacking group gathered their gear, pitched their tents, and set out on a five‑day journey covering more than 290 kilometres and 3,400 metres of elevation. Riding from Pearson College to Ruckle, Shingle Bay, Montague Harbour, and back, students were challenged by changing terrain, weather, and fatigue.Each day, a different pair of students guided the grouplearning through trust and shared responsibility.
Further north, the big canoe set out for seven days exploring the rugged beauty of Vancouver Island’s northern coast. From Espinoza Inlet to the remote shores of Nuchatlitz Provincial Park, students cooked together, paddled in sync, read the tides, and learned to rely on one another.
To Their Hearts Content
The Campus Culinary group explored service through food—one of the most universal ways to build connection. They developed practical skills in food safety, baking, and cultural cooking, but the heart of the experience was giving back. Students visited a local food bank to assemble donation baskets and deliver freshly baked goods to a soup kitchen.
A Week That Reflects Who We Are
Some of the environments students encountered during CAS Week were completely new: remote coastlines, long days on the road, community spaces they had never entered before. For many, it was a highlight of the school year, reflectingthe experiential learning that Pearson and the UWC movement stand for. It brings people together from around the world to meet, to learn from one another, and to better understand their shared responsibility to the planet and to each other.
