Durham College (DC) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) announced today a $900,000 donation from the Estate of Anne Sabat. The gift will be shared equally by the two institutions to create scholarships and bursaries for students to pursue post-secondary education.

Ms. Sabat, who passed away in 2015, was a longtime resident of Oshawa whose family built a successful dry goods and retail business after arriving in Canada in the early 1900s. Although Ms. Sabat’s father and mother had little formal education, they strongly believed in its benefits and this commitment was carried on by their children, and in particular Anne, who strongly supported the college and the university.

“My Aunt Anne took great delight in meeting with staff and students and learning more about their work, studies and needs. I know she was very pleased with her decision to make these gifts to both the college and UOIT, which will total almost $1 million,” said Sylvia Boissoin, Sabat family.

This generous bequest will create bursaries for graduates from DC’s Centre for Success (CFS) program. The program is a partnership between the college and five local school boards designed to enable in-risk secondary school students to complete their high school academic requirements in a college setting via access to smaller class sizes, flexible schedules and increased one-to-one access to teachers. Approximately $9,000 will be distributed annually to CFS graduates who are in need of financial assistance to continue their post-secondary education. In the event that none of the centre’s graduates meet the eligibility criteria for a given year, funds will be made available to other DC students facing financial hardship to help them continue their education.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Sabat family, and particularly to Ron and Sylvia Boissoin, who have served as executors of Anne’s estate and have worked tirelessly to ensure that her wishes to make this generous donation to DC become a reality,” said Don Lovisa, President, DC. “Thanks to their commitment to education and to the young people of Durham Region, more students will be able to continue their post-secondary education and go on to lead successful and fulfilling lives.” 

At the university, the legacy gift will be added to the Sabat Family Endowment. This fund rewards students with a minimum average of 80 per cent who are entering or continuing full-time studies. Annual income from the fund will be matched by the university to support as many as 12 annual awards with a value up to $3,000 each.

With the 2016-2017 academic year now underway, Durham College (DC) is welcoming close to 11,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students to its Oshawa and Whitby campuses and Pickering Learning Site. This includes more than 5,700 new students and over 600 international students who have travelled from 42 countries around the world to study at DC.

“As we get ready to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2017, we are excited to see the new academic year get off to such a strong start,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, vice-president, Academic, DC. “Our enrolment numbers indicate that students, both domestically and internationally, recognize DC’s commitment to fostering academic and career success. From introducing new programs to providing more educational pathways and opportunities for students to gain real-world work experience, we are focused more than ever on ensuring that at DC, the student experience comes first.”

In addition to its commitment to student success, the college has also launched several new, market-driven programs for 2016-2017 in areas including filmmaking, finance, journalism and documentary production, interactive media and welding.

In total, DC offers more than 140 full-time programs through its nine academic schools in addition to over 500 educational pathway opportunities in partnership with universities in Ontario, Canada and around the world.

Along with welcoming both new and returning students to campus, DC Orientation Week is also underway to help new students acclimatize to college life, connect with college employees, meet their peers, explore student services and learn about student clubs and activities.

On September 1 and 2, Durham College (DC) excitedly welcomed more than 200 new international students to the college’s International Student Orientation.

Held at the Oshawa campus, the event saw DC President Don Lovisa and Dr. Elaine Popp, vice-president, Academic, spend time with this diverse group of new students as they learned about the many services and supports available to them as they begin their post-secondary journey in Canada.

Students received tips and tricks on how to settle in at DC, went on a campus tour, attended workshops on acculturation and academic integrity, learned about how to find local housing and gained information about working in Canada. Activities focused on making students feel welcome and confident in choosing DC as their post-secondary destination of choice. Students have the opportunity to get to know each other better and thereby create the first level of their social network, as well as get to know the staff from the International office.

“International students who choose Durham College for their post-secondary studies are making a significant personal and financial investment in their future,” said Larissa Strong, manager of International Student Support. “DC offers a complete support system that will help students find their success academically, professionally, and personally. The International office supports students with practical issues like health insurance to more personal issues like adapting to a new culture.”

With additional students from abroad expected to arrive as the 2016-2017 academic year gets underway, DC prides itself on offering international students the highest-quality Canadian education, preparing them to find rewarding employment in Canada or in their home countries; a safe and vibrant campus environment; and a fun and rewarding student life, with everything from clubs, to cultural activities, to sports, to balance studies with challenges and fun outside the classroom.

For more information, please visit the college’s International website.

The year 1967 was an eventful one for Canada. Not only was our nation marking its 100^th anniversary, but two unique institutions – Durham College (DC) and McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada – were celebrating their grand openings. Now, with their respective 50^th anniversaries on the horizon, DC and the 23 other colleges that make up Colleges Ontario are joining forces with McDonald’s to offer new opportunities to the restaurant chain’s employees in Ontario.

Colleges Ontario, which serves as the umbrella group for the province’s applied arts and technology colleges, and McDonald’s have signed a partnership agreement that will allow management employees at the restaurant chain to receive credit towards a college business diploma if they complete specific training courses offered through McDonald’s. Employees who complete specified levels of company-based training will qualify to directly enter second year business or business administration programs at DC and other Ontario public colleges.

“This partnership is a win-win for Durham College and other public colleges in Ontario and our partners at McDonald’s,” said Marianne Marando, executive dean of DC’s School of Business, IT & Management. “Not only do McDonald’s employees gain access to top-flight courses and professors at DC, but the college gets to work alongside committed and motivated students who’ve already demonstrated their business acumen.”

Durham College looks forward to taking part in this unique partnership with McDonald’s and looks forward to welcoming employees to classes at DC’s School of Business, IT and Management in the coming months.

In collaboration with the Region of Durham’s Social Services Department, Durham College (DC) received support from the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Human Capital Research and Innovation Fund (OHCRIF) to conduct a literature review and environmental scan focused on co-production. An emerging social innovation that explores the possibility of improving public service delivery in Durham Region, the co-production project was headed by Randy Uyenaka, professor, Social Service Worker program at DC and Dr. Darren Levine, Manager of Research and Innovation for the Region of Durham’s Social Services Department. The study analyzed research findings and interviews with organizations currently employing co-production.

“Research into new and emerging areas of best practice will keep our faculty and students at the forefront of learning in their respective fields,” said Uyenaka. “This project provided a unique opportunity for faculty and students in Durham College’s Social Service Worker program to work with a valued community partner to explore a new social innovation. It is our hope that the benefits of this project will be felt locally, provincially and nationally in the years to come.”

Co-production involves service providers and recipients working together in partnership, throughout all phases of the service delivery process. Through this project, DC and the Region of Durham’s Social Services Department are exploring the potential of co-production to enhance collaboration between faculty and students, social service professionals, and residents across our local communities to enhance services and improve individual and community outcomes.

An innovation lab was held at DC’s Centre for Food, during which faculty from the college and staff from the Region of Durham’s Social Services Department began to co-create ideas for applying co-production principles within the local community. Ideas included enriching on-campus support for students’ health and wellness; greater access to services through local neighbourhood communities of support; and enhancements to individualized service planning and delivery within social services, including employment programs.  The project team is currently exploring ways in which these ideas might help to inform planning and service delivery, as well as continued collaboration, in the years ahead.

Durham College’s (DC) teaching-inspired restaurant, Bistro ’67, has been honoured with a Feast On™ designation in recognition of its support for local food producers. Sponsored by the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance, Feast On is a criteria-based program to promote restaurants and other businesses that showcase Ontario’s unique, locally produced food and beverages.

To receive a Feast On designation, a restaurant must demonstrate that products grown and made in Ontario make up at least 25 per cent of its annual food and beverage receipts. The program supports Ontario farmers and food providers by encouraging restaurants to buy from local suppliers, which in turn benefits local economies. Feast On member restaurants purchased more than $14 million worth of Ontario food and beverages in 2015 while educating consumers about the importance of sustainability in the food and beverage sector.

“The Feast On program is a perfect complement to Bistro ‘67’s commitment to the field-to-fork concept, which emphasizes the purchase of locally grown fruit and vegetables, as well as locally sourced meat and other products,” said Kevin Baker, dean, Centre for Food (CFF). “We’re proud to not only support our local suppliers but to join them as well, as much of the produce we use at Bistro ’67 comes from the CFF gardens, which are tended by Durham College’s Horticulture – Food and Farming students.”

The field-to-fork concept is based on the harvesting, storing, processing, packaging, sale and consumption of local food for local consumers. Named for the year that DC opened, Bistro’67 seats up to 70 guests and offers a variety of seasonal dishes designed to satisfy any palate, including the recently launched Summer Fresh Wednesdays series, which features produce from the CFF gardens. Meals are prepared and served by the college’s skilled staff and students, who create flavourful dishes inspired by local ingredients from across Durham Region.

The designation follows the college’s recent announcement that the CFF, including Bistro ’67, has been upgraded to a 3 Star Certified Green Restaurant® by the Green Restaurant Association, a non-profit that guides restaurants on becoming more environmentally sustainable through its Dine Green program. The 3 Star certification recognizes the college’s commitment to environmental sustainability in food and beverage preparation and presentation, and covers a total of nine areas at the facility.

To learn more about Feast On™ please visit the program’s website. For more information on Bistro ’67 and the CFF, please visit www.bistro67.ca and www.durhamcollege.ca/cff.