Class attains honours standing
Okotoks, AB – Twenty-two students from The Centre for Learning@HOME (CFL) enrolled in Introduction to Marketing at Bow Valley College (BVC) attained a cohort average of eighty percent this semester. In addition to earning transferable credit for this college course, these students were also awarded five high school Career and Technology Studies (CTS) credits in Marketing and Management.
The CFL has partnered with BVC for the past three years during which time over one hundred high school students have received dual credits in a variety of college courses including: Anatomy and Physiology; Business Law; Medical Terminology; Tourism; Marketing; Management; and Criminal Justice. Many of these students have also received a Bow Valley College Business Entrepreneurship Certificate for completing four college courses in business in addition to earning twenty high school CTS credits as part of their Alberta high school diploma.
Dual credit is programming, authorized and funded by Alberta Education, in which grade 10, 11, or 12 students can earn both high school credits and credits that count towards a post-secondary certificate, diploma, or degree (including first period apprenticeship opportunities).
The potential benefits of participating in dual credit are many and include: Students can get a jump start on their post-secondary education while still in high school. They can earn both high school and post-secondary credits at the same time. Students can access more individualized learning.
Students who are engaged in meaningful high school programming are more likely to complete high school. Students gain an increased awareness of labour market needs and future career opportunities. Students who participate in dual credit programming transition more easily to post-secondary studies or into the world of work. Potentially, some students may complete post-secondary with less financial debt.
“Students who are engaged in their learning are more likely to stay in school. Many students have said that dual credit has had a big impact on their decision to stay in school and that it has helped them get a head start on their post-secondary education and careers. In some instances, students have been able to complete post-secondary with less financial debt. Expanding dual credit to every corner of the province is a great example of how we are working to make life better.”
– David Eggen, Minister of Education
Recent changes to the dual credit program will protect and improve education for these students and provide them with more opportunities to jump-start their post-secondary studies. Indeed, the students at The Centre for Learning@HOME are prime examples of the effectiveness of dual credit programming in providing high school students a head start towards further studies and employment opportunities, which will ultimately contribute to strengthening the province’s future.
