Academic Upgrading Opportunities at CapU Squamish
Published22 May, 2024
Photo credit Patrick Leung and Katie Bowen
Ready to advance your education? Complete high school or boost your grades for post-secondary admission with Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses.
Brad Martin wants to crush a misconception about academic upgrading and Adult Basic Education courses.
“Upgrading courses are not only for people who struggled in high school. ABE is for everyone – all ages, all walks of life,” Martin, dean of the Faculty of Education, Health & Human Development at CapU, said. “People have many reasons for taking upgrading courses.
ABE courses are often a stepping stone to a longer personal and/or academic journey.”
Learning fearlessly without judgement
The benefits of pursuing academic upgrading are well-established. A significant percentage of students who upgrade at CapU go on to post-secondary, and many take ABE and post-secondary courses simultaneously.
Still, there is a level of stigma that exists for students looking to upgrade.
“We need to help prospective students overcome any fears, inhibitions, doubts or shame they may feel by conveying to them that we are here to help without judgement,” he said. “ABE faculty are skilled and experienced in working with adult learners and their particular learning needs.”
One of those faculty members is Colin Gilker, an ABE instructor who also works with Indigenous students in the Pathways to Higher Learning (P2HL) program at the University’s kálax-ay campus in Sechelt.
“Having quit school in Grade 10, I know how discouraging it can be to have limited options for advancement without high school as a bare minimum for success,” Gilker said.
“We provide caring and personalized support, and our goal is to make students feel welcome and valued. We meet every student where they are and customize our instruction to their distinctive learning needs. We are dedicated to helping them succeed.”
Creating an accessible campus on and offline
CapU opening a campus in Squamish has given the University visibility and accessibility it previously lacked in the area. Still, a common thread among ABE students is finding the time to balance life, work and school.
“The core challenge for ABE is always socioeconomic accessibility. Few students have the financial stability to add schoolwork to their job or family responsibilities,” he said. “That's why we've worked so hard to build a program that's as flexible as it can possibly be.”
“The benefits ABE provides ensure that students are better prepared to achieve a higher quality of life whatever their next steps are.”
