Adult Basic Education
The BC Adult Graduation Diploma at Castlegar, Grand Forks, Kaslo, Nakusp, Silver King, Nelson, Trail
Program Summary
Many of our Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses are college upgrading courses equivalent to those of the Grade 10, 11 or 12 levels in the K-12 system. Students may take the specific courses they need as prerequisites for entry to post-secondary studies or they may take all the courses necessary for a level completion up to and including the BC Adult Graduation Diploma (Adult Dogwood, see below).
English as a Second Language (EASL) courses can help individuals who do not speak English become fluent in both written and conversational English, and are available on an individualized basis on most campuses.
Adult Special Education (Transitional Training or TT) is for adults with special needs or disabilities so that they may move to independent living or prepare for the world of work. It is available at Castlegar, Grand Forks, Nelson (Silver King) and Trail.
Selkirk College also works with a community partner, the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy to deliver Adult Literacy Programs in all six communities.
Program Objectives
Adult Basic Education at Selkirk College is designed to allow mature students to develop academic skills, personal management skills and teamwork skills for use in the labour force, in further academic training and in their communities. Offerings range from fundamental skill levels to the equivalent of Grade12 completion. Students may also prepare to write the General Education Diploma (GED) examinations or the Language Proficiency Index (LPI) exam. Adult Basic Education classes are held on Castlegar, Grand Forks, Silver King (Nelson) and Trail campuses as well as in the College’s Adult Learning Centres in Nakusp and Kaslo.
Adult Basic Education is student-centred and makes every effort to accommodate students’ individual learning needs. When learners require specific skills development rather than complete course credit, ABE staff are able to design an individual learning plan that builds these specific skills in reading, writing, math, or computer literacy.
In the Adult Learning Centres, courses are offered from September to April. These courses are individualized, allowing students to work at their own speed. Flexible timetabling allows most students to choose their class times. On the larger campuses, courses generally run for a longer period of time with many courses at regularly scheduled times. The Silver King Campus in Nelson has a summer semester beginning in early May and ending in August. On the Castlegar Campus, ABE provides upgrading to the Intermediate Level (Grade 10 equivalency) only and Grade 11 and 12 equivalent level courses are offered through University Arts and Sciences – College Preparatory program.
Note: Not all courses or programs are available at all centres or on all campuses.
Counselling is available to help you make the best course choices based on your individual needs.
These courses are tuition free. Books are provided on a loan basis. Nelson and Castlegar students also pay student union fees.
