The Board of Directors of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) gathered together at the Centre for Food (CFF) on January 20, for a tour and dinner as part of their national winter meetings in Toronto.

President Don Lovisa gave an overall presentation of Durham College (DC) and its positive impact on students and the benefits the college provides in Durham Region. Susan Todd, dean of the School of Science & Engineering Technology described the Horticulture Technician program as it related to the needs of employers for skilled personnel in the nursery business.

Senior business leaders and committee representatives from across the country in the landscape industry plus the provincial association learned about specific programs and the exciting opportunities offered at the CFF.

DC looks forward to establishing partnerships with these important industry leaders in support of the landscape plan as a vital part of the Field-to-Fork concept for the CFF.

LEGO robots designed by some of Ontario’s brightest young minds took over the joint campus of Durham College (DC) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) on January 17, as both institutions co-hosted the annual FIRST LEGO League’s (FLL) Ontario East Provincial Championships. FIRST is an acronym that means For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

Nearly 400 students (ages nine to 14), more than 1,000 parents, siblings and coaches, and 200 volunteers, judges, and referees were on hand for the FLL competition, which encourages students to apply math and science concepts to research, design, build and program autonomous robots using LEGO Mindstorms software. At the end of a day filled with fierce and fun competition, team Ctrl-Z from Bayview Glen school in Toronto were crowned the winner and awarded an opportunity to compete at the FLL World Festival in St. Louis, Missouri in late April.

“We were thrilled to welcome the young competitors, their families, coaches and the volunteers to our joint campus,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “As a college that prides itself on innovation, everyone at DC loves watching the younger generation become engaged with science and technology. And who doesn’t enjoy playing with LEGO?”

“Our university is proud to partner with Durham College to host this high-energy competition that brings families from all across the province to our joint campus,” said UOIT President Tim McTiernan. “The University of Ontario Institute of Technology is all about inspiring creative thinking and pushing the boundaries of innovation. This venue is a perfect match with the objective of FIRST LEGO League World Class: to support creative ways of learning.”

This year’s project mission was to find a better or more innovative way to help someone learn. Competitors chose a topic, designed their FLL WORLD CLASS question, created their solution and then presented for the judges.

“We always have a great time when we bring the FLL tournament to DC and UOIT,” said Dave Ellis, director, FIRST LEGO League Ontario. “The Ontario East Provincial Championship is a key part of the overall season each year; we really appreciate the support offered by both academic institutions as we work to foster a love of science, technology, engineering and math concepts.”

Awards list

Champions Award
1st Place	Ctrl-Z Bayview Glen	Toronto
2nd Place	is LOST	Toronto
3rd Place	Gryphonbots	Toronto
Adult Mentor	Debbie Hoffele	Niagara
Youth Mentor	Eden Bibic	Kingston
Robot Performance Award	Lego da Vincis	Niagara
Judges Award	Viperbots 2	Toronto
Rising Star Award	Sibling Rivalry	Ottawa
Inspiration	The Musical Misconceptionists	Toronto
Teamwork	Maniacs mechanics	Kanata
Gracious Professionalism	AEMbots	Toronto
Mechanical Design	UTS FOREV3R	Toronto
Programming	NAYBERS	Kingston
Strategy and Innovation	W.A.F.F.L.E.S.	Kingston
Research	King Edward Triple A Batteries	Toronto
Innovative Solution	Robotic Elite Designers	Toronto
Presentation	Lego da Vincis	Niagara
Playoff Award	Sibling Rivalry	Ottawa

 

The FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is an international robotics program in which teams of young people aged nine to 14 assemble robots (based on the LEGO Mindstorms kit) designed to accomplish tasks associated with a real-world “Challenge.” This competition combines the excitement of a varsity sport with hands-on training in science and technology to help students discover how rewarding a career in engineering or technology can be.

For more information about FLL, please visit http://www.firstroboticscanada.org/

Award-winning CBC journalist Linden MacIntyre spoke to Durham College’s (DC) journalism students on January 16.

“Our journalism students are fortunate to be mentored by some of Canada’s top journalists and Linden MacIntyre’s visit adds to an impressive list of speakers who have passed along their media wisdom,” said Brian Legree, professor and co-ordinator of Durham College’s Journalism – Web and Print and Journalism – Broadcast and Electronic Media programs.

In the past two years, DC’s journalism students have heard from prominent reporters and anchors such as Peter Mansbridge, Adrienne Arsenault, Glenn Healy, Alison Smith, Kelly Crowe, David Common, Neil Sandell, Lauren McKeon, Priya Ramanujam and Matthew Blackett.

“We are pleased to be able to give our students opportunities to learn from these icons of Canadian journalism.” said Legree.

MacIntyre, who spent 24 years on CBC’s The Fifth Estate before retiring last year, is the winner of nine Gemini Awards, including three Gordon Sinclair Awards, given to Canada’s best overall broadcast journalist.

 

On January 12, Durham College (DC) held a Student and Donor Recognition Evening in appreciation of the college’s generous donors and hard-working scholarship and bursary recipients.

Hosted at DC’s Centre for Food, the evening began with donors enjoying a meal and address from Emma Nicholls, a DC scholarship recipient and journalism – print student.

“When someone acknowledges your hard work with the donation of a scholarship, there are simply no words to convey the appreciation and relief that is felt,” said Nicholls. “I want to thank the donors for sharing their resources to show all of the recipients that we made the right choice by coming to school. We wouldn’t be receiving a quality education without your support and generosity.”

After dinner, donors were invited to a dessert reception where they were joined by 150 student recipients. Over a mix of desserts, coffee, tea and punch, donors had a chance to mingle and find out more about the hard-working students receiving the generous awards.

“We are all very proud to celebrate these students as they represent the high-quality, success and calibre of all Durham College students,” said DC President Don Lovisa. “Having had the opportunity to meet many of the 150 students who were on hand, I have further reassurance that our future is in good hands.”

Each year the Durham College Scholarship program recognizes academic excellence by providing in-course scholarships to the top two students in each diploma program. In 2014, 220 students were recognized for their academic excellence, along with 140 students who benefitted thanks to the generosity of individual and corporate Donors.

DC is also committed to meeting the financial need of its post-secondary and returning students. The bursaries provided to these students help support their personal commitment to improve their own lives and the lives of their families.

Durham College is grateful for the encouragement and endorsement from all of its donors to help all students succeed.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to congratulate its Communications and Marketing department on winning six Education Digital Marketing Awards (EDMA), presented by the Higher Education Marketing Report, the most widely read publication for educational marketers.

Competing in the two-year institution group with a student enrolment of 7,500 to 15,000, DC won three Gold Awards, one Silver Award, one Bronze Award and one Merit Award. Winners were selected by a national panel of industry specialists who reviewed each piece to judge creativity, marketing execution, message impact, technology application and innovation content.

“With the EDMAs recognizing some of the best educational websites, digital content, electronic communications, mobile media and social media, I am so happy for Durham College and the amazing team that worked to execute these projects,” said Carol Beam, executive director, Communications and Marketing, DC. “Their creativity, dedication and genuine enthusiasm are truly evident in the quality of work they produce. Every marketing piece is created with the student experience in mind.”

Awards and categories

The Go to DC low enrolment microsite took gold in the Admission Website category. Using a cluster-focused approach, the microsite allowed visitors to explore open programs based on their interests and suited to their future career goals. All elements of the corresponding advertising campaign were directed to www.durhamcollege.ca/2014gotodc, resulting in 44,572 page views and 25,189 unique page views, helping the college achieve a 2.5-per cent increase in enrolment. DC was one of only three of Ontario’s 24 colleges to see an increase in enrolment for the 2014-2015 academic year.

Another gold came via DC’s 2013-2014 Annual Report in the Annual Report category. Designed to be user-friendly, the digital publication placed a strong emphasis on using images and infographics to communicate key information about the college, while linking to DC’s website to provide additional details. In addition, the Annual Report features stories about three DC graduates who have experienced great success since completing their studies at the college; offers an overview on research projects including funding secured; maps out where DC’s international students hail from; highlights the more than 450 academic pathways the college offers to universities in Ontario, Canada and around the world; provides links to audited financial statements; and more.

DC’s 2015-2016 College Guide also brought home gold in the Online Publications category. Combining top-line elements of the previously used DC Viewbook and Full-time Calendar, the College Guide provides prospective students with program information, application guidelines, information on pathway programs, fee information, important dates, student services and more. In particular, it is designed to direct prospective students to www.durhamcollege.ca/programs for comprehensive program information including course listings, admission requirements, career options, etc. Programs are housed by cluster, and graphics and icons are used to convey important information.

The Experience DC social media marketing campaign took silver in the Total Digital Marketing category. Running until August 2015, Experience DC is bringing the college experience to prospective and current students; parents; teachers; and the community via an amazing and unique group of students representing a wide cross-section of programs, personal interests and personalities. They are each offering a unique perspective of what a year in the life of a DC college student is really like through a custom website, personal interaction and social media including blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

Experience DC was also recognized for its video series which won bronze in the Digital Video category. As part of the pre-launch initiatives for Experience DC, videos introducing members of Team Experience were revealed daily at experience.durhamcollege.ca in August 2014. Each video gave viewers a sneak peek at the students involved in the campaign. Video shorts for this submission include the Experience DC trailer, as well as introductions to Rebecca, a second-year Special Events Planning student and Christian, a third-year Business Administration – Marketing student.

Finally, the Alumni digital magazine was recognized with a Merit Award in the Online Publications category. Published six times per year, the Alumni magazine is available in an interactive digital magazine format and is downloadable as a PDF. It serves to keep the college’s 67,000 alumni up to date on current college news and events, with a message from the president, a spotlight on sports, and an alumni profile celebrating the successes of DC’s many talented graduates.

As a member of the Eastern Lakeshore Regional Planning Team (ELRPT), Durham College (DC) is proud to announce a 92 per cent success rate for dual credit students in the Eastern Lakeshore region for the 2013-14 academic year. This success rate ranks higher than provincial counterparts when connecting with at risk youth as the provincial average currently sits at 87 per cent.

During the 2013-14 academic year DC and the ELRPT engaged 3,246 students considered at risk, disengaged, or underachieving with the potential for success through the dual credit program. Provincially the dual credit program reaches over 19,000 students a year, offering them a chance to earn a high school and college credit through the completion of a single course. The dual credit program at DC, also known as the Centre for Success, has successfully  assisted at risk youth since its inception in 2006.

The ELRPT consists of:

Post-secondary partners:

• Durham College
• Fleming College
• Loyalist College

Secondary partners:

• Durham District School Board
• Durham Catholic District School Board
• Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
• Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board
• Trillium Lakelands District School Board

Durham College (DC) is being recognized as a great place to work having been named one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for 2015 for the fifth year running.

The college is proud to be recognized in several areas of full-time employee support including providing continued skills development through a variety of in-house and online training programs and tuition subsidies for courses taken at external institutions; investing in the education of our people and their children with substantial tuition reimbursements; helping employees save for retirement with generous contributions to a defined benefit pension plan; and supporting young families through offering exceptional maternity and parental leave top-up payments.

This recognition also acknowledges our Sustainability Committee for promoting awareness and understanding, and practicing environmental, social and economic responsibility.

“Durham College is proud to be named one of Greater Toronto’s top employers for the fifth year in a row,” said Scott Blakey, vice-president, Administration. “This honour reflects our commitment to retaining exceptional, talented people who contribute towards creating a family-like culture at DC. Our faculty and staff are the best and brightest, and fully support our mission that the student experience comes first. Being recognized by Mediacorp Canada/Canada’s Top 100 Employers for providing employees with the opportunities, resources and benefits they need to be successful demonstrates our strong commitment and dedication to our faculty and staff.”

Greater Toronto’s Top Employers is an annual competition organized by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. This special designation recognizes the greater Toronto area employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. Organizations are judged on several categories including physical workplace; work and social atmosphere; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement. Employers are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which offers the most progressive and forward-thinking programs.

For more information, please visit www.canadastop100.com/toronto/.

Durham College (DC) was recently named one of the top social Canadian colleges by MediaMiser, a leading provider of media monitoring and analysis. By tracking social media metrics such as Twitter and Facebook mentions, page activity, likes, followers, and retweets, MediaMiser was able to compile a list of which Canadian colleges rank as the best in the country for using social networks as a strong means of communication.

After the metrics were tabulated for all colleges in Canada, DC finished in the top ten in  several categories including social media mentions. As well, DC ranked high in a number of influencer categories including influence based on total twitter followers (approximately 8,400), total retweets (approximately 1,109), and retweet reach which DC ranked third in the country for with an approximate reach of 924,443.

Click here to see the full listing of MediaMiser’s rankings and make sure to follow Durham College on Twitter and like DC on Facebook to stay up-to-date with one of Canada’s top social colleges.

Durham College’s (DC) Centre for Food (CFF) and Bistro ’67 hosted CFF ambassador and celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy on December 1. He was at DC’s Whitby campus to join community members for lunch at Bistro ’67 and visit with students studying in the college’s field-to-fork-based culinary and hospitality programs. Kennedy is an avid proponent of the field-to-fork movement, a vision at the heart of the CFF as Durham Region’s first-ever post-secondary presence focused on the concept.

“I draw my inspiration from flavours that have imprinted on my palate and memory,” said Kennedy. “Whether it was my first taste of summer strawberries or Ontario corn, the connection I feel with local produce and the land informs everything I do. Students at the Centre for Food are learning to draw on those same inspirations by following the field-to-fork philosophy. With programs like the ones being taught at Durham College, both students and the Ontario food industry have a bright future ahead of them.”

Community members who purchased tickets to this event were treated to an intimate three-course lunch with Kennedy, prepared by students under the guidance of Benjamin Lewis, manager and chef de cuisine at Bistro ’67, a 70-seat, full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant open to the public. Based on recipes from his new cookbook, J.K. The Jamie Kennedy Cookbook, dishes included cucumber and sheep milk feta with bulgur wheat and cherry tomato; hors d’oeuvres including curried sweet potato and Swiss chard, chicken liver pâté and marinated pickerel; roast and confit of duck with roasted potato and sour cherries; and bread and butter pudding with homespun ice cream. Following lunch, Kennedy shared insight about the field-to-fork movement, answered questions, and signed cookbooks for 140 students studying in culinary and hospitality programs.

“Our Centre for Food offers students a best-in-class education across culinary, hospitality, event management, food science, agricultural and horticultural programs, from completing the full cycle of farming to the preparation, serving and celebration of food,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “Our field-to-fork focus teaches students a valuable philosophy, one that is shaping the future of our local food and farming industries and helping maintain Ontario’s strong agricultural tradition.”

With the capacity to accommodate 900 students, the CFF is a green-restaurant certified building. In addition to Bistro ’67, it houses Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by the college’s culinary students. The CFF grounds also feature an apple orchard, farm fields and greenhouses that support academic applied-learning and research while growing fruits, vegetables and other produce for use in its kitchens, laboratories and Bistro ‘67.

Community-based and committed to providing an outdoor extension to the indoor classroom for students, the CFF is currently involved in two fundraising campaigns: Field to Fork: Sowing the Seeds of our Community, a crowdfunding campaign, and the Plant a Tree and Watch a Student Grow Program, both in support of the landscaping needed to complete the CFF’s grounds.   

For more information on programs offered at the CFF please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/cff.

It’s simple. All you need is your 15-second Instagram video to get the most votes and win one of three $1,000-cash prizes. Share any experience, whether it’s funny, kind, inventive or creative – just about anything for your chance to win.

The contest is part of Durham College’s (DC) Experience DC campaign that was launched in September and is seeing 14 students sharing their experiences to offer a unique perspective of what a year in the life of a DC college student is really like. You can meet members of Team Experience via their custom website at www.durhamcollege.ca/experience, where they interact via blogs, videos and social media.

“Experience DC is all about making connections and showing the world the heart of Durham College – our people – in a very authentic way,” said Carol Beam, executive director, Communications and Marketing, DC. “Our new Experience video contest will further bring that message to life as people submit their own experiences, sharing them on social media to gain votes and make new connections in the spirit of friendly competition.”

Team Experience is encouraging residents from across Ontario who are over the age of 15 to enter the contest by visiting www.durhamcollege.ca/win. There, visitors can vote on their favourite videos, while contestants can view example videos posted by entrants and members of Team Experience and find inspiration for their own entries, which will be accepted until Thursday, January 15.

“We’ve been sharing our experiences with people since Experience DC launched in September and it has been so much fun giving people a glimpse into our lives as students of Durham College,” said Matisse Hamel-Nelis, a second-year Public Relations student and member of Team Experience. “I can’t wait to see how people interpret the contest and I’m excited for others, whether here on campus, within the local community, or across the province, to start sharing their experiences with us.”