George Vanderkuur, Principal/Director
“It is my pleasure to be a part of Toronto Central Academy family. TCA’s educational philosophy is one that I helped to shape and one that I deeply believe will help elevate the level and quality of the education that our students receive.
By individualizing each student’s learning plan and providing them with a positive, safe, and challenging environment, we enable our students to think outside the box and develop the necessary skills they need to succeed in the future, whether at university or in their future career.
Here is where our wonderful faculty and staff really shine. We have gathered a group of truly talented and dedicated OCT educators, and passionate and experienced staff who are able educate, empower, and encourage while providing the right kinds of targeted guidance that our students need. What makes our faculty and staff unique is that they do not wait for the student to come to them; through closely monitoring our students’ academic performance and behaviours and meeting with our students regularly, our educators and staff work together to solve problems and offer help as soon as possible. And they do this without compromising the student’s independence and ability to work things out for themselves. TCA is a place where students are able to discover, develop, and perfect their abilities while growing as successful members of our society. Welcome to Toronto Central Academy!”
George Vanderkuur has more than 30 years of rich experience in teaching, education consultation, and education management. He has a distinguished reputation and many exceptional qualifications in education in Ontario. In the past, George was the Headmaster (Principal) of the Holy Trinity School and a Curriculum Consultant for the Toronto District School Board. He was also a Chief Scientist at the Ontario Science Centre and later, an Associate Director. He was also the President of the Royal Canadian Institute for the Advancement of Science. In 2002 He received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and in 2010 became a member of the Old Brigade of the Royal Military College.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Greeting to GeorgePhysics with George: An Authentic Learning Approach
Downhill racers where Minimum rotational inertia wins the race
https://youtu.be/BYPQhU-BwmM
Conservation of Angular Momentum of a spinning bicycle wheel
https://youtu.be/E4r5q69LDek
Rotation about the centre of mass of a system like the Moon- Earth
https://youtu.be/Rpxm3d6kYlg
Changing Rotational Velocity through a change in Moment of Inertia
https://youtu.be/3FTv0V_HRS4
Centripetal acceleration prevents water spilling out of upside down glass
https://youtu.be/_bSx766jqfg
George is portrayed as a scientist in the 1990 documentary 'In Search of the Edge,' which examines Flat Earth theories.
https://youtu.be/FtNpztbNiAk
Paul Pu, Director and Doctoral Candidate in Educational Leadership
Paul Pu serves as the Director of Erindale Academy and the President of The Global Youth Challenge (GYC), a non-profit organization (https://theglobalyouth.org/).
Paul's research interests encompass educational leadership, transitional education for international students, and the intersection of AI and education. His leadership philosophy is structured around two core dimensions: the 6C Interaction Dimension, comprising Communication, Connection, Community, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity, and the VIA Success Dimension, which focuses on Vision, Innovation, and Action. In acknowledgment of his contributions to education, the University of Toronto established the Paul Pu Educational Leadership Award (https://tacademy.ca/UP/our-partners.jsp).
Paul possesses extensive teaching experience across various educational levels, including universities,colleges, and high schools in Canada, the USA, and China. His notable assignments include positions at the State University of New York, USA, and Humber College, Canada.
Paul is a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at OISE, University of Toronto, specializing in Leadership, AI, and educational research. His educational background includes a certificate in Advanced Educational Leadership from Harvard University, a certificate in Value Investing from Columbia University, a master's degree in Computer Science and a master's degree in Geography, both from the State University of New York at Binghamton, a master's degree in Regional Planning from Beijing Normal University, and a bachelor's degree in Geography from Yunnan Normal University.
Guided by the credo “to add value to people by helping them reach their potential“, Paul continues to make significant contributions to the field of education. Learn more about Paul at: www.paulpu.com
Here are some endorsements Paul received for his leadership practice: https://theglobalyouth.org/distinguished-messages.
