Building Connections Across Cultures
Crescent welcomed students from Branksome Hall Asia (BHA) in Jeju, South Korea, from October 19–23 for a week of collaborative learning and cultural exchange.
The partnership began in 2025, when students from both schools participated in the iThink program at the University of Toronto. It was a huge success. "Branksome Hall Asia believes that Crescent’s mission and culture closely align with what they're trying to do for their boys," says Director of Outreach Justin Chau. This year's expanded exchange offered an opportunity to explore some of Crescent's strengths in character education, positive masculinity, and leadership development.
Working alongside 22 Crescent students in Grades 9 and 10, the 21 BHA visitors participated in collaborative activities and led their own interactive workshops. “Crescent faculty were teaching students about identifying as a positive role model by looking at healthy masculinity traits, character traits, and leadership traits,” says Chau. “The BHA students put their ideas into practice with our students across Crescent's three divisions, gaining experience as leaders-in-training and learning how to be better versions of themselves as role models.” The longer-term goal is for the BHA students to implement these workshops in their own school.
The visitors also joined regular Upper School classes, an experience that proved particularly popular. One student enthusiastically participated in a math lesson, while another, a drummer, joined a music class and helped complete the band in Mr. Timmerman’s class.
For BHA students, accustomed to learning alongside a small, familiar cohort, Crescent offered opportunities to connect with a wider range of peers. They also experienced Crescent's distinctive school traditions and cross-divisional community. Meanwhile, Crescent students gained new perspectives on Korean culture and different approaches to learning.
Chau deliberately designed the week to encourage students to embrace uncertainty and learn through unfamiliar experiences. “ When we were going through these workshops and conversations, we could tell that the boys wanted things to be more predictable and familiar,” he says. “But the lack of firm guidelines or rubrics meant that they had to collaborate on solutions, and that ended up being more valuable than comfort and predictability.”
The exchange will come full circle in March 2027, when Crescent's participating Grade 10 students travel to BHA's campus in Jeju, South Korea, continuing the friendships and learning begun in Toronto.
