Branksome Hall News

For more than two decades, Branksome Hall has had a longstanding relationship with the Get Ahead Project (GAP) School in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. This partnership was initiated by philanthropist Peter Oliver and through his vision, together with Karrie Weinstock’s educational expertise, Branksome Hall's strong connection with the GAP School evolved to include annual Branksome Hall school visits to GAP, faculty mentorship and educational projects. On March 12, Karrie Weinstock, Branksome’s Head, Centre for Strategic Leadership, attended a special Assembly at the GAP School in South Africa where she was honoured with the Giraffe Award, recognition for an individual whose kindness, generosity and support has made a meaningful impact on the GAP community.

On March 5, 2025, students, teachers and staff from secondary schools across the Greater Toronto Area gathered for the 42nd annual World Affairs Conference (WAC), organized by Branksome Hall and Upper Canada College. This year’s theme, WAC to the Future, encouraged participants to think critically about the path ahead and sparked conversations about how to work together to shape a better future.

On February 21, 2025, 200 energetic and eager Grade 5 students from around the city gathered at Branksome Hall’s Athletics and Wellness Centre for the inaugural Leadership Launchpad Conference. The conference brought the students together for a day of inspirational guest panels, whole- and small-group workshops and engaging activities focused on building leadership and problem-solving skills to prepare them to be role models in Grade 6.

On Wednesday, January 22, Branksome Hall hosted renowned psychologist and author Dr. Lisa Damour for a day full of insightful conversations on the complexities of adolescent mental health and well-being. Dr. Damour, known for her work in guiding parents and teens through the challenges of growing up, spent the day at Branksome, speaking with Grades 6 to 12 students, with faculty and staff in the afternoon, and concluding her visit with a talk and Q&A for parents.

On Monday, January 6, 2025, renowned education strategist and innovation evangelist Dwayne Matthews joined Branksome Hall to give the keynote address at the school’s first all-employee meeting of the new year. The personal, historical and industry-specific storytelling employed in his remarks painted a picture of the opportunity afforded to girls and to Branksome within today’s technological revolution: namely, that education can be human-led, purpose-driven and tech-augmented.