Cast aside any misconceptions you have about adult learning.

Canyons District’s adult high school, Entrada serves more than 800 students and graduates up to 180 each year. Some are young men and women in need of diplomas so they can enlist in the armed forces. Others are war vets who were drafted before they could graduate, single moms, and professionals looking to upgrade their skills.

“We partnered with Merit Medical this year to provide industry-specific language classes for English learners and hard-skills training so entry-level employees have a chance to level up and learn more about quality control or how to use the plastic injection molding machine,” says Entrada’s Assistant Principal Mark Mataya.

In full embrace of the belief, there’s no age limit to learning, Entrada partners with industry to remove barriers to employment for learners of all ages. It’s an example of the “low-cost, high-value” programs recognized by Utah Governor Spencer Cox who declared Sept. 15-21, 2024 Adult Education and Family Literacy week.

But what really makes Entrada special, is it’s not just a learning lab environment. It’s a vibrant school community.

“One of the things that separates us the most is the authentic education. We aren’t just a packet program cranking out diplomas. We hire star teachers and counselors and put them in front of students,” Mataya says, “and we don’t just offer English and math classes. We also offer theater and graphic design, medical anatomy, and botany. We do the hard things that are best for students.”

If students have the will, and there’s a skill they need, Mataya will find a way to teach it — even tapping former Canyons Board of Education member Steve Wrigley to lead a class and inviting local elected officials in as a guest speakers.

When Utah’s automotive industry was in need of more mechanics, Entrada built an apprenticeship partnership with McNeil’s Auto Care to provide students quality hands-on training translating to high-paying jobs. When students were clamoring for more flexibility, Entrada landed a federal grant to train teachers to do personalized, competency-based learning, which allows students to work at their own pace. The school was the first of its kind in the state to start a student advocate program to connect students with community resources, from affordable housing to counseling.

“Entrada is really a leader in the adult education space,” says Stephanie Patton, the Adult Education Coordinator for the Utah State Board of Education. “If you look at data, they are in the top 10 percent consistently in academic-level gains showing students are making progress and moving to completion.”

Innovation being a tenet of Canyons District is what guides Entrada. But what motives its faculty and staff, says Mataya, are the students and their stories.

“We had an 85-year-old who earned his diploma about six or seven years ago. He had dropped out high school to fight in Korea and graduating was a bucket-list goal for him,” Mataya says. “We’re not scared to try new things and do the hard things, because our students aren’t afraid. They inspire us every day.”