Sundre residents are being offered the opportunity to take a General Educational Development (GED) course in town, free of charge.
Greenwood Neighbourhood Place (GNP) officials were able to bring the program to Sundre after a number of residents requested it.
“We had seen people requesting a GED course in the past but we were never really able to follow up and figure out how to bring it to Sundre,” said GNP executive director Marita Stermann.
The organization's continuing education coordinator, Bonny Thiessen, researched the possibility in the spring after hearing the request from residents. She was able to find an organization that offers GED courses through video conferencing.
GNP officials attracted enough people to meet the minimum enrolment requirement, and the course is currently being offered at the video conferencing centre at Sundre High School.
The course is free of charge and the students also receive free textbooks and calculators. The only requirement is that they are over the age of 18 and have been out of school for at least one year.
Classes are from 5 to 8 p.m. three days a week for 10 weeks. The first session started in September and runs until December.
“It's an amazing opportunity for Sundre people to do a local preparation course. They don't have to go to Olds or to any other centres further away. They can do it right here in Sundre,” she said.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer it in Sundre.”
The course provides the equivalent of obtaining a high school diploma.
“For people who are in the workforce if they are wanting to get their high school diploma equivalence it would possibly open up doors for improved or maybe better payment or for other jobs,” she explained.
The course is paid for through Alberta Works and the organization offering it is Academic Express out of Red Deer. GNP is acting as the host of the program.
If the current session is successful, another one will be offered in January, she added.
“When you look at the big picture of who is living, who is working in Sundre, you want to make sure that everybody has access to advancing their career, their overall learning and taking in adult learning opportunities,” she explained.
“And this definitely is one of those opportunities that I think will benefit the whole environment of Sundre.”
She doesn't know of a GED course offered in Sundre before and she believes bringing the course to the town is a great success for GNP.
“I'm very proud of everybody who was involved to make this come alive.”
