History

The origins of Neuchâtel Junior College (NJC) date back to 1956, when Leonard Wilde, a teacher from the UK who was familiar with both Swiss and Canadian systems recruited a class of Canadian grade 12 students to study in Switzerland. In the 70 years since, NJC has built a reputation as a phenomenal university prep school filled with adventure and Swiss cultural immersion.

Similar to Leysin American School which I wrote about previously, NJC fits into a unique category of school that I am visiting on Adventure Year, because it’s a Canadian independent school in Switzerland. Although it may be different from many of the others I am visiting, I couldn’t miss a chance to visit my friend, Andrew Keleher – NJC’s Head of School. I met Andrew in the Doctorate of International Educational Leadership & Policy program at the University of Toronto. He is an energetic and thoughtful leader who has made a true impact in his 8 years of service as the head at NJC. 

Andrew is a student-centered leader who knows his students on a personal level, introducing many of them as we toured the school. He’s the kind of school leader you wish you had growing up. In fact, leading up to my visit to NJC, my wife, Tami, kept mentioning that the name Andrew Keleher sounded familiar. We figured out why when she and the kids met us for lunch at the end of the tour. She took one look at Andrew and said, “did you every work at Saint Mach’s?” It turns out Andrew was a vice-principal at St. Malachi’s High School in Saint John, New Brunswick when Tami was in 9th grade. 

Highlights

NJC is a unique school, it offers a one-year study abroad opportunity for Grade 12 or recently graduated students looking for a university prep year like no other!

It was fun to connect with groups of students from across Canada. What stood out from these interactions was the level of camaraderie they exhibited despite only having met a few weeks earlier, a sign of strong school culture. 

Exploration and adventure are central to the student experience at NJC. The school organizes plenty of international educational travel experiences around Europe for students to explore historical and cultural sites, including France, Belgium, Italy, Greece, and of course Switzerland. 

The faculty members that I met were excited to serve at NJC and bought into the school’s mission. On a personal level I enjoyed meeting so many Canadian educators in one place, connecting about hometowns and the journeys they’ve taken to NJC. 

NJC is a Canadian school abroad, yet has uniquely ingrained itself in the surrounding  community. Students stay in homestays, called “pension”, around the small town of Neuchâtel. Staying with French-speaking Swiss families provides students with a great language and cultural immersion experience. The school also partners with a nice local restaurant to provide lunch. 

3 Key Takeaways

• Begin With A Bang: Intentional design and implementation of the start of the school year creates a clear tone for the school culture. What intentional school culture building can be injected into your 2026 student or faculty orientation?
• Always Adventure: Make a habit of courageously stepping out of your comfort zone as a school, leader, or faculty member and guide students to do the same. How can you share about your adventures in life and learning with your school community?
• Finish Strong: Leaders who are committed to seeing initiatives through to the end get better results. What can you do to improve how you finish and review programs or initiatives for the benefit of your school? 

Build culture, unlock potential. Visit my Connect Page or send a message on LinkedIn. 

Stay tuned for more international school visits – up next International School of Geneva!

Peace & Blessings, 

– Josiah 

References

Neuchâtel Junior College. (2025). Student Life. https://neuchatel.org/student-life/