Tag: experientiallearning

DC Spa offers a great experience for clients and students alike

Posted on February 4, 2025 at 1:57 pm.

Love a good spa treatment? Massages, facials and pedicures are among the services you can experience at the Durham College (DC) Spa, while also providing students the opportunity with real-world experience that will help their career progression.

For students in the Cosmetic Techniques and Management, Esthetician – Spa Management and Massage Therapy programs, the DC Spa provides an opportunity to put the techniques and customer service skills they’ve been building in class into practice.

“They get that hands-on, real-world perspective,” said Leslie Morris, Spa Manager. “In the classroom when they’re learning techniques, they’re working peer to peer so everyone’s mostly in the same age group. But diversity really starts to broaden when they work on paying clients—people are giving feedback, and all of that soft skill training comes into play.”

If you’ve ever been a client at the DC Spa, you know that’s a special experience too. Serving the wider community, the Spa sees a diverse group of people each week from retirees to DC employees. Top service choices include massages, facials, pedicures, facials and shellac manicures. Clients trade a slightly longer treatment time that allows students to learn and practice for really affordable prices ($13.50 for a manicure! $35 for a massage! See the rest of the pricing on their website at www.durhamcollegespa.ca). Massages, for example, are 75 minutes including both assessment and consultation time as well as the actual treatment.

“It’s a clinical practice, so students are creating a treatment plan based on needs and assessment,” explained Morris. Often the treatment recommendation involves multiple sessions, usually a maximum of three before clients are passed along to another student massage therapist.

Given the treatment options and pricing, it’s not surprising to learn that the DC Spa tends to book up fast. “The word is out about our spa,” said Morris. “We can see 40 to 60 people a day (100 a week), so there’s quite a bit of volume. Massage in particular books up and becomes waitlisted, and some people even plan when they want to come for whole semester, so they get preferred booking.”

While the online booking platform is easy to use, the Spa still takes in-person bookings and even walk-ins when available. The Spa’s top-quality products are available for purchase in its retail store, complimentary parking is available, and yes, they do sell gift certificates.

Morris says that clients come from all over—besides regulars, the past week’s customers included a police officer from Toronto who stopped in for a massage, and a first-year student who enjoyed her first facial enough to bring her mom along the second time. Compliments are also a regular feature at the spa, said Morris, reading from a recent client email. “I just wanted to reach out and compliment the amazing experience students at the Spa have created. I recently got my nails done there, and the student was amazing. She was so kind and took extra care during every part of the manicure. I just wanted to share that she created an amazing experience there, and I wanted to formally reach out to express what good work was done.”

Find out more about DC Spa including pricing and booking at www.durhamcollegespa.ca.

Fitness and Health Promotion student says field placement taught her skills that can’t be learned in the classroom

Posted on May 30, 2024 at 9:38 am.

As she graduates this spring, Melissa Lenis is ready to launch her career in wellness with a confidence boost from a successful field placement where she built connections and applied what she learned in the classroom.

Lenis spent time exploring her options before choosing a career path. She began her journey at DC in Police Foundations in 2014 before switching to 911 Emergency and Call Centre Communications in 2018 where she earned a diploma. Ultimately, she decided she wanted to work in wellness and is now graduating with a diploma in Fitness and Health Promotion.

“I’ve always loved coming to DC,” she said. “I live in Whitby so it’s close to home, you get a bus pass, campus is easy to navigate, the programs and Gen Eds are interesting and the health benefits are great. As a mature student having dental, therapy or chiropractic services mostly covered is a big deal as it’s expensive without any assistance.”

She said she attended a DC Open House in 2022 to meet faculty in the Fitness and Health Promotion program and impactful conversations led to her applying right away.

“I could tell they were passionate about what they do at DC, and knew this was a perfect program for me.”

Lenis said her program has prepared her for a career in many ways. A highlight was her job placement at a long-term care home.

“I had no experience working with seniors let alone with a variety of physical and cognitive limitations, but I wanted a challenge. I have a lot of experience in gyms and with fitness for the general population, but this was a great opportunity to try something I’ve never done before.”

Through her placement she gained experience with group exercise classes, one-on-one exercise based on care plans, physical assessments for residents and documenting.

“I’ve loved placement and made many connections with the residents, their families, my supervisor and my peers, and I’m continuing to volunteer as I don’t want to leave the residents,” she said, adding that she felt pride in seeing the long-term care residents making progress.

“Having placement in a program, you get to learn many skills that can’t be learned in a classroom. In class we were taught about exercise prescription for the elderly population, but getting to apply the information learned as well as adapting to new situations with each resident — everyone is a unique individual with a plan tailored to them — made me feel incredibly prepared for a future career in fitness and wellness.”

Looking towards the future, Lenis said she wants to launch a wellness business coaching women to eat intuitively and to nourish their body and mind.

“The fitness industry is heavily influenced by diet culture which leads to body image shame, food restrictions, labelling food as ‘good’ and ‘bad’, over exercising to burn off calories after eating what is deemed as a big meal and a million other disconnecting behaviours,” she explains. “I want women to not feel shame in what they eat or how they look, and to move their body every day in a way that is enjoyable to them.”

Her advice for anyone considering her program is to pursue it.

Journalism students experience a range of career opportunities through field placements

Posted on May 29, 2024 at 10:13 am.

Before they graduate, students in the Journalism – Mass Media program at Durham College (DC) take advantage of an invaluable opportunity for experiential learning.

At the end of their second year, students must complete a seven-week placement where they can apply their multi-faceted skills to one of many possible career options. While some students go to traditional media outlets like newspapers, others take what they’ve learned to a wide range of settings, from non-profit organizations to government offices and beyond.

Read on to learn about some of the placement experiences enjoyed by the Journalism class of 2024.

Simone Traviss, Friends of Second Marsh (sustainability sector)
Simone Traviss wanted to be close to nature, so she chose to do her placement with Friends of Second Marsh, a conservation and environmental protection group in Oshawa.

“This is a very well-suited placement for me because I’m interested in nature and the environment. I can go out onto the wetland at least once a week, sometimes more,” Traviss said.

Her journalism skills helped her to create professional social media posts and write small stories and blogs for her placement.

“I’ve also been writing some monthly articles that get posted on the Durham Region website.”

Clayton DeMaine, True North (digital media)
Clayton DeMaine decided to take the path of a traditional journalist by completing an internship at True North, a Canadian digital media platform.

“Right from the start of my schooling I wanted to join True North,” said DeMaine, noting that he went into journalism with the goal of being the change he wanted to see within the industry.

DeMaine is hopeful that with the skills he has gained in journalism and his determination to improve his writing and reporting, he will be able to continue working with True North.

Andre Spence, Arena Lacrosse League (professional sports)
Andre Spence pursued a placement with the Arena Lacrosse League as an in-house sports reporter.

“This placement kind of fell into my lap,” Spence said. “I was writing a story about them and then I met the Commissioner, and he just offered it to me and I saw it as an opportunity.”

The lessons Spence learned in the Journalism program allowed him to complete his assignments quickly while maintaining a high level of quality.

“Nobody wants to know the score the day after. They want to know within the last couple of minutes. I had to make sure I made my posts as quick as I could and that they looked good.”

Gage Patte, Region of Durham (municipal government)
Gage Patte opted to explore municipal government through a role with the Region of Durham.

“I do social media messaging, public service announcements, and newsletters for various significant dates,” said Patte, who turned his role with the Region into an internship opportunity.

“I’ve made the decision to branch away from journalism and go into communications.”

Chris Schnedler, Their Opportunity (non-profit)
When considering his placement, Chris Schnedler wanted to utilize his writing, photography and people skills at a non-profit organization.

He wound up at Their Opportunity, an organization that educates, uplifts and supports children to overcome barriers through the strength of sport and generosity.

Noting that his role was more communications focused, Schnedler used his journalism skills to conduct interviews, talk with people and create videos.

“I host fundraisers, galas and sporting events throughout the community and get kids into sports. I work with a smaller team compared to a typical newsroom, but I am a lot more involved in the work.”

Lead the way in your future career with experiential learning at DC

Posted on March 21, 2024 at 10:09 am.

Experiential learning opportunities are designed to help enhance your skills, provide networking opportunities and gain valuable real-world work experience, all before graduation. At Durham College (DC), we prioritize hands-on learning because it ensures that you have the knowledge, skills and experience to lead the way in your career.

From work-integrated learning to field placements to co-ops, many different types of hands-on learning give you a range of experiences. To help answer your questions and to get inspired, read on for our most popular blog posts and stories that dive deeper into this topic and meet some of our students who are thriving and career-ready as a result of experiential learning!

DC journalism student, Andrew Neary, receives three awards for his work inside and outside the classroom
Prepare to be inspired by Andrew’s story and how his dedication to work-integrated learning landed him three impressive awards and equally impressive skills.

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Bringing the workplace to the classroom: How DC students gain real-world experience before graduation
Whether you’re a culinary student working in Bistro ’67 or an advertising and promotion student helping clients inside Collaboragency, the options to work with and serve real clients at DC are exciting and impactful!

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Answers to your top questions about hands-on learning at DC
To help you understand work-integrated learning better, we’ve answered the top five questions we hear most!

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Gaining on-the-job skills before graduation sets DC students up for success
No matter the form of learning, it’s all about gaining valuable experience while completing your studies to be job-ready on graduation day. And DC is here to help you get there.

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Video production student heads to Ottawa to highlight benefits of DC-led trip to Guatemala
Shane Friedman, a video production student, helped teach youth abroad about media production and shared the benefits of the trip with education and government leaders in Ottawa.

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Work study students enliven L Wing with original artwork
Four DC Fine Arts students transformed the L Wing with their artistic talent and built a remarkable portfolio in the process.

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Future firefighters and fitness professionals team up at DC for hands-on learning experience
Students participated in a unique, collaborative learning opportunity created in response to Canada’s fitness and first responder needs.

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DC serves up unique student learning opportunities at Harvest Dinner
This signature event offered students from a number of programs opportunities to create an unforgettable dining experience for the community.

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Leading the way with AI: How Durham College can prepare you for the future
The demand for professionals with expertise in AI is rapidly evolving and DC’s AI Hub is offering students the opportunity to work on real-world projects in the field of AI.

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Have a specific question about experiential learning? Email co-op@durhamcollege.ca to connect with a member of the Experiential Learning team today!

Answers to your top questions about hands-on learning at DC

Posted on February 29, 2024 at 4:27 pm.

At Durham College (DC), we know the best way for you to learn what it takes to succeed in your chosen field is to experience it first-hand. By doing this, you’ll enhance the skills you learn in the classroom, network and make industry contacts, and gain valuable real-world work experience.

There are different forms of experiential learning, including work-integrated learning (WIL) which combines your academic studies with quality experiences within a workplace or practice setting. And it’s not just a valuable addition to your educational experience – it’s an essential component of preparing you for success in today’s rapidly evolving workforce as it provides hands-on experience in your chosen field – before graduation!

To help you understand work-integrated learning better, we’ve answered the top five questions we hear most!

What are the benefits of WIL?

By providing opportunities for real-world application, skill development, career exploration, networking, and increased employability, work-integrated learning plays a vital role in shaping you as a well-rounded, career-ready graduate! DC offers a wide range of hands-on learning to help you lead the way in your future career.

What are the different types of WIL offered at DC?

DC believes in the power of WIL to transform your educational experience and prepare you for success in your future career. That’s why we offer a variety of hands-on learning opportunities tailored to meet your specific needs and interests, including co-operative education programs that integrate academic studies with paid work terms, field placements, practicums that provide supervised real-world experiences, applied research and capstone projects, as well as volunteering.

Do I have to pay for WIL?

Most forms of WIL at DC are built into the curriculum, so additional payment is not required. However, students transferred into their program’s co-op option will be charged an administrative fee of $475 for each work term. This is not a placement fee, meaning you are not guaranteed to be hired for a co-op position, rather it provides access to all the services administered by the Experiential Learning team, which are in place to assist you in your co-op job search.

How long are WIL opportunities?

Different forms of WIL vary in length and scheduling based on industry needs. You are typically expected to work full-time hours aligned with industry standards and there may be shift work or weekend work required.

Will I receive a paycheck?

Field placements are typically unpaid; however, co-op positions usually pay at least the provincial minimum wage. Beyond this, pay rates for co-op vary depending on your program of study, your employer, and the scope of your work term role.

Have more questions? Explore your future or current program to learn about its work-integrated learning opportunities.

Gaining on-the-job skills before graduation sets DC students up for success

Posted on March 23, 2023 at 9:24 am.

Future fitness professional and Durham College Fitness and Health Promotion student, Josh Malbon, is getting on-the-job experience before he even graduates from college.

He is one of a number of students participating in a collaborative project* with students in the Firefighter – Pre-Service Education and Training program who are measuring the vital physiological responses of future firefighters as they perform real-life fire simulations to help learn how to improve their health, safety and performance.

“Working with students in the firefighter program is strengthening my ability to connect and communicate with clients in a professional setting,” said Malbon. “And the chance to work with a special population and learn specific procedures and protocols related to occupational testing is a huge benefit.”

Providing opportunities like this for students to participate in hands-on learning – also known as experiential learning or work-integrated learning – is a focus and priority for Durham College. Whether it is field placement, applied research, apprenticeship or co-op, they all have the shared objective to strengthen the skills students learn in the classroom by applying them to real-life settings.

And the result is undeniable that it gives students the skills employers are looking for and helps set them apart from the competition at graduation.

For Russell Waring, a third-year Computer Programming and Analysis student at DC, the opportunity was a co-op experience with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation that he says has helped boost his employability in the competitive field of information technology in advance of his graduation this spring.

“The Experiential Learning office supported me throughout the entire co-op experience,” said Waring. “Without the opportunities provided by DC’s work-integrated learning, I would not be graduating with the experience and confidence that I have today.”

Hands-on learning opportunities can also be student-led. In the Faculty of Media, Art & Design (MAD), a collaborative project lets students test out entrepreneurship and gain first-hand business experience.

Project Founders Drive*, a series of podcasts launched by DC’s Enactus Team, is helping student entrepreneurs realize their dreams and materialize business opportunities. With 18 jobs created for students across six MAD programs, the project has helped young professionals start seven businesses and exposed 780 people to entrepreneurship, not to mention the experience gained by the team.

No matter the form of learning, it’s all about gaining valuable experience while completing your studies to be job-ready on graduation day. And DC is here to help you get there.

To learn more about hands-on learning at DC, visit www.durhamcollege.ca/experiential-learning.

*These projects are funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovation Work-Integrated Learning program and Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada’s Innovation Hub.