ICS History

In 1890, a newspaperman named Thomas J. Foster was one of the first to recognize that working adults with ambition needed a convenient way to learn advanced skills. He developed the distance-learning method as a way of helping anthracite coal miners become mine superintendents and foremen.

This was the solution hard-working people around the country had been searching for! Miners would work a twelve-hour shift, then return home to study by candlelight, so they could gain the engineering knowledge they needed to earn promotions.

By 1894, the school was enrolling students in Mexico, British America, and Australia. The school became a stunning success virtually overnight, enrolling more than a quarter of a million students in its first decade. More than 16,000 Canadians are currently studying with ICS Canada.

As the world's leader in at-home education, ICS has maintained a tradition of excellence for more than 100 years. We're proud of our history and excited about our future. We look forward to helping you become a successful part of our next century of learning and accomplishment.