Have you ever wondered what is offered in the adult upgrading program at the College of the Rockies’ (COTR) Creston campus?
Our adult basic education (ABE) program offers a variety of courses for adults who want to do any of the following things: complete high school graduation with a BC adult graduation diploma, upgrade skills for work, improve high school marks or meet entrance requirements for college or university programs, or improve reading or writing skills for pleasure.
One of the best things about our program is how inexpensive our student fees are. For just $66.30, a student can attend part-time for an entire term of 15 weeks. Also, the ABE student assistance program (ABESAP) can fully fund a student, if eligible, for up to three years of study. We have a friendly, adult-centered classroom with experienced instructors to support students with different learning needs. Our courses are offered self-paced, so students study in flexible, individualized timelines to suit their needs. Some students complete just the English 12 course they need to go on to college, whereas others can be with us for two years working through their entire adult graduation diploma courses.
We are open for a total of 27 hours of instruction per week, so we welcome students to come on in for help any day of the week. We are also available two evenings a week for students working during the daytime. Students can enroll in ABE at any time throughout the teaching year, too. This helps accommodate those students with jobs that end in October or at other irregular times.
Why is the ABE program important?
Many ABE students complete entrance requirements for the health care assistant (HCA) program, carpentry, hairstylist, practical herbalist and other programs offered onsite here in Creston. One of our past students, who took ABE biology and math with us, completed the veterinarian technician program online and is now working at the vet clinic. Many other students completed Math 10 and English 10 to enter our HCA program and are now working at Swan Valley Lodge and Crest View Village as care aids.
It is awesome seeing our past ABE graduates out working in various jobs around Creston, too. They may not have specialized in one area, but they have an adult graduation diploma and found meaningful work.
Other high school graduates have completed just Biology 12 and/or Chemistry 11 here that they needed for entering nursing at COTR or other programs at different colleges or universities. For example, a recent student picked up Chemistry 11 last term so she could apply for the kinesiology program at the University of BC in Kelowna. Many ABE students improve their quality of life by completing a BC adult graduation diploma at COTR.
What does our program look like?
Our educational advisor, Gerry Gardiner, meets every one of our students. She helps determine at what level students should start. Transcripts can help with placement but often an assessment is required if students have been out of school for a while. Next, students discuss their goals with their ABE instructor/advisor, who then places students into their courses appropriately.
Registered students enter classroom 112 to study such courses as math, English, biology, chemistry, education and career planning, psychology and college success. Our biology and chemistry students get hands-on laboratories to reinforce concepts studied in the coursework. Most biology students really love our fetal pig dissections. They compare the anatomy of the pig parts to those found in our torso models. Our chemistry students work on determining the pH levels of various chemicals at home and in the lab, performing some reactions with the chemicals as well as putting together various molecules with our molecular kits. We have scheduled interactive virtual learning using the smart board for many science topics. Students will see the flow of blood through the heart pumping in action through the various chambers and the passage of food through the organs of the digestive system.
Who are the ABE instructors?
Paula Harper is a full-time instructor in the ABE classroom. She has bachelor and master’s degrees in science and her part-time colleague, Kim Asquith, has a bachelor’s degree in science and the professional development program for teaching. Both instructors truly believe in education and love what they do. They have 25 years of teaching experience, which really helps them make adult learners feel comfortable coming back to school. They are passionate about helping their adult students overcome any barrier to their learning so they can reach their goals.
Kerry Hobbs is the manager of the Creston campus of the College of the Rockies.