- Neuchâtel Junior College
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Neuchâtel Junior College (or NJC) is a private Canadian international school located in the French-speaking town of Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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Location
A 11th Century town Neuchâtel with a population of 60,000 is situated at the foot of the Jura Mountains in northwest Switzerland. Major cities such as Berne, Geneva, and Zurich are a short train ride away.
History
NJC was founded in 1956 by Leonard Wilde, an Englishman who was teaching at a local Swiss school in the 1950s. His dream was to bring North American students to Europe where they could experience a new culture, a new language and create a new perspective on their present and future lives. NJC is a one-year school annually welcoming over 100 students in their final pre-university year to study the Ontario Grade 12 curriculum as well as Advanced Placement.[1]
In search of students who might be interested in such an adventure, Leonard Wilde travelled to Canada, and taught at Shawnigan Lake School, on Vancouver Island in British Columbia Canada, to become acquainted with the Canadian school system and Canadian students. With this experience in hand, he was able to recruit the College's first 42 students from across Canada in 1956.
Classes at Neuchatel Junior College are taught in English, but each student is required to take at least one French course. In addition to this, all students live with a local family in what is called a pension. This allows the students to interact in French and truly understand Swiss and European culture.
To enhance its curriculum, the College offers a number of cultural and service trips to such destinations as Florence and Sienna, Paris, Vimy Ridge, Madrid, Munich, Krakow, Normandy, Kenya, Tunisia, Egypt and Nepal. The school also allows students to travel independently of the College a few weekends each semester. Through travel, the benefits of this kind of experiential education include a deepened understanding of other cultures, a broader world view, increased independence, self-reliance, and unmatched preparation for post-secondary studies and for life.
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Coordinates: 46°59′48″N 6°56′17″E / 46.9967°N 6.9380°E
Categories:- High schools in Switzerland
- Educational institutions established in 1956
- European school stubs
- Switzerland stubs
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