NorQuest College

About NorQuest College

... the biggest enrollment rates for practical nurse, health care aide, and academic upgrading programs.

Campus: Facilities, Residence and Location

The College has four campuses, with one in Stony Plain, one in Wetaskiwin, and two in Edmonton (Edmonton Downtown and Edmonton Westmount). It also has community learning sites, which are located at Hinton, Rocky Mountain House, Drayton Valley, Jasper, Edson, Westlock, Grande Cache, and Whitecourt. Its distance learning network also reaches over 200 communities in Canada.

NorQuest is a partner of Community Access Program (CAP), an initiative of the Canadian Government. The program focuses on cheap public access to the Internet. Under CAP, the public locations, such as community centres, libraries, and schools are able to access the Information Highway and receive computer training and support.

Student Services and Student Life

The College offers the following services: Aboriginal Student Support Services, Assessment Services, Bookstore Outlet, Bus Service, Cafeteria and Confectionery Services, Counselling Services, Educational Technologies, Health Services, Information and Registration Services, Learner Centre, Learning Support Services, Legal Services, Library and Information Services, Mail Service, Parking, Printing Services, Security Services, Student Activity Centre, Student Aid, Student Career and Employment Centre, Students' Association, and Tutorial Services.

The Students’ Association is responsible for managing the student affairs of the College, and it organizes and prepares numerous educational, cultural, and social events. It has many committees and volunteer opportunities for students to join, and they can even become a part of the Students’ Council who serves as the student representative in their region. The Association allocates their monthly school newspaper – The Quest; provides health and dental insurance plan to its full-time registered students; and also offer subsidized membership at the YMCA. The Students’ Association is located beside the cafeteria on the eighth floor of the Main Building.

Academic Programs

The College offers these programs: Aboriginal Community Support Worker, Aboriginal Policing and Security, Aboriginal University Transition Program, Administrative Professional, Building Service Worker, Business Administration, Continuing Education for Health Care Aides, Digital Graphics Communications, ESL (English as a Second Language) Intensive, ESL Bridge to Business Careers, Facility Services and Management, Hospital Unit Clerk, Introduction to Communications and Culture for Nursing, LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada), LINC Rural Delivery Program, Mental Health Rehabilitation, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Physical Therapy Assistant, Practical Nurse, Practical Nurse Diploma for Internationally Educated Nurses, Prep for Aboriginal Policing and Security, Prep for Health Care Aide, Prep for Pharmacy Technician, Prep for Practical Nurse, Prep for Social Work, Prep for Therapy Assistant, Preparation for Aboriginal Community Support Worker, Social Work Diploma - Multicultural Focus, Therapeutic Recreation, Transitional Vocational Program, and Youth in Transition.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

NorQuest College offers the following entrance scholarships to its students: National Union Scholarship for Aboriginal Canadians, Imperial Oil Resources Educational Award for Native Post-Secondary, and Alberta Blue Cross 50th Anniversary – Scholarship for Aboriginal Students.

Edmonton Information

Edmonton is the capital of the province of Alberta. The City of Edmonton covers an area larger than Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto or Montreal. Edmonton has one of the lowest population densities in North America. In addition, Edmonton's river valley is 22 times larger than New York City's Central Park. The public river valley parks provide a unique urban escape area with park styles ranging from fully serviced urban parks to campsite-like facilities with few amenities.

Edmonton has a northern continental climate with extreme seasonal temperatures, although the city has milder winters than either Regina or Winnipeg, which are both located at a more southerly latitude. It has mild summers and chilly winters, with the average daily temperatures ranging from -11.7°C in January to 21°C in July.