Today we’d like to introduce you to David Schipper

Hi David, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

I have lived and breathed education and a life of service to students and families for decades. It began with tutoring students in my neighbourhood when I was still a teenager myself. As a young adult, I was a door-to-door tutor man, tutoring students in their homes after school and on weekends. Later on, I opened my first learning centre, 2Torial Educational Centre. In 2013, the co-founder of the renowned Strategic Learning Clinic chose me to take over the then-nearly-24-year-old institution. Today, under my leadership, Strategic Learning Clinic works with students across North America, teaching them how to read, write, and conquer math. The common denominator in my work is my love for the future of the young people in our society.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

My professional life has had more ups than downs, but the past 11 years at the helm of Strategic Learning Clinic have been the pinnacle of my career so far. I have been largely self-employed over the years, but whenever I worked for someone else or an educational institution, I was always struck by how poorly others behave towards each other. As a result, I promised myself to treat anyone working for me with the utmost respect, and provide them with assistance to the best of my ability. Anyone who is self-employed will tell you that there are enormous lessons along the way, and I have learned many. In recent years, my biggest lesson, which applies to any business, is this: always work with clients who are ready to work with you. The families who support our process see extraordinary results from our work.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Strategic Learning Clinic?

Strategic Learning Clinic is extraordinary, and I was a long-time admirer of its work well before I became the director. There are still very few places in Canada where a student can get such comprehensive help with academic and cognitive challenges. Also, our process in which we get to know the student before we start working with them through a consultation and subsequent assessment, is one of the secrets to our success. The Clinic has specialized in remedial reading and math instruction for over 35 years, and for the past 25 years or so has brought cutting-edge neuroplasticity programs to this country. We are still ahead of the curve after all these years. I am proudest of the fact that I know for certain that nearly every student we work with would not have gotten the help they needed to overcome their learning challenges and have the brightest future imaginable without us.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?

I have always wanted to help people, even from a young age. I am still like that today! My life-long purpose is to help as many young people as possible become the best that they can be. It pains me to think of the countless individuals out there who are struggling in their lives because they lack basic skills such as reading and writing. I was definitely a bookworm growing up; I read everything I could get my hands on, whether it was a novel or a nonfiction book. Whenever I am not working or spending time with family and friends, I am definitely reading something! If I was to ever stop working one day, I would spend most of my time volunteering and reading.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.strategiclearning.ca
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strategiclearningclinic/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SLCStrategicLearningClinic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEIgmTQZAlK4HQVdAmYSN6w
• Yelp: https://biz.yelp.ca/biz_info/8zDAkQAgCQaOz1KpKXpi6A/

Image Credits

Kathleen Girard/Cookie Photo