Durham College expands services to support international students in their journey from admission to post-graduation

Durham College (DC) has expanded its capacity to support international students through a collaboration with BorderPass, an online platform that helps students navigate the immigration journey from admission to post-graduation.

Through the platform, applicants can get support with their study permit application preparation and use review services. Once enrolled, DC students will have additional benefits including continuous monitoring of visas and immigration documentation, personalized notifications and access to legal immigration experts.

This partnership aligns with DC’s commitment to provide a welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment for international students at both its Oshawa and Whitby campuses. By integrating these complete services, including access to BorderPass’ experienced immigration lawyers and experts, students have the resources they need to thrive.

“We are proud to welcome students from around the world to Durham College and this partnership with BorderPass enhances our ongoing commitment to supporting their academic success and well-being,” said Thom MacDonald, Dean, International Education, at Durham College. “By encompassing every aspect of the student journey, from admission to employment, we’re setting a new standard of support for our international students.”

Learn more about international education at DC.


Dental students make friends and memories in Costa Rica

For 11 Durham College (DC) Dental Hygiene students, a Faculty-led Classroom Abroad (FLCA) trip to Costa Rica was a rewarding way to spend Reading Week in October.

FLCA trips are just one of the many experiential learning opportunities that are available to DC students. By immersing themselves in their chosen field, as well as a new country and culture, they can hone the skills they’ve learned in the classroom, gain real-world work experience and make lasting memories.

Students were joined by dental professor Lisa Frisch and program coordinator Jennifer Kellett for the trip, a partnership with Costa Rica Global Learning Programs. They travelled to multiple locations throughout the country, from urban centres to the countryside, an Indigenous community and the Caribbean seaside.

“The students had a really incredible opportunity to go into a very culturally diverse population where we didn’t speak the language,” said Kellett. “It was a whole different experience for them.”

Despite the language barrier, the DC group received a warm welcome everywhere they went.

“The people that we met there were just so incredible, so giving and warm and hospitable,” she said.

Though not able to practice dentistry outside of Canada, the students and faculty provided oral hygiene instruction and education and brought lots of supplies to share with the communities they visited. Their stops included a homeless shelter, a teenage rehab center, a daycare centre, a private practice and a community health clinic.

“It’s a strong community and they value oral health, but just like here in Canada there are many gaps in the system and there are many people who are unable to access care, education and knowledge,” explained Frisch.

Inspired by stories of other FLCAs at DC, the professor had envisioned an inspiring and invaluable learning opportunity for her students, and the trip exceeded her expectations.

“It really gave the students a wide range of experiences,” she said. “We got to experience so much of the culture of Costa Rica. We were eating so many of the foods, we learned so much from our guides about their people.”  

The students were unanimous in their praise of the trip, raving about everything from their lodgings and transportation to the hosts who welcomed them along the way.

“I would describe my experience as exciting and nerve wracking, because you don’t know what you’re getting into. But that’s what makes it fun. That’s what makes it exciting,” said one student, Samantha Barnes.

Her classmate Riley Faith McDowell-Anderson returned from the trip with a new perspective.

“My takeaway from my time in Costa Rica that I’ll bring back to my field of study would be to not judge people so quickly, and to think of the different walks of life that they experience.”

The trip was funded by Global Skills Opportunity (GSO), the Government of Canada’s Outbound Student Mobility Pilot Program. DC students should be on the lookout for their own opportunity to study abroad, according to another student, Diamond Tia Wong-Shaw.

“I would recommend it to any student or any person who doesn’t know much about other cultures, because it was very interesting to experience different cultural values,” she said.


International Education Week proves to be a feast for the senses with music, food and cultural connections

Durham College (DC) joined global International Education Week celebrations with crowd-pleasing performances for students and a mouth-watering street food festival.

Held during the third week of November each year, International Education Week was celebrated in more than 100 countries this year.

At DC’s Oshawa Campus, events included the Community Cultural Mosaic in The Pit on November 14. It featured music and dance performances, booths from culturally-focused community groups and snacks for students including warm samosas.

Spike Universe, a second-year student in the Music Business Management program, was among the performers.

“I think this gives opportunity for people to meet different cultures and show what they have,” he said of the event, adding he believes when people learn about culture, they learn about themselves as well.

“It helps you find your own personality and as well it builds a beautiful community around you.”

Spike, who is known by his stage name, got the crowd excited, waving their hands and dancing as he performed his original music.

“I’ve been making music for almost 25 years, so I’m an independent artist, I have a boutique record label, so I work with a couple of different producers from Sri Lanka and even in Canada and I’m coming out with my own genre,” he explains, adding that he’s working to launch a new genre called Ceylonese Vibe as a uniquely Sri Lankan sound.

Students at DC’s Whitby Campus also looked for cultural inspiration at the International Street Food Festival held on November 17.

Nine teams of second-year Culinary Management students served up street food-style samples inspired by culinary traditions in Mexico, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, India, Italy and Pakistan.

After trying all the flavours, attendees voted for their favourite dish with students Paulo Delgado and Jonathan Castillo taking the top spot with their arancini—Italian rice balls—served with Romanesco sauce and aioli. The dish was topped with cheese developed through DC culinary programs.

Paulo said the pair were inspired by their upcoming trip to Italy in February which is a DC Faculty-led Classroom Abroad trip.

“I can’t even express how excited we are,” added Jonathan. “We both had the opportunity to go to Peru last year and it was a fantastic experience.”

Paulo and Jonathan gave kudos to their fellow students who produced a tasty sampling of street food. They included Taiwanese pork buns, Sri Lankan chicken kottu, Mexican chilaquiles and Indian chicken kondattam.

“It encourages and motivates us to better develop our food,” said Jonathan of the event. “We have to work as hard as we can to make these dishes and at the end of the day it’s very enjoyable for us to see people come out and tell us they loved our food and tell us we did so well.”

Thom MacDonald, dean of International Education, said the International Education Week events highlighted student talent at DC.

“As our region and our college become more and more diverse, I think it’s really important for us to share and celebrate some of our cultural traditions just because it gives us a framework of understanding each other and really understanding the benefits of working together and studying together,” he added. “And also, it’s really fun. Studying is hard and any time we can take a step back and enjoy our experience, I think it’s really important.”


Develop global skills and awareness at Durham College

Students at Durham College (DC) can become true citizens of the world with a unique Global Competency Recognition program that is now available on DC Connect.

‘Get Global’ invites all students to expand their knowledge in four key areas: cultural awareness, global connections, global learning and global sustainability. By developing global skills and awareness, students will prepare themselves to thrive in our rapidly changing and increasingly connected world.

“Durham College is committed to leveraging and growing our positive impact on our community to help it prosper and diversify. And our community is local as well as global,” said Janine Knight-Grofe, director of International Education. “We have a responsibility to prepare students to be globally competent, so that they can better engage in the world thoughtfully but also productively. It’s about making them better, more well-rounded individuals who are also more employable.”

Participants in the program can complete a variety of activities to earn points. There are many different options, from taking part in a Faculty-Led Classroom Abroad (FLCA) trip to attending a cultural event on or off campus or learning a new language. Once they’ve collected 100 points, students will earn a Global Learner digital badge and a certificate at graduation.

The program is relatively new, but a handful of students completed it before graduation this year.

“The students that go through it see a lot of value,” said Knight-Grofe.

One such student is Tasharna Thompson-Henny, a 2023 graduate of the Project Management program. An international student from Jamaica, she jumped at the chance to expand her knowledge of other cultures.

“It helped me to really function better in Canada and also to have a greater understanding of dealing with a different, diverse set of people on a day-to-day basis,” she said.

Canadian-born students can also benefit greatly from the program, according to Knight-Grofe.

“All students equally contribute to global thinking, have a role to play in addressing global challenges, and benefit personally, academically and professionally from global competency.”

All students who take part in the program must start with a module on Indigenous Histories and Reconciliation, which is crucial according to Rogier Ten Kate, program coordinator for the International Business Management graduate certificate.

“We recognize that globalization and internationalization can perpetuate global imbalances through neocolonial practices. So, it’s critical that anti-colonialism underpins global competency actions and activities at Durham College,” he said. “The best way to understand and reflect on this is through learning about Indigenous histories.”

Thompson-Henny found those studies particularly helpful in increasing her knowledge of her adopted home.

“It gave me a better understanding of what Indigenous people went through. My level of appreciation just increased significantly.”

For students who want to expand their knowledge and appreciation of other cultures, the Get Global program is available now.


Funding helps Durham College boost participation in international learning opportunities

Global Skills Opportunity grants over $38,000 to help eliminate work-study abroad barriers

Even more Durham College (DC) students will benefit from the invaluable opportunities to study abroad, thanks to $38,352 in funding from the Global Skills Opportunity Innovation Fund. The funds will be divided between two initiatives to support and enhance participation in international learning experiences.

The first half of the funding will help reduce financial barriers for low-income students, students with disabilities and Indigenous students, to help them access opportunities to gain international experience.

The second half of the funding will support DC’s Support and Sustain: International Work-Integrated Learning project by providing a multi-tier solution for work-study abroad offerings that increase peer participation and test innovative approaches to reduce barriers to study and work abroad opportunities. Student researchers will play a crucial role in developing research strategies, ensuring that the program development is grounded in the actual needs of students.

“The funding for this project will provide invaluable experience for our social service worker students,” said Lorraine Closs, social service worker program professor at DC. “International work-integrated learning experiences will create the link between classroom learning and practical application. Our students will gain exposure to diverse populations and this will foster both cultural sensitivity and competency that they can take with them as they enter the workforce.”

Over the past few years, travel disruption has impacted international study and also reinforced the importance of global connections inside and outside the classroom. Together, these initiatives position DC as a leading post-secondary institution that effectively reduces barriers to participation in international work-study programs.

“We are grateful to Global Skills Opportunity for their continued support of innovative international experiences for Canadian students,” says Janine Knight-Grofe, director, International Education at DC. “This funding allows us to both support students in gaining meaningful international work-integrated learning experience and conducting the needed research so that other students can also benefit from internationalization.”

The Global Skills Opportunity Innovation Fund is an Employment and Social Development Canada initiative from the Government of Canada’s International Education Strategy.

Learn more about DC’s education abroad opportunities.


Janine Knight-Grofe recognized for contributions to international education

Janine Knight-Grofe has been recognized for her tremendous contributions to the field of international education.

Knight-Grofe, Durham College’s (DC) director of International Education, travelled to Washington, D.C. last month for the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) annual conference. While there, she became only the second Canadian to be honoured with the Harold Josephson Student Professional Award, which recognizes a professional administrator in international education who is also doing graduate work (PhD or master’s degree).  

“I was thrilled and humbled because I have a lot of passion for this field. I would probably work in international education even if I wasn’t paid to do so.”

Knight-Grofe knows firsthand the value that an international education can have. As a student, she studied abroad in the United States, Spain and the United Kingdom. Then she turned her passion for it into a career.

“I’ve written quite a bit on international students, on education abroad, and now I’m focused on equity in internationalization in my PhD work. I consider myself a perpetual international student,” she said.

After a decade with the Canadian Bureau for International Education, she arrived at DC where she works with a diverse team of professionals to support international students from the start of their journey to Canada until they graduate from DC. Her goal is to provide tailored, values-centred support for international students by making sure they feel a sense of belonging and providing them the tools, resources and engagement they need to thrive.

“I am simply here to support students who have chosen to take this journey. I am here, 100 per cent, to support their future goals.”

She also oversees opportunities for DC students to experience their own education abroad. The Faculty-led Classroom Abroad (FLCA) program allows students to take what they’ve learned and apply it around the world, and two groups recently did just that. A group from the Faculty of Hospitality and Horticultural Science travelled to Peru to study culinary techniques at a university, while a group from the Faculty of Media, Art and Design trekked to Guatemala to learn and to share storytelling techniques with young people.

As the work of supporting international students continues and evolves, the award she received in Washington will provide motivation as she continues to lead the way.

“Are people understanding the ways we’re trying to do things differently in international education, with a great focus on equity? That recognition is like, yes. Keep going.”


Durham College hosts first international delegation since 2019

Durham College (DC) continued to deliver on its objective to enhance its global partnerships when delegates from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru visited the campuses in early November. The goal to establish and augment internationalization and global engagement initiatives resides in the college’s Academic Plan and is enabled through the college’s Internationalization and Global Engagement Plan.

The visitors were here to continue their work on the Pacific Alliance Education for Employment program (PA-EFE), which supports the development of marketing and promotional campaigns to increase awareness of technical and vocational education and training in Latin America. The program is primarily focused on reaching women and marginalized populations.

This is the first time that DC has been able to host an international delegation since before the pandemic, and the first time this group, which also included representatives from Fanshawe College and Vancouver Island University, has been together in person.

“Although a lot of great work has been done online, it’s been wonderful to finally meet and work together in person,” said Jacqueline Towell, manager, International Projects and Partnerships, DC, adding that the delegates participated in four days of meetings and DC’s open house. “It’s much more meaningful being together, we can really see and hear everyone’s excitement.”

Collaborating with other education organizations provides insights into new ways of working and learning from others’ perspectives. The global insights brought to DC from delegates spark new ideas, strengthen innovation and create connections.

“To become global leaders, students need not only the core functional disciplines that professional schools offer, but also a deeper understanding of the broader architecture of global society and the forces that shape it,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, DC’s executive vice president, Academic.

The Pacific Alliance Education for Employment contract further reinforces DC’s commitment to quality education, not only here in Canada, but all over the world. To learn more about DC’s international initiatives, visit the International Education office website.


Durham College announces two major international projects

Durham College (DC) has recently announced a collaboration with several Canadian colleges and universities on two separate projects, launched with the help of DC’s International Global Partnerships and Projects team.

Empowerment Through Skills Program

In collaboration with Sault College and Centennial College, DC has been selected as the lead of an Empowerment through Skills Program, funded by Global Affairs Canada and administered through Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan). Based in Tanzania, this project aims to partner DC with Msaginya Folk Development College and Njombe Folk Development College (community-responsive educational institutes) to develop programs that meet local needs.

Initial planning for the project will begin in Tanzania in November 2022, with project activities taking place over the next four years. The Empowerment through Skills Program is designed to strengthen alternative pathways to education, employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship for women and adolescent girls in Tanzania.

Skills to Access the Green Economy Program (SAGE)

Durham College (DC), in collaboration with lead partner Vancouver Island University and Humber College, has been selected for the Skills to Access the Green Economy Program (SAGE) thematic partnership on educational technology. Funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by (CICan), SAGE works to create a more qualified labour force in key economic sectors.

For this upcoming project, DC’s Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) will work with designated SAGE partners to assess the needs of and improve online teaching and learning instruction in six countries: Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica and St. Lucia.

“Our team is looking forward to working with our Canadian and Caribbean partners to enhance digital literacy,” says Tanya Wakelin, manager, eLearning, CTL. “This is such a unique project. Our partners in the Caribbean are all at varying stages of executing online learning and education technology. Addressing limited internet connectivity and barriers to technology access will be a challenge, but we are very excited to get started and see the results of what happens when we work together to lead the way.”

The initial needs assessment and work plan development will begin in October 2022. Project activities will take place over the next two years.

By working with organizations such as Empowering through Skills Program and SAGE, DC further reinforces our commitment to collaboration, excellence and accessible learning.

You can learn more about DC’s international initiatives online.


DC receives more than $472,000 from Global Skills Opportunity to support faculty-led learning abroad for students

In the current Canadian context of urgently needed Reconciliation, Durham College (DC) has been awarded more than $472,000 in funding from Global Skills Opportunity, the Government of Canada’s Outbound Student Mobility Pilot Program, for an innovative international learning opportunity designed to engage with Indigenous and traditional communities around the world.

Offered through DC’s Faculty-Led Classroom Abroad (FLCA) program, FLCA@Home and Away will begin with virtual activities, followed by future global travel opportunities to participating countries.

“We are very excited to be offering this program to students,” said Janine Knight-Grofe, manager, International Education at DC. “Based on previous education abroad experiences between the college and communities in Guatemala, we’ve gained valuable insights into the rich learning and transformation that takes place when we engage in authentic interactions with Indigenous peoples. FLCA@Home and Away is a timely extension of that work, which will allow students to interact and exchange knowledge and skills with these groups from other countries. It is through these experiences that students develop a foundation for Reconciliation at home.”

By taking part in the FLCA@Home and Away initiative, students will increase their knowledge of intercultural competencies and hone their professional networking skills while demonstrating cultural awareness, adaptability, resilience, creativity, and self-awareness, particularly in understanding the unique perspectives and contributions of Indigenous peoples. They also will learn to respond positively to written, spoken, or visual messages in a manner that ensures respect of cultural differences, while developing the ability to recognize and interpret cultural perspectives without bias. In addition, demonstrating respect for the diverse opinions, values, belief systems, and contributions of others will be emphasized as they cultivate transferable skills for their personal and professional development.

FLCA@Home and Away was designed in collaboration with DC’s International Education Office, faculty, the First Peoples Indigenous Centre, the Access and Support Centre and the Career Development Office.

The first offering, FLCA@Home: Storytelling will take place virtually over the winter 2022 semester for students from the college’s School of Media, Art & Design. Future projects are also being planned for students across the college’s other academic schools.

More information about FLCA@Home and Away can be found at www.durhamcollege.ca/flca.

Details about the Global Skills Opportunity program are also available online.


DC leads Canadian consortium in launching training modules as part of Pacific Alliance Education for Employment Program technical assistance

As part of its participation in the Pacific Alliance Education for Employment Program (PA-EFE), Canadian consortium A.08, project lead Durham College (DC), alongside Fanshawe College and Vancouver Island University, recently delivered the first of a series of training modules to 50 participants representing the ministries of education for Chile, Columbia, Mexico and Peru, as well as other key stakeholders.

Designed to focus on skills development, the Canadian consortium has committed to teaching representatives tips and strategies so they can develop and implement marketing campaigns to promote Technical and Vocational Education and Training in the four countries, with a specific focus on reaching women and marginalized populations.

Additional modules are planned for the coming months, giving the participants opportunities to share experiences, learnings, best-practices and resources between their various networks.

Funded by Global Affairs Canada and administered by Colleges and Institutes Canada, the PA-EFE program involves more than 1,500 employers and learners engaging in dialogue on educational best practices and how to strengthen institutional management. In addition, 105 trainers are able to access pedagogical strategies. Focus areas include training approaches, competence-based education, and leadership instruction.

To learn more about DC’s international initiatives, visit the International Education office website.