Native Education

Indigenous Adult Basic Education Diploma

The BC Adult Graduation Diploma (also known as the Adult Dogwood) program gives students high school completion, and prepares them for careers and post-secondary education. IABE is accredited by the BC Ministry of Advanced Education and affiliated with Vancouver Community College (VCC). This program embodies an Indigenous perspective by offering Cultural Studies, Social Justice, and Creative Writing with Indigenous Approaches, including First Peoples English and First Nations Studies. All our English courses use literature by Indigenous authors to provide a cultural perspective and Indigenous worldview. After completing this program, graduates will meet the Grade 12 prerequisite requirements for post-secondary education at all accredited institutions.

Intakes:

  • January 2025 
  • April 2024 
  • September 2024 

This program is full-time, Monday to Friday, and 12 months in duration.
Classes are in person in Vancouver, B.C.

Admission Requirements

Mature Applicants
Tuition and Fees
  • 18 years old or older
  • High school transcript
  • Completed CAAT assessment.
    If you do not have your High school transcript, and CAAT assessment documents, you can do a placement exam at NEC

 

Tuition:$0 - Paid by the Province
Fees:$150.00
Books:$0 - Depends on the course(s) taken
UPass:$186.00
Total Cost:$336.00
This diploma program is Tuition-Free, and if eligible you can get your fees, books and Upass covered by the Adult Upgrading Grant.

Occupation upon Completion

Our graduates can continue their post-secondary education at Native Education College by taking one of the certificate or diploma programs, including:

  • Health Care Assistant
  • Indigenous Justice Studies
  • Information Technology Support Technician
  • Indigenous Land Stewardship
  • Office administration and Employment training 
  • Family and Community Counselling
  • Indigenous Early Childhood Education

Get tuition-free

Our IABE program is tuition free, and if eligible you can get your fees, books and Upass covered by the Adult Upgrading Grant.

Small Class Size

Structured classroom-based in-person and supportive courses

Gain the skills you need with the BC Adult High School Diploma

After completing the BC Adult Graduation Diploma students meet the requirements to apply to any other program at NEC, university, or college of your choice in B.C.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Indigenous Adult Graduation Diploma, the learner will:

Analyze how First Peoples languages and texts reflect their cultures, knowledge, histories, and worldviews.

Appreciate and understood how language constructs and reflects personal, social, and cultural identities.

Recognize and understand the role of story, narrative, and oral tradition in expressing First Peoples perspectives, values, beliefs, and points of view.

Connect mathematical concepts with each other or other areas of personal and professional interest.

Understand the impact of historical exchanges of ideas, practices, and materials among local B.C. First Peoples and non-Indigenous cultures.

Increase awareness and understanding of digital security risks and working with multiple learning platforms.

Course Descriptions

To graduate with an Adult Dogwood, students must have:

  • A required Language Arts 12 course
  • A Math 11 or 12 course 
  • At least three additional Grade 12 electives, or a Grade 11 Socials Studies course and two additional Grade 12 electives

Courses and credits can be counted from either or both the public secondary and post-secondary systems.

Of the five courses required for the Adult Dogwood, at least three must be completed after the adult student has entered the Adult Graduation Program, either through enrolment (instruction) or Prior Learning Assessment. This means that students can receive credit toward the Adult Dogwood for no more than two qualifying courses completed while in the B.C. (school-aged) Graduation Program. You cannot receive an Adult Dogwood using only courses completed prior to enrolling in the Adult Graduation Program.

Native Education College ABE program course offerings:

Grade 10 Grade 11Grade 12
(Intermediate Level) (Advanced Level)(Provincial Level)
First Peoples English  040First Peoples English 060 First Peoples English 081
MTH 040MTH 061 or MTH 062First Nations Studies 080
 FNS 060Creative Writing 080
  Social Justice  080
  Computers 080
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