This adult education program offers free tuition to Vancouverites

Whether you’re brand new to Canada and wanting to step up your English, working towards your high school diploma, or applying to a university that requires a prerequisite you haven’t taken, you should be able to chase the future of your dreams without financial obstacles.

Vancouver School Board’s (VSB) Adult Education is a place that can provide these options within either a structured or self-paced learning environment.

Thanks to funding from the Ministry of Education, most courses are free for Canadians, permanent residents, and convention refugees.

In addition to core courses like English, Math, and Science, students who are working towards graduation can also choose from classes like Creative Writing, Law, and Accounting.

And the best part is students can choose the learning environment that works best for them, whether it’s a structured classroom setting or a self-paced program. They can also attend classes in the morning, afternoon, evenings, or on Saturdays — which offers much more flexibility than your former high school timetable.

Here are some of the success stories from students who have made Adult Education work for them.

Linda Li

Linda Li came to Adult Education after she immigrated to Canada and wanted to improve her English skills. She’d worked for over fifteen years as a financial analyst, but once she arrived in the country, the language barrier was a big obstacle to finding work.

Studying English Foundations at South Hill Education Centre helped Li by teaching her how to speak English fluently and write well-structured sentences.

“I’m attending Adult Education to expand my language abilities,” Li says. “I want to upgrade my language abilities, so I can do more volunteer jobs for society.”

Mary G

“I’m attending Adult Education to expand my capabilities”

Who said Adult Education was just for those fresh out of high school? After moving to New York twenty years ago to go to school to become a makeup artist, Mary was 43 years old when she decided to pursue a degree in Arts and Science at Langara. This meant she needed to go back to school first.

“It has affected my mental health in many ways, because I never felt good enough or smart enough because I didn’t finish high school,” said Mary.

Although Mary was scared to go back to school after such a long time, she is proof that it’s never too late. “When I first went to my Biology class, I actually started to cry. I told my teacher, ‘I think I need to drop this course; I don’t think I’m smart enough for this.'”

But Mary always felt supported and heard by her teachers at Adult Education, who encouraged her to keep going. “[My teacher] saw that I was capable and that was a defining moment for me,” adds Mary.

Neil Macli

Neil Macli is another success story of Adult Education; he enrolled when he was in Grade 12 after advice from his high school principal.“I was a bad student. I skipped classes, I even dropped out. But, when I was in Grade 12, that was the year I set up my life. I had a great principal. Instead of kicking me out of school, he understood that I had potential. He gave me a chance,” Macli says.

Although it was a rough adjustment period for Macli at first, he ended up discovering his passion and is now working towards his Red Seal Trades Certificate.

“Cars are my hobby and my passion. Getting my Red Seal is my main goal. I want to stay committed to it,” says Macli.

Thanks to the support of Adult Education, Neil went from his friends never thinking he would make it through Grade 12, to getting back on track with his high school studies and even finding a passion and direction for his career.

“South Hill really helped me. I could work at my own pace and I had teachers that helped me when I needed it,” says Macli.

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No matter how you’re trying to enhance your education — upgrading your grades from school, taking a prerequisite for college, or looking to take your English skills to the next level — there are many advantages to studying with the VSB.

Students can study in a supportive learning environment, to their own individual schedule, and most courses are free of charge.

If you’re under 19 and looking to get into a trade, the program even connects young students to a trades program to train to be a hairstylist, electrician, or auto tech, among others.

Students can choose to attend a program at three locations around Vancouver. South Hill Education Centre, Gathering Place Education Centre or at a partnership program like the Canuck Family Education Centre.

Don’t delay. Check out Adult Education’s website today, so you can get back to the books ASAP and get a head start on an exciting future.