The university launches new summer programming with a focus on land and sustainability
Ren Zhang (they/them) // Contributor
Anna Israfilova (she/her) // illustrator
With warm weather and longer days on the horizon, Capilano University’s Squamish campus is hosting seven new program intensives for the Summer 2026 term, described on the website as a “unique learning experience that combines education with adventure,” these intensives are tailored to the landscape of Átl’ka7tsem, or Howe Sound, and are offered in addition to regular summer classes at the campus.
The program includes classes for tourism, English learning, geography, writing and land studies, and promises learners opportunities to build applicable skills and support global sustainability through involved fieldwork. As the name suggests, the time to complete each intensive ranges from eleven days to around a month, with some offering additional online work in a hybrid style.
The Courier spoke with Brian Storey, Vice President of CapU Squamish, who said the location of Átl’ka7tsem as a United Nations designated UNESCO biosphere inspired the programming to align with the Sustainable Development Goals, addressing targets for quality education, climate action and reduced inequalities, among others, listed on the school’s website.
Notably, all the courses listed do not require prerequisites. Storey explains that the courses are great for a wide audience: high school students looking to get some education in the summer with a head start, international students who want to do a destination-based program, and Squamish residents who might be keen to upgrade their learning. “All the credits are university transferable, which allows students from any university in the Lower Mainland to come and take those courses,” Storey adds.
Domestic students not local to Squamish can pay an extra cost that includes residence and meals on campus. Ranging from 3 to 6 credits, the accelerated pace of an 11-day course might be a plus for those looking for something quick during the summer that would fulfill program requirements.
This announcement comes at a time of changing tides at CapU. With the effective closure of the Lonsdale campus and the ḵálax̱-ay Sunshine Coast campus, the remaining Squamish campus and Ts̓zil Learning Centre faces some unique prospects to continue the university’s regional mandate.
“There’s quite a large number of remote students who would benefit from, for example, high flex courses, or modes of delivery that include intensive periods,” Storey states, referring to the Sea to Sky corridor. “We have a base set of degrees offered at Squamish now, and there’s future opportunities to serve regional and remote students in new formats.”
Some expansions and new relationships also appear to be in the works. Around the same time as this announcement was made, CapU unveiled a partnership with the Squamish Public Library in a memorandum of agreement (MOU).
“Being one university in one town with one set of services allows for a really intimate connection between the town and the university. These MOU’s represent the strength of that connection.”
In addition to the MOU, the Squamish council recently approved a 424-unit housing and commercial space proposal to be built near CapU Squamish, according to the Squamish Chief.
“CapU Squamish is doing well and is very integrated into the community. The community is happy to have CapU back in Squamish and working in partnership with businesses, the government, and public service agencies like the library and the Squamish chamber. As a regional institution with a destination mandate, we are both able to serve both incoming students and the region in a positive way, and [it’s] something CapU should be proud of,” Storey finishes.
After the blow of the ḵálax̱-ay campus closure to communities in the Sea-to-Sky corridor, the growth and increased programming at the CapU Squamish is an encouraging development.
Detailed information about the intensives and their specific courses can be found on CapU’s website under Summer Intensives.