|
(Lunenburg, NS) – West
Island College Class Afloat (WIC) and Acadia University have formed
a unique new partnership and are pleased to announce their plans for
a university accredited “gap year” programme for students who plan a
year of study abroad between high school and university.
Class Afloat has
operated for the past 20 years, graduating more than 1000 alumni and
operates its own tall ships, the Concordia and the Fryderyk Chopin.
In the fall of 2007 Class Afloat will expand its gap year programme
to include a dedicated ship, the S.Y Fryderyk Chopin. It will sail
worldwide, at times in company with our first vessel, the S.V
Concordia. Gap year students will enroll, concurrently with Class
Afloat and Acadia, earning university credits through Acadia’s
Division of Continuing and Distance Education while sailing
worldwide.
“This is a unique
opportunity for growth through effective partnership. West Island
College and Acadia share histories born of a dedication to unique
and valuable learning opportunities for their students,” said WIC
and CEO, Terry Davies. “A gap year programme, an increasingly
popular post secondary learning and development year, can now
effectively combine the bona fides of university study combined with
unique adventure travel and personal development. Although
relatively small and decidedly intimate, both institutions, through
this partnership, extend their international reach, and,
accordingly, their stature as world class institutions. This
partnership heralds the most significant programme change at Class
Afloat since 1984. We look forward to the many inherent benefits
signaled by this new and exciting synergy.”
“Acadia has long been
considered Canada’s most innovative undergraduate university and the
Class Afloat partnership is one more example of our commitment to
creating learning environments outside the boundaries of a
traditional university campus,” said Dr. Gail Dinter-Gottlieb,
President and Vice-Chancellor of Acadia University. “I’m impressed
with the life experience young people gain while being onboard these
tall ships and Acadia’s distance learning program is flexible enough
to allow students to accommodate their academic interests. The added
value for Acadia’s faculty and staff is that they will be able to
join the crew to provide onboard instruction.”
Class Afloat will
ensure that gap year (post-secondary) students can earn
undergraduate credit, while pursuing its unique international
travel-study programme, prior to embarking upon their full-time
university career. Students should expect to find course-load
options that resemble classroom loads ranging from full-time to
part-time. Most students currently enroll for ten months per year
(September through June), with others attending for just one
semester. Courses offered will be those suited best to both the
shipboard environment and the geo-cultural and geo-historical
opportunities afforded by the vessel’s itinerary. The programme is
expected to produce significant new opportunities for both
organizations in the areas of research, community service, and
export market development.
The Town of Lunenburg,
a UNESCO World Heritage site, will see its international stature
grow as more than 100 student ambassadors visit 30 ports of call on
five continents. The school is led by experienced Canadian educators
and enjoys the Honorary patronage of Dr. (Dame) Jane Goodall, world
renowned primatologist and environmentalist.
Acadia University, in
Wolfville, Nova Scotia, is recognized as one of Canada’s premier
undergraduate institutions. With its nationally and internationally
recognized research initiatives, small class sizes, and its
technology-rich teaching and learning environment, Acadia offers
students a personalized education that includes rigorous academic
programs combined with personal growth and development. For more
information about Acadia, visit our website at
www.acadiau.ca.
-30-
|
