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Graduates Jeff Dressler, Sabira Samad, Annalise Wellington, Darien Adam, and Kalo John Lalo all came to the LDAS adult learning program for different reasons, but graduated together on Thursday. (Image Credit: paNOW Staff/Nick Nielsen)
Grad Season Begins

Learning Disabilities Association of Saskatchewan celebrates grad class of 2026

Jun 11, 2026 | 5:23 PM

As families get prepared for graduation ceremonies and sending their kids off to the next stage of their lives, adults who decided to finish their education later in life have just finished their celebrations. 

On Thursday, students of the adult program at the Learning Disability Association of Saskatchewan (LDAS) Prince Albert location celebrated their graduation. This year’s graduating class had 12 students from different walks of life. 

Some students were new immigrants to Canada, one was a man who entered the work force before graduating in 1989, and one man was even homeless before joining the LDAS. According to Regional Director Georgia Acdal, it’s common to see students coming from such varied backgrounds. 

“I always share stories of our previous graduates because some of them are even from the jail, they’re offenders, right? I always tell them that it’s never too late. For example, we have a student who’s 69 years old. What I always ask them is, ‘do you want to see yourself like that for the next coming years? If your answer is yes, then see how it goes. If your answer is no, then this is your solution’. You have to work your way up if you want to explore more opportunities, this could be an option and that we are welcome.” 

Formerly known as a General Educational Development (GED), the program is now called a Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC). For some people, it’s the only form of a high school graduation they can get. For others, it’s a required credential they need to advance in their career. 

For whatever reason a person would need a CAEC, the instructors at LDAS try to tailor their approach as best they can to each individual. In some cases, a student can dedicate a couple of months to earn theirs, while another person can spread their classes out over a few years while still maintaining their career. 

“We really try to build a relationship with one another. (One of our students) for example, she wasn’t comfortable in a high school setup, so that’s why she didn’t finish high school. Then when she shared that during our first interview, I was like, ‘I’ll make sure that you will feel welcome and you will feel that you belong in LDAS’.” 

There are branches of the LDAS in other cities such as Saskatoon and Regina, but they don’t host the usual graduation ceremonies like the one in Prince Albert. In fact, members of the Saskatoon branch were in attendance to celebrate Prince Albert’s graduates. 

Acdal said that a big reason Prince Albert’s branch takes the time to celebrate their graduates is because of the close bonds they form with their students. 

“I think that’s something that the instructors and the administration here in PA makes it special for us because we wanted them to celebrate their success, right? For the past years, it has been a great journey for most of our students, so we try to make this day special, even if it’s like a short program. We want them to feel that there are a part of us.” 

Only five of the 12 graduating students were present for Thursday’s graduation ceremony as the other seven graduates have already used their CAECs to enter the workforce. 

Aside from adult education, the LDAS also perform psych assessments for children and parents to help identify learning disabilities, tutoring, and ADHD coaching.

nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com