Columbia International College aims to graduate well-rounded students prepared for life at university and beyond. We believe it is essential to build student's character through leadership training and experience enrichment which enable students to achieve excellence in their university studies and in their future lives.

Our Student Development Office – a unique department among private high schools in Canada – is solely dedicated to organizing and facilitating educational programs that provide students with the necessary training and experience to succeed in life.

The Goals of the Student Development Office include:

• Providing students with meaningful activities and experiences through which they will gain essential knowledge, skills and values
• Instilling in students an awareness and care for their community through volunteer opportunities
• Promoting school spirit through celebrations and theme events
• Developing the physical, social and emotional aspects of students through structured sports activities
• Training students to discover their potential through leadership positions and programs

The Student Development is organized under five major programs to effectively meet its goals.

Residence Life Program

• This program takes place in the residence and provides students of all ages the opportunity to learn life skills in a relaxed setting.
• Students are exposed to activities that are relevant to the residence setting in which they live (and are specific to the facilities available in each residence).
• Periodically, co-ed events (e.g. movie nights) are conducted at the Pine Hall Residence for the benefit of all interested students.
• Younger students (15 years and under) are monitored and assisted where appropriate, to ensure homework and assignments are completed on time.

Student Life Program

• Columbia's Student Life Program takes place inside and outside of the classroom
• Provides unique experiences through age-appropriate extracurricular activities and after-school programs.
• Promotes awareness of issues such as bullying & harassment, anti-smoking/drug/alcohol, healthy living, and global ethics during themed awareness weeks.
• Organizes and coordinates special events and activities to provide students with the opportunity to learn and engage through fun and interactive activities.

Leadership, Enrichment and Development (L.E.A.D) Program

• This program is designed to teach and reinforce leadership qualities in our students by offering a variety of opportunities for the students to become involved in leadership.
• A variety of executive leadership positions exist in the Prefect Body, Columbia Crew, Student Council, International Council, Residence Council and Student Mentor Program.
• Through the L.E.A.D Program, students develop leadership, teamwork skills, goal-setting and time management skills they can use now and in the future.

Community Service Program

• This program allows students to volunteer and thereby explore their community and discover the role they can play in making a difference.
• Through volunteering, students gain valuable work experience, develop leadership skills and increase social awareness.
• Students also earn community service hours, a pre-requisite for graduation, as well as build a portfolio of their volunteer service.

The Athletic Program

• Columbia's Athletic Program promotes good physical, mental and emotional health through regular physical activities.
• Students can join the Columbia Crew – a leadership position in the Athletic Program where students are trained to help organize and facilitate sports activities.
• In addition to improving the quality of life, sports activities at Columbia are organized to foster an environment where students can have fun, learn good teamwork skills and socialize with students from diverse background