About Us

The Sterling Institute has been created as a way of sharing with educators around the world research and resources that encourage excellence in the teaching of boys.

In its pursuit of excellence in education, The Sterling Hall School has produced much of its own curriculum, tailored to the way boys learn best. This material is based on the best practices and studies of other educators and researchers, as well as the Faculty's combined experience, and has been proven effective in the school's classrooms. The curriculum is continually developed and refined, according to the response of the boys and the high academic demands of the school.

As interest in the work at The Sterling Hall School has spread, Faculty have been invited to present at conferences across Canada, the U.S., and abroad. Through The Sterling Institute, we are now pleased to be able to share with a wider audience our proprietary, cutting-edge curriculum and the generous knowledge and resource base we have cultivated in the area of boys' education.

The Sterling Institute team

The Sterling Institute is managed by Faculty/Administration members of The Sterling Hall School.

Ian L.F. Robinson, Director, The Sterling Institute

Ian is the Principal of The Sterling Hall School, a post he has held since 1995. Ian has had a life-long devotion to boys’ education. Prior to his tenure at SHS, he spent 19 years at Upper Canada College Preparatory School, most recently as Director of Admissions. He has also taught in England and France, and has authored several books and teaching modules. Ian holds a BA in French, German and Economics from the University of London in England, with a Certificate in Education from Keele University, and has attended several NAIS professional development conferences and a session on Principalship at Harvard. In 2002, he was elected to the Executive of the Canadian Association of Independent Schools.

Leslie Anne Dexter, General Manager, The Sterling Institute

Leslie Anne is the Vice Principal, Academics at The Sterling Hall School and the Faculty Advisor for the SHS Resource Department. She has taught Grades 1-7 for more than 25 years, and is a frequent presenter on the topic of boys' education at conferences around the world. Leslie Anne holds a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education from Brock University and a BEd from the University of Toronto, and is currently completing her Masters degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.

Erica Sprules, Co-ordinator/Editor, The Sterling Institute

Erica is the past Stewardship Co-ordinator at The Sterling Hall School, where she has taught Grade 5 for the past 3 years. She has given presentations about the Stewardship program at the 2007 CAIS Best Practices conference in Toronto, and to the Association for Integrative Studies in Tempe, Arizona in 2007. In addition to her professional education degree, Erica holds a Master of Science in Biomechanics.

James Hay, Creative Contributor, The Sterling Institute

Devout Earthling and Mathematician, James earned his HBPE and BEd from Lakehead University before taking up what he considers "the best job anywhere" at The Sterling Hall School.  James maintains a Grade 8 homeroom, conducts Mathematics and Science classes, coaches teams, and enjoys a variety of leadership responsibilities at SHS.  He has written and presented on extended topics in Mathematics and Environmental Education and in 2006 received a Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Teaching.