After the success of the Durham College (DC) Summer Accelerator Program, FastStart DC, along with the Spark Centre is pleased to announce it will also be offering a Fall Accelerator.

The program is designed to help students and graduates take their innovative ideas or business ventures to market faster while utilizing the professional services from an experienced support team. Over the course of 11 weeks, participants will develop their businesses, meet with industry professionals and participate in seminars and pitch competitions.

“We are very excited to be offering the Accelerator program again,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, director, DC’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “After the success of the summer incubator, we knew we wanted to give more students and alumni the opportunity to access the many benefits of participating in a program like this. These include a faster entry to market for their business, reduced start-up costs and providing a focused work environment for them to learn in alongside seasoned professionals.”

The Summer Accelerator was the first time the program was offered and 10 business ideas were chosen to be a part of the incubator. DC alumnus Robert Biggar and his brother William, who created the travel-industry focused business Ideal Compass, were one of the participating teams. They also took home the $1,000 top score prize at the program’s finale event held in August.

“I felt the Summer Accelerator was a great opportunity,” said William. “It’s good to hear the program is being offered again in the fall and I strongly encourage anyone seriously considering opening their own business to apply. The information you learn while participating is priceless.”

The application deadline for students and alumni interested in participating in DC’s Fall Accelerator is Monday, September 28. Applications can be submitted via the FastStart website, with the program beginning on Monday, October 5 and running until Friday, December 11.

Thanks to a generous donation from Toyota Canada Inc. and Lexus of Lakeridge, students in the second year of Durham College’s (DC) Motive Power Technician – Service and Management program and students in the Automotive Service Technician apprenticeship program will have the opportunity to develop in-demand skills, while also gaining hands-on experience by working with a Lexus CT 200h, DC’s first hybrid-electric vehicle. 

As part of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities’ (MTCU) guidelines, students in the automotive programs participate in theory-based learning about hybrid vehicles through lectures and videos within their first year. With the donation of the Lexus CT 200h, students will be able to take the theory they’ve learned and apply it directly by working on the hybrid vehicle in the later years of their program/apprenticeship. 

“As part of their curriculum, students are required to explain various functions and systems associated with hybrid vehicles,” said Pam Stoneham, associate dean of the School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Technology (START). “The donation of the Lexus CT 200h is going to give our students a huge advantage, significantly enhancing their learning experience and giving them the hands-on experience they need to succeed.” 

For the Motive Power Technician – Service and Management students there will be a focus on the safety protocol and hazards associated with servicing hybrid vehicles. Automotive Service Technician Level 2 and 3 apprentices will also learn about safety protocol and hazards, while taking a more in-depth look into the functions and operations of the hybrid vehicle. 

For more information on DC’s programs or apprenticeships, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca.

 

Durham College’s (DC) Centre for Food (CFF) is hosting its first Harvest Dinner on Thursday, September 24. Tantalize your taste buds with a menu featuring fresh food grown and harvested by DC food and farming students, cooked by DC culinary and baking students, and served by DC hospitality and event planning students.

Meet special guest and Centre for Food ambassador, celebrity Chef Jamie Kennedy, who will be in attendance to support the CFF’s vision of ‘field-to-fork’ – a concept that is shaping the future of local food and farming industries to help maintain Ontario’s strong agricultural tradition.

Proceeds from the Harvest Dinner will fund bursaries for students enrolled in the CFF’s culinary, baking, food and farming, event planning and hospitality programs. The bursaries will be awarded in the winter semester – January 2016, and applicants will be required to submit a 500 word essay as to how the “field-to-fork” vision and local produce is crucial to the future of their industry.

This event is proudly hosted in partnership with Foodland Ontario.

Date Thursday, September 24
Time 5:30 p.m. – Cocktails 6:30 p.m. – Dinner Cash bar will be available.
Location Durham College, Centre for Food 1604 Champlain Ave., Whitby, Ont. L1N 6A7
Ticket Information Cost – $60 per ticket

To purchase tickets, please contact Gayle Anderson by email or 905.721.2000 ext. 4242. Please note, a limited number of tickets are available.

Robert Biggar, a graduate of Durham College’s (DC) Advertising and Marketing Communications program, and his brother William have won a $1,000 cash prize for achieving the top score in DC’s Summer Accelerator program. They received the good news at the Innovation Celebration event, held on Thursday, August 13, hosted by Spark Centre and community partners, 360 Incentives and SAP Canada.

The Biggars business venture is Ideal Compass, a company created to help travel agents increase their efficiency and improve the quality of their offerings for their clients. By attending sessions and achieving specific goals over the course of the 15-week Summer Accelerator program, they earned points, which, when cumulatively tallied earned them the cash prize.

“I’m really happy my brother and I were able to set the goal of developing a viable business and then went on to achieve that,” said William Biggar. “The Summer Accelerator program truly helped us make Ideal Compass a reality; the sessions taught by business advisors, practice pitches and skill development all played a key role in our success. We’ve made some amazing connections over the course of the program and look forward to seeing what the future holds.”

It started with 25 applications, 10 business ideas were chosen and now the final seven are left standing as part of the Durham College (DC) Summer Accelerator, a 15-week incubation program, funded and supported by FastStart DC and facilitated by the Spark Centre.

These teams have been working since the beginning of May to develop and refine their businesses and will be competing in the Summer Accelerator Pitch Finale on Tuesday, August 11.

Below is information about the students and their innovative ideas:

• Shanoo Gupta, a graduate of the Marketing – Business program is the founder of Delush, a juicing company that focuses on natural ingredients and preservative-free products. Gupta walked away with a $500 prize after winning the first Summer Accelerator Pitch Competition on Thursday, July 9.
• Jeremy Coulis, a student in DC’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business program, who will be graduating this fall, has created Agile Fat Guy, a craft distillery that will use the business model of craft beer and apply it to his business to make craft spirits. Coulis tied for second during the second Summer Accelerator Pitch Competition receiving a $500 prize.
• Michael Brideau, a third-year student in the Sport Administration and Management program, has developed, Hockeypedia, an online database for minor hockey league tournaments. Brideau’s goal is to provide the public with easier access to tournament schedules across Ontario. Not only will Hockeypedia post information of when and where tournaments will take place throughout the province, it will also promote and advertise them as well.
• Robert Biggar, a graduate of DC’s Advertising and Marketing Communications program has created Ideal Compass along with his business partner and brother William. Ideal Compass is a web application that helps travel agents increase their businesses efficiency and improve the quality of their service.
• Kristof Lindale is a young community member who has developed a startup to provide post-secondary students with financial guidance through a series of video blogs. The goal is to help students by teaching different methods of budgeting and how to be successful.
• Shazaan Sajeeb, a third-year student of DC’s Computer Systems Technology program, created Logique One, a business focused on the building of custom computers for specific uses, such as graphic design.
• Michael Shankar, a second-year student in DC’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business Program. He founded Belle in a Box, a luxury subscription box service to help further the product experience for users.

Over the course of the Summer Accelerator program participants learned how to bring their innovative ideas and business ventures to market faster, while accessing professional services and support from an experienced team of faculty, entrepreneurs and business owners. Throughout the program they have assessed their business models, developed operational plans and validated the market need for their companies. Each participant also attended regular seminars and workshops in pitching, sales, marketing and public speaking offered by the Spark Centre’s expert team of startup advisors.

The entire college community wishes them well as they compete for the grand prize during Tuesday’s Pitch Finale Competition, where the winner will be awarded a cash prize of $2,500.

 

Durham College (DC) students in the School of Science & Engineering Technology’s (SET) Electronics Engineering Technology and Mechanical Engineering Technology programs, will now be able to create mechanical structures using six new rapid prototype (3D) printers, which were purchased after receiving innovation funds from the Centre for Academic and Faculty Enrichment (CAFÉ).

“3D printers are commonly used in both the electrical and mechanical fields,” said Chris Daniel, professor in the School of Science & Engineering Technology. “These printers allow students to inexpensively create custom computer-aided designs (CAD), which help them build the skills their future industry demands and allows them to explore their creative side; the student’s imagination is the limit.”

Of the six printers purchased, the Electronics Engineering Technology program will receive three Printrbots with heated beds, which will allow students to use CAD designs to create enclosures and power supply boxes to house their circuit board creations.

The Mechanical Engineering Technology students will have access to three Flashforge Dreamer printers and will be able to create pneumatic engine components and are able to develop their design skills through manufacturing.

“The beauty of this technology is that students can quickly and inexpensively create their structural designs without the time, safety or expertise constraints associated with using a traditional machine shop,” Daniel added.

In addition to the Electronics Engineering Technology and the Mechanical Engineering Technology programs integrating 3D printing into the curricula, other programs within SET will be looking to incorporate the technology in the future.

In May 2015, Durham College, (DC) was awarded a contract from Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) to partner with the Centro Experimental de Formación Profesional (CEFOP), a technical and vocational college in Trujillo, Peru. Funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD), the contract sees DC working with CEFOP to share the college’s experiences and expertise in the areas of culinary arts and gastronomy, while helping to update and enhance their current curriculum.

A team from DC consisting of Katie Boone, Project Coordinator with the college’s international office, and David Hawey, Chair of DC’s Centre for Food (CFF), Durham Region’s first-ever post-secondary presence focused on the field-to-fork concept, and Adriana Reyes, an employee of the international office and a student with DC’s Team Experience, recently returned from Peru where they began work with the CEFOP to ensure its graduates are learning and developing the skills they need to meet the demands of the labour market.

“This is a very exciting partnership for all the institutions involved,” said Boone. “We have been working closely with a team in Trujillo with the goal of developing programs that, while innovative, also have a realistic implementation strategy that be sustainable well beyond the lifespan of the project, which concludes in March 2017.”

Current project highlights include establishing strong links with the rapidly growing culinary, hotel and tourism industry in Trujillo and reviewing and updating CEFOP’s current curriculum to help its students graduate with a relevant and well-rounded skills base; a skill base that combines technical knowledge and innovative and creative culinary practices that are characteristics of graduates from DC’s CFF.

Also included in the partnership is a teacher-training and professional development plan that match the demands of the new curriculum. CEFOP and DC will compare management experiences so that both colleges can learn from the practices that help both institutions excel nationally and internationally.

DC is acting as the Canadian project lead for all work done in Trujillo and Centennial College is a supporting partner.

For more information about DC’s CFF please visit http://www.durhamcollege.ca/academic-schools/centre-for-food.

Students in Durham College’s (DC’s) Power Engineering Technician program will have the rare opportunity to work directly on exhaust gas turbines, or jet engines, thanks to the work of Ralph Trauzzi, professor, School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship and Renewable Technology (START).

Trauzzi made two of these engines available for students to coincide with the advanced curriculum DC developed and implemented for its START students to ensure their success upon graduation.

“When the opportunity arose, I said I would love to get a turbine engine for the program. We are so lucky to have this opportunity,” said Trauzzi. “Having the ability to work directly on an engine will benefit these students greatly, not only with the knowledge, but with experience as well.”

The final purchased turbines were acquired online as kits requiring some assembly, but the cost was low enough for Trauzzi to buy two and the required ancillary equipment. Currently, the engines sit on a wooden test stand that is clamped to a table. Eventually, they will be mounted on a floating stand that enables horizontal movement to allow students determine engine thrust.

“This engine can be run-up automatically through its start cycle, but I believe the student will learn more by doing it manually,” said Trauzzi. He has built a control panel, which will require the students to perform the proper steps in the correct order for both startup and shutdown.

This is just one of the many ways DC is constantly staying up-to-date and providing students with opportunities for success. To view a demonstration of this gas turbine engine, view the video on the left.

Here’s some food for thought: without the aid of pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other insects capable of spreading pollen from one plant to the next, a majority of our food source will die off. Not to mention, the lush, green environment we’ve grown accustomed to would falter.

That’s why Field to Fork, Durham College’s (DC) crowd-sourced fundraising initiative, raised funds in August 2014 to create a pollinator garden at the Centre for Food (CFF) with the goal of increasing pollinators at the CFF and in Durham Region.

This summer, the project received a boost from Dutchmaster Nurseries, a family-run business located in Brougham, Ont. Dutchmaster delivered a variety of shrubs and trees to the garden, such as serviceberry, winterberry and flowering currants. Students began populating the garden with the donated plants, and added in St. John’s wart and barrier foliage to create a semi-enclosed sanctuary for the bees and butterflies.

The pollinator garden does more than provide a safe haven for pollinators. It also provides learning opportunities for students in the Horticulture – Food and Farming and Horticulture Technician programs, where they can hone their horticulture and pruning skills and practice plant identification. The plants in the garden will also provide berries for harvest and will help increase the crop yield in the gardens at the CFF.

“The donation of these plants from Dutchmaster Nurseries, will provide our students with hands on learning opportunities in horticulture, provide pollinators a habitat to thrive and will give our fruit producing crops a much appreciated boost,” said Shane Jones, professor, School of Science, Engineering & Technology. “On top of all that it provides us with a beautiful garden of native wildflowers!”

To learn more and support this venture, visit the Pollinator Garden project page.

The Durham College (DC) Board of Governors is pleased to announce that Pierre Tremblay is its new chair, effective July 1, 2015.

Tremblay is a well-respected and dedicated leader in the Canadian Nuclear industry, most recently serving as president and then executive advisor for Canadian Nuclear Partners, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation (OPG). As a Canadian nuclear senior executive, Tremblay’s extensive career at OPG has spanned over 35 years. Tremblay has been vice-chair of the DC Board for the past two years and replaces Ron Chatterton, who has reached the end of his term with the Board. As Chair, Tremblay will draw on his experiences with DC and as a governor with UOIT in providing governance, oversight and leadership on behalf of a 17-member Board of Governors that represents the strengths and diversity of the communities the college serves.

“I’m very pleased to be the incoming chair at a time when Durham College has so much momentum looking forward,” said Tremblay. “Over the past few years the college has realized significant growth in enrolment and programs, shown leadership with its applied research and entrepreneurship activities, and developed new partnerships, among its many highlights. I know the Board is looking forward to supporting further growth and success in the year ahead.”

In addition, Dan Borowec is now vice-chair, also effective July 1, 2015. Borowec is an experienced senior community leader, including his current role as director of economic development and tourism for Northumberland County. With a background in both post-secondary education and community economic development, he has brought extensive experience to his role on the board over the past three years.

To learn more about the Durham College Board of Governors, visit www.durhamcollege.ca/bog.