History « Southern Ontario Collegiate

VISION & MISSION

“Southern Ontario Collegiate provides students with a foundation to be successful global citizens, by instilling in them skills for critical thinking, continuous learning and respect for our core values of honesty, loyalty, perseverance and compassion”.

Southern Ontario Collegiate (SOC) opened its doors in 1980 and has grown greatly since then. While we get more students every year, our focus remains on helping all students reach their potential.

The founders of SOC were themselves international students – University of Toronto graduates – who wanted to make the Canadian educational experience more positive. They created a perfect environment for academic greatness but with a more balanced approach. They use small class sizes, with a low student-to-teacher ratio and a high level of care.

SOC opened its doors to 21 international students. The location was 1289 Upper James Street in Hamilton (now home to Denninger’s Delicatessen). The first years saw students from China, Korea, Cambodia and Vietnam. We focused on ESL to ensure that students learned the English language skills needed to excel in core subjects.

SOC moved to 35 Brant Street in Hamilton (former site of St. Emeric’s School). This space was much larger and had a full-size gym. Student numbers grew quickly and news of SOC’s success began to reach parents around the world.

SOC moved to a new more modern site at 430 York Boulevard, where it continued to prosper. The strong student population was made up of mostly Chinese students, with about 10% from Nigeria.

SOC moved to our present location at 28 Rebecca Street in the flourishing downtown core of Hamilton. The new location gave the school a full-size gym and a 300-seat auditorium for assemblies, concerts, and drama classes. The school had grown in size and in diversity, with students from many countries.

The school came under new ownership, bringing a renewed sense of commitment to our vision and mission, bold new ideas for the future and respect for the achievements of the past.

SOC is proud to have educated more than 5,000 students from more than 30 countries around the world. Going forward, we will continue to build and improve on the proud legacy of achievements thus far.