Take part in cultural parties and events at the school. School events are organized regularly to bring students together. Such events include: guest speakers, monthly parties, boat cruises, disco nights, and barbecue dinners on the beach, etc. Enjoy the local west coast culture of British Columbia! Learn about Canadian First Nations' Culture!

Did you know British Columbia produces international award winning wine? It’s true! Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley are world famous for producing great wines and ice wine! Join our summer wine vineyard tours! You can explore British Columbia's wineries, play tennis, golf, go camping, kayaking, white water rafting, fishing and mountain biking in the beautiful natural settings that have made Canada famous

Canadian Hockey! The fastest game on Earth! You haven’t experienced Canada until you’ve seen a real live professional hockey game! Learn the rules and regulations in our ‘Hockey Rules!’ Conversation Club.

British Columbia is very beautiful and photogenic all year round. Vancouver has earned the nickname ‘Hollywood North’ because there are so many T.V. shows and movies being filmed in Vancouver and the surrounding area! Vancouver is the third largest production center for film and television in North America after Los Angeles and New York.

Some famous sightseeing destinations near Vancouver include:
  a) Whistler Mountain (World famous skiing and home of the 2010 Winter Olympics!)
  b) Stanley Park (Located in downtown Vancouver! Just minutes from the school!)
  c) Robson St. (Best shopping in Vancouver! An easy walk from the school!)
  d) Three local mountains in North Vancouver! (Cypress, Grouse, and Seymour! Only 40 minutes by car!)
  e) Capilano Suspension Bridge, Tree adventure and Lynn Valley! (A student favorite!)

Our Activity Coordinator organizes weekend trips to Victoria, located on Vancouver Island (1.5 hours by ferry), Seattle (located in the United States, just 2 hours from Vancouver) and Whistler (the world famous ski resort, 2 hours from Vancouver).

Prepare yourself for your job search, work experience or internship by joining our volunteer activities and internship presentations.

Our STARs (Student Activity Representatives) committee helps to plan and lead educational, athletic and cultural activities in and out of the school. After successful completion of three months on the committee, the STARs student receives a certificate of appreciation along with a written letter of recommendation from VanWest College. A fun and valuable experience!

Vancouver is a very active city and was home to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Canadians work hard and play harder! The city has many state of the art sporting facilities for both men and women to use. Enjoy skiing, snowboarding and ice skating in Olympic venues! VanWest College makes the most of these fine venues. To enjoy world-class skiing and snowboarding, join our many winter activities. Trips to local mountains (half-hour from Vancouver) are available each week, as well as tours to famous resorts like Whistler/Blackcomb, Big White, Silverstar and SunPeaks. We offer Learn-to-Ski/Snowboard packages, snowshoe hiking and snowmobile fun. Also, students can enjoy our scheduled ice skating and volleyball activities throughout the winter with teachers and staff of VanWest College!

VanWest College participates in the Vancouver ESL Soccer Leagues organized by West Trek Tours and Discover Canada Club ESL. These are private intercollegiate soccer leagues that run in the Spring and Summer in Vancouver. VanWest FC was the West Trek league champion in 2009 and 2010! VanWest FC is also the 2011 Discover Canada Club ESL Cup Champions! Vanwest College has a strong soccer tradition.

This fall, VanWest College will join the Urban Rec. Soccer league. This is a fun, co-ed recreational league played by both Canadian men and women of all skill levels. It's fun, healthy and a great way to meet new friends and practice English with Canadian native speakers!

Learn how the local newspaper is produced and printed. Sit around the editor’s table and imagine you are producing the paper. Walk through the facility and see the huge printer in motion.

Learn about the local Foodbank while volunteering. The Foodbank provides food for people who cannot afford to buy food. Students sort the food, put it into containers and even help give it out.

Take part in cultural parties and events at the school. School events are organized regularly to bring students together. Such events include: guest speakers, monthly parties, boat cruises, disco nights, and barbecue dinners on the beach, etc. Enjoy the local west coast culture of British Columbia! Learn about Canadian First Nations' Culture!

Did you know British Columbia produces international award winning wine? It’s true! Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley are world famous for producing great wines and ice wine! Join our summer wine vineyard tours! You can explore British Columbia's wineries, play tennis, golf, go camping, kayaking, white water rafting, fishing and mountain biking in the beautiful natural settings that have made Canada famous

Canadian Hockey! The fastest game on Earth! You haven’t experienced Canada until you’ve seen a real live professional hockey game! Learn the rules and regulations in our ‘Hockey Rules!’ Conversation Club.

Some famous sightseeing destinations near Kelowna include:
  a) The Mission Creek Greenway that runs through the city and provides hours of hiking along a treed trail beside a flowing river. In the fall, spawning salmon can be seen close up. If you’re lucky, you may even see a black bear coming down to feast on the salmon.
  b) Knox Mountain is another sight-seeing highlight. A short ride or a beautiful hike over the hillside takes you to an awesome lookout. You can see the whole city, the bridge to West Kelowna, and half the lake. A trek to the very top will give you views of the north part of the lake and the rolling mountains. Both these activities are a must for people visiting Kelowna.

In Kelowna, students can do weekend trips to Banff and Jasper. Students can also travel to Vancouver on a tour and add side trips to Whistler, Victoria and Seattle, USA. Specialty ski weekends are offered in the winter.

Prepare yourself for your job search, work experience or internship by joining our volunteer activities and internship presentations.

Our STARs (Student Activity Representatives) committee helps to plan and lead educational, athletic and cultural activities in and out of the school. After successful completion of three months on the committee, the STARs student receives a certificate of appreciation along with a written letter of recommendation from VanWest College. A fun and valuable experience!

The fall in Kelowna brings the opportunity to watch live football. The Kelowna Sun football is entertaining and exciting. Dress warmly! Kelowna also boasts a WHL hockey team. Students have a chance to experience this vital part of Canadian culture for only $20 a game. The hockey is fast and exciting. Students enjoy the energy the fans bring to every game.

Students can feel what it’s like to put on a pair of skates and speed around an arena. Skating (and it includes skate rentals) is a fun way to spend a Friday night in the fall and winter. Of course, winter also brings the promise of downhill skiing or boarding. A bus leaves downtown Kelowna on Saturday and Sunday mornings and comes back in the late afternoon. Students can rent ski equipment and ski clothing. They can also get a lesson or two before they head up the hill. Over- night weekends are also possible.

During the summer, students can borrow any of the school’s sporting equipment and head to the park to play baseball, football, soccer, tennis, badminton, volleyball or Frisbee. Students can choose to just lie in the sun or swim in the lake during those gorgeous summer months. City Park for sports and swimming is only a five minute walk from the campus.