Canadians Teaching the World

Blyth Academy Marks 40^th Anniversary with Landmark Announcements
Hosts Training for Chinese Olympic Hockey Team
Newest Student: Olympic Hero Penny Oleksiak
New Mexico City Campus for 2018

TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2017 /CNW/ - Canada's leading provider of private education will mark four remarkable decades of teaching young people with landmark announcements of international expansion, sporting support for a superpower, and the addition of an Olympic hero.

Sam Blyth, CEO of Blyth Academy, will be opening a new headquarters in downtown Toronto and will announce a new and innovative collaboration with the Chinese men's national hockey program, laying the groundwork for China's hockey debut at the 2022 Olympic Games.

Twenty-five promising young players, both Chinese nationals and Chinese-Canadians, are training at Blyth Academy's Downsview Park campus in a specialized program coached by former Boston Bruins great Steve Kasper. They will form the core of China's team at the under 18 world championships and are potential candidates for the 2022 Olympic squad. The players are not only benefiting from Canadian hockey expertise (at the same campus for elite athletes where NHL MVP Connor McDavid studied), they are also receiving a top-notch Canadian education, including English as a second language.

Mr. Blyth will address guests and dignitaries, including Ontario's Minister of Economic Development and Growth, Brad Duguid, Blyth's first Rhodes Scholar, Neria Aylward, and representatives of the Mexican and Chinese governments. 

Canada's Olympic hero, Penny Oleksiak, who began attending the Yorkville Campus earlier this month, will also be in attendance.

"Our excellent public education system gave Penny an outstanding start and we are honoured she has chosen us to help her in the next stage of her academic career," says Mr. Blyth.

Mr. Blyth will also announce plans for Blyth Academy to open a new high school in Mexico City in 2018. It joins 17 other campuses in Ontario, Washington DC, Italy, and Qatar. 

"Our joy at our Mexican school is tempered by the unfolding tragedy from the earthquake," said Mr. Blyth.  "Blyth Academy offers our deepest condolences to the people of Mexico City and our support in helping to rebuild," says Mr. Blyth.

"With Canada's many economic and cultural ties to Mexico, opening a campus in their capital is a natural and we look forward to a happier day a year from now when we open our doors."

Blyth Academy will also be celebrating its recent launch of its LEAP (Learning Enrichment for Accelerated Pupils) program, focused on advanced elementary students who wish to earn high-school credits. The program was embodied by two extraordinary young women: Carlie and Saige Weinreb. Carlie drew international attention in 2016 at age eight, with her prowess in math -- she was already lecturing university students on Canada's tax code, which she learned from her father Lorne, a chartered accountant. Carlie and Saige will be the first students enrolled in LEAP, which will use the Blyth Academy's online platform, giving them access to more than 80 courses and high school credits.

Blyth Academy is also pleased to announce the appointment of a new chairman. John Makinson formerly served as chairman of the international publishing company Penguin Random House and was chairman of The National Theatre of Great Britain from 2010 to 2016.

Blyth Academy had its birth in 1977 with a couple of internationally accredited education programs, run as part of a ground-breaking adventure travel business. As the years passed, the company evolved until it became totally an educational institution. By enrollment, it is the largest grouping of private schools in Canada.

Teaching the Ontario curriculum, Blyth Academy offers a rich, globally-minded educational experience to 7,000 students from all walks of life. The majority are Canadian, including many new Canadians. They benefit from a highly-personalized, empathetic learning atmosphere, with average class sizes of seven. Fees are lower than most private schools, with hundreds of students receiving financial assistance from the academy. 

More than 98 per cent of Blyth Academy graduates attend the universities and colleges of their first choice. This year, students received admissions offers from some of the top universities in the world including Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and MIT.

About Blyth Academy www.blytheducation.com
Founded in 1977, Blyth Academy is Canada's leading private school by enrollment and reach. With 17 campuses in Ontario, Washington DC, Italy, and Qatar, average class sizes of seven students, individualized teaching and an experiential approach, Blyth Academy offers excellent university preparation.

SOURCE Blyth Academy