The Ponoka & District Health Foundation gave a $10,000 grant to the Ponoka and Rimbey Adult Learning Society (PRALS) to upgrade the healthcare classroom in their Ponoka location.
PRALS received news from Campus Alberta Central (CAC) that the Ponoka Learning Centre would be hosting the Licenced Practicial Nuring diploma program in the fall of 2021.
In preparation for the program, they needed to update the rooms with cubicle dividers around each of the hospital beds. They are also putting a projector in the classroom and wall diagnostic systems beside each bed.
Currently, the Ponoka Learning Centre is running their first community-based Health Care Aide certificate class. This program is offered at RDC and at the other learning centres in central Alberta — Rocky Mountain House, Drumheller and Stettler.
PRALS has been in the communities of Ponoka and Rimbey for many years. In 2018, the Ponoka location moved into the Ponoka Civic Centre, sharing the first-floor space with Ponoka Jubilee Library. PRALS offers a variety of adult training and educational courses including a pre-GED prep, Psychological First Aid certificate, Budget Bootcamp, Computer Basics as well as workshops throughout the year.
They also bring continuing education programs from Olds College and RDC into Ponoka and Rimbey, such as the Management Skills for Supervisors certificate and Trauma Informed Educators certificate.
- submitted by PRALS