Our Philosophy

Our philosophy involves a mix of rigorous fundamentals with project-based learning. Projects provide an incredible opportunity for students to pursue their interests, practice teamwork, grapple with ambiguity, and go deeper when their curiosity tugs. On the other hand, we also believe in the value of structured learning to build up fundamental knowledge and skills through practice, continually pushing the boundaries of our students’ capabilities. For more on the VISST philosophy, see our blog post On progressive vs. rigorous education.

Our Approach

VISST’s offers the full B.C. curriculum augmented with additional STEM offerings. The program involves a mix of acceleration and enrichment. Our curriculum starts from the end of elementary school and does not require any accelerated or enriched STEM prior to VISST. Everyone is welcome to apply! On the other hand, for students that do come into VISST with extra preparation, we will work with you individually to ensure you are challenged and always learning.

Math: Math is accelerated with Math 8/9 completed in Grade 8 and an option for additional acceleration later on. This creates time for courses like AP Calculus in the later years. Furthermore, VISST’s mathematics courses are enriched beyond the BC curriculum with inquiry projects, bonus content, an optional enrichment program based on the Art of Problem Solving books, and our “Math Appreciation” program. VISST students can also participate in math contests. See also our blog post On applied math in high school.

Science: Science is accelerated with Science 8/9 completed in Grade 8. This affords time for students to take all three main sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) to the Grade 12 level, and optionally the AP level, without overloading any particular year. VISST students may also participate in local science fairs and events. VISST’s science courses are enriched with hands-on experiments and activities.

Technology: Our technology curriculum is initially delivered through the Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies (ADST) courses. These courses especially emphasize computer science, but also include a wide variety of other topics such as design, fabrication, and entrepreneurship. In later years, we offer dedicated computer science and data science courses. VISST students may participate in coding competitions and robotics events, as well as an extracurricular machine shop club led by renowned engineer and inventor Dan Gelbart.

Beyond STEM: Our humanities program is enriched through our curriculum philosophy described above, including project-based learning, connections with the community, and interdisciplinary projects interfacing with our STEM courses. Our staff also includes teachers with art backgrounds including theatre and music.

VISST sample course schedule

Expand the sections below for a sample course schedule.

Please note the above path through Grades 8-12 is an example. Actual paths may differ.