Two new online firsts for Grande Prairie Regional College

Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) will mark two notable firsts with eCampusAlberta this fall.

French goes online
One is to deliver the first French course on the eCampusAlberta roster.

French 0110 is a Grade 10 equivalent course that runs September 8 to December 9. The online course is available to college students through eCampusAlberta.

“As the beginning French course, students are able to learn basic French in a multi-media environment that includes voice recording, video clips, Elluminate sessions with the instructor and fellow students, immediate feedback activities and exciting project work,” says Lesley Doell, French-Education Instructor at GPRC.

“Based on the phenomenally successful distant learning programs set up for remote fishing communities in Newfoundland and the distributed learning philosophy of learning at any time, any place and at any pace, GPRC is proud to be able to offer a new and effective approach to learning one of Canada's official languages for all Alberta college students,” Doell says.

GPRC also plans to add online French courses at the Grade 11 and 12 levels in the near future.

Certificate targets needs of aging population
Another new initiative by GPRC is to launch a new Active Aging Fitness Practitioner certificate program that will be the first of its kind in Canada.

“This certificate and our diploma cover the range of older adults from fit to frail. Programs other than ours have a different focus. Some focus on the frail elderly, some on leisure activities, but none have the broad scope of our programs,” says Instructor Bethe Goldie, who helped develop the program.

It’s a timely launch for the new program, which will be delivered through eCampusAlberta starting in September.

In 2011, the first wave of the baby boomer generation will turn 65. And, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, seniors are the fastest-growing age group in the country.

The program was developed in response to an emerging industry that provides wellness-related programs and services for people in the 50-plus age bracket and will prepare students for work settings that do not require Personal Trainer certification.

GPRC already offers the second year of the Older Adult Fitness and Wellness diploma program online through eCampusAlberta, specializing in older adult fitness and wellness.

“This is a new and exciting type of training that the market is recognizing at a rapid rate. Graduates will be very capable of leading activities and exercise classes in retirement communities and care centres, among other employment opportunities,” Goldie says.

The program can be completed in eight months through full-time study or in up to five years on a part-time basis. It is also fully transferable to the GPRC diploma program.

Learn more about GPRC’s Active Aging Fitness Practitioner certificate program.