The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, better known as AI, presents unprecedented opportunities in research and business and Durham College (DC) leading the way in this field by bringing together leaders to collaborate and connect about AI’s possibilities, as wells as its risks and how to navigate them.

Hosted by Durham College’s AI Hub at the Centre for Innovation and Research, the AI in Action event on March 25 welcomed the broader community including business leaders, tech enthusiasts and community leaders.

DC President Dr. Elaine Popp said the college is an early adopter of AI technology, recognizing the importance of being on the leading edge of the field and embracing its impact and innovation.

“As one of the most transformative and captivating technologies of our time, AI has changed the way we think, work, learn, and teach,” she said in her remarks to open the event. “It has captured the imagination of thinkers, scientists, and visionaries worldwide, and now we stand on the threshold of an era where machines can learn, reason, and adapt, revolutionizing our lives and work.”

Event attendees heard from keynote speaker Mohit Rajhans who discussed both the technological and cultural impact of AI followed by from a panel discussion on overcoming barriers to AI adoption.

Panelist Angus Lockhart, a senior policy analyst at The Dias, a think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University, said his role is to help find ways to help the Canadian economy to grow in a way that benefits everyone and the adoption of AI is one of those ways.

However, Lockhart said Canada as a whole has struggled in at least the last two decades to adopt technology and those same struggles continue with the adoption of AI.

He said there were several reasons, including an information gap faced by businesses.

“The amount of information you need to pick up a new artificial intelligence tool and put in place in your business is really high,” he said. “We see that about 70 per cent of businesses in Canada say they have no business case for artificial intelligence so most businesses in Canada do not know how AI can benefit them.”

At DC, the AI Hub is helping business adopt AI and creating opportunities for students.

“The AI Hub has been designated as a Technology Access Centre, the most prestigious distinction for a college centre of excellence by recognizing its impact on the local economy and it provides a range of AI related services and research and development,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, Dean of the Office of Research Services in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “I am deeply proud of the industry partners, students and alumni for their significant contributions to the advancement of AI technologies. Their efforts have made the AI Hub a key partner and resource in helping companies recognize and harness the potential of AI.”

Declan Kintu, a DC student pursuing a graduate certificate in Artificial Intelligence Analysis, Design and Implementation, was among the event’s attendees.

He said he was interested in the discussion around the need for governance around AI as well as the issue of data management.

“If you have good data, you can create anything with the use of AI,” said Kintu.

As a student, he said the AI in Action event is valuable both for the discussion of ideas and as a networking opportunity.

“I am actively looking to enter the AI space professionally — and coming to Durham College networking was a very big plus for me — and the second biggest thing is the learning, I go home a bit smarter. I’ve learned about new technology; I’ve learned about data management policy.”

Students and faculty members recently showcased their culinary mastery at College Day at Queen’s Park.

Representatives from Durham College’s (DC) Faculty of Hospitality and Horticultural Science traveled to Toronto for Colleges Ontario’s annual showcase of the province’s post-secondary institutions. This year’s event focused on culinary innovation, and two of DC’s successful (and delicious) applied research projects were on display.

In collaboration with the Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation (CCBI), two Horticulture – Food and Farming students presented Lucky Farmer Honey Ginger Ale. Elliot Berthelet and Danielle Dowd developed the beer as part of their Artisan Product Development course.

“The beer emerged as a love letter to farmers and queer and women brewers everywhere,” explained Berthelet. “We wanted it to be a drinkable summer beer using local ingredients to reflect our own values and approaches to brewing.”

With that in mind, they used honey from the DC apiary and ginger from the greenhouse.

The beer was sampled by many at the event, including representatives from other colleges and members of provincial parliament, and it received rave reviews. But that’s not the only reason the event was rewarding for the students.

“It was a great experience. Getting to see what other schools get up to and the variety of research projects that are happening across the province was really interesting,” said Dowd.

In addition to the beer, the Culinary Management program’s champlain cheese was popular with hungry guests. The product of a happy accident, it was first created when students missed a step in the cheese-making process. The result was a hard, parmesan-style cheese that ages quickly and can be ready for market in two to three months. Parmesan can take as long as two years to be market ready, so the applications were obvious and exciting for David Hawey, professor and Culinary program coordinator.

“We turned it into a research project with a business partner in hopes they’d be able to produce it for sale,” he said.

It was a great day for showcasing some of the innovative work that’s being done at DC’s Whitby campus, according to Wendy Smith, Food and Farming professor and a research coordinator with the Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE).

“It was fantastic. We had lots of repeat customers.”

The Journalism – Mass Media program was a big winner at the Ontario Community Newspaper Association’s (OCNA) Better Newspapers Competition on April 14.

The event, which was held virtually, recognized the best in community journalism over the last year. The Durham College (DC) Chronicle took home top honours in ‘General Excellence’ among college and university newspapers for the third consecutive year. While all the students and faculty members who contributed to the Chronicle during the 2021-22 academic year share in that award, two members of the 2022 graduating class received special recognition.

Joey Cole won first in ‘Student News Writing’ for a piece on the local community’s support for Ukraine. In ‘Student Photography’, Corrado Distefano earned second place for an action shot of the Ontario Tech University men’s hockey team.

For Cole, covering such a sensitive and emotional topic was a challenging but memorable experience. In April of 2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was just beginning, and the young journalist was tasked with interviewing a number of people who had very personal ties to the conflict.

“Talking to people who had fled their homes, when I’m coming from college and I have my whole life here, and they had to give all that up, it was surreal and daunting,” she said.

For Distefano, who spent a lot of time covering the Ridgebacks hockey team, snapping an award-winning photo was all about being in the right place at the right time.

“When you’re taking photos in environments like that, it’s about finding the right areas of the rink, and having the best spot. I was just lucky that I had a good spot, and something eventful happened in front of me,” he said.

The recognition from the OCNA proves that DC is leading the way in preparing students for the challenging world of modern journalism, according to co-program coordinators Danielle Harder and Teresa Goff.

“It speaks to the value they get from the experiential learning model we work under. They don’t just go to class. They go out and cover stories,” explained Harder, who emphasized the program’s commitment to getting out into the community – safely – during the waning days of the pandemic. “A lot of students and campuses were still doing journalism exclusively online, and our students weren’t. We had a lot of students who went into the community to do interviews, and I think that was reflected in how we placed.”

What sets the Chronicle apart, according to Goff, is how the students work as a team. Before submitting their stories and photos to their professors, students will consult each other and share support and advice as they strive to produce the best product they can.

“They created a working newsroom in which they all worked together, and that really increases the impact of the work they do. There’s a lot of sharing of knowledge within the classroom, and that adds value because the editors and teachers aren’t the only part of the process,” Goff said.

Since graduating, both students have benefitted from the lessons they learned at DC. Cole has discovered a surprising talent for video editing, which she puts to good use at the Oshawa Public Library. Distefano is continuing his education at Ontario Tech in Communication and Digital Media Studies, with an eye toward working in public relations for a sports team.

Wherever their careers take them, their time at the Chronicle has prepared them to meet any challenge.

“One day we’d be doing radio writing, then we’re print writing, and then we’re video editing. It really gets you ready for switching mediums. You can jump anywhere out of this program,” said Cole.

“It’s a jack-of-all-trades program,” added Distefano. “You can take pieces out of everything that you learn.”

If future Journalism students do the same, the awards will continue to roll in.

Two second-year PR and Strategic Communications students made Durham College (DC) proud at Craft Public Relations’ Creative for a Cause event in March.

The pair of Gaia Ninzatti and Sameeksha Dandriyal was one of only six teams to qualify for the competition, where they utilized the skills and knowledge they had gained in the classroom. With only 24 hours to work with, they were tasked with designing and pitching a communications plan for First Book Canada, a non-profit organization that supplies books and educational resources to children in need. Limited to a budget of $25,000, the objective of the plan was to increase First Book’s profile and encourage more donations, while also having the potential to be implemented across Canada.

The team from DC met the challenge head-on and crafted a plan that would meet all of First Book’s criteria while incorporating accessibility and fostering a love of reading in students and adults alike.

“My biggest fear was to have our idea be the same as someone else’s, but that didn’t happen. We had a completely different and unique angle, which we’re really proud of,” said Gaia.

They proposed an event that could be held at any school board across the country. On a given day, every student would be invited to dress up as their favorite character from the first book they remember. Teachers could get in on the fun, and everyone could compare costumes and share passages from their favorite books. To promote it nationally, they’d use the social media hashtag “first book memory,” and authors could share their own costumes, favorite passages and reading memories.

A key element of their plan was accessibility. A partnership with CNIB Beyond Print would allow a child with a learning disability to submit their favorite book for free conversion into braille, large text or another accessible format.

They also prioritized diversity by proposing a website where supporters who donate could select a cause they identify with so First Book’s educators could select a book from that community and make it available.

After working through the night, they presented their plan to Craft and First Book. Their proposal and presentation received rave reviews, and though it wasn’t ultimately chosen as the winner, they made the most of their opportunity.

“It really boosted our confidence and made us feel like we’re ready to enter the PR world right now,” said Sameeksha.

In fact, they’re about to do just that. With the winter semester winding down, the friends and collaborators will both complete their field placement at Global Public Affairs in Toronto.

They’ve been working together closely since the start of their program two years ago. Bonded by their shared status as international students, they’ve pushed and supported each other throughout their time at DC.

“We’ve stuck together as a team,” said Sameeksha. “We understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses pretty well. Both of us have very different interests when it comes to PR and our working styles are also different.”

“That’s why we work so great together,” added Gaia. “What she doesn’t like, I like, and what I don’t like she likes.”

With their passion and talent, this pair of soon-to-be DC graduates will lead the way in the PR world for years to come.

Durham College (DC) is helping Durham Region and Ontario prepare for the $10-a-day child care boom with a new program that allows Early Childhood Educators (ECE) to complete their education without leaving the workforce.

DC is launching a new stream of the Early Childhood Education program (ECE-E) designed for ECE assistants who are working in a child care program and early years environment. All classes, both on campus and online, will be held between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., allowing students who work in before- and after-school programs to complete their studies in between their daily shifts.

“We are proud to offer this program, which allows child care professionals to enhance their careers while also helping to bolster the provincial workforce,” explained Joanne Spicer, associate dean, Faculty of Social and Community Services at DC. “With this innovative stream of our popular ECE program, Durham College is providing valuable solutions not only to students, but to the families who count on child care programs in Durham Region and across Ontario.”

Students in the ECE-E program will have the unique option of applying for an Ontario ECE Grant, which will cover tuition fees. The eligibility requirements for the grant are identical to those for the ECE-E program. For more information and to apply, visit the Ontario ECE Grant website.

“This Durham College program is a great opportunity for those working in child care and early learning programs to earn their diploma and work towards becoming a Registered Early Childhood Educator,” said Lisa McIntosh, director of children’s services for Durham Region. “The child care system is growing and needs a growing skilled workforce, which is why professional development in this field is so important.”

With this new stream of the ECE program, DC is leading the way in building workforce capacity in the critically important child care space.  

To help address Ontario’s critical healthcare staffing demands, Durham College (DC) has launched two new initiatives designed to increase the number of qualified nursing professionals in the province.

The two initiatives are:

• Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN) – This tuition-free initiative is designed to provide nurses who are trained outside of Canada, the opportunity to gain the skills required to meet the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) education requirement.

• Personal Support Worker (PSW) to Practical Nurse (PN) Bridge – This initiative is designed to provide an opportunity for individuals who have graduated from an Ontario PSW program to continue their studies toward qualifying to practice in Ontario as a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN). PSWs who complete the PSW to PN Bridge will be eligible for advanced entry into Durham College’s four-semester Practical Nursing (PN) Program.

“We are proud to offer these programs at Durham College which allow healthcare professionals to enhance their careers while also helping to address an urgent need in our provincial healthcare system,” said Nora Simpson, Dean of Professional and Part-Time Learning at Durham College. “By improving access to these opportunities and delivering them in a way that meets people’s needs, we are providing valuable solutions to students and the community.”

Applications and course registrations are open now.  These initiatives have been developed and funded through the Ontario government’s Nursing Program Transformation in Ontario’s Colleges initiative and are designed to offer flexible study options to allow students to continue to work while they upgrade their skills.

Durham College is proud to partner with The Schulich Foundation which announced a game-changing program, Schulich Builders, a scholarship program dedicated to students pursuing a career in the skilled trades. In its first year of operation, more than $3 million is committed to combat labour shortages and highlight the importance of skilled trades in Canada, with $300,000 going directly to Durham College students.

“We are grateful for this partnership with the Schulich Foundation and generous supports for students in skilled trades programs,” said Don Lovisa, President of Durham College. “With these scholarships, we will continue to lead the way by developing knowledgeable and experienced skilled trades graduates who are able to step into rewarding careers that can make a difference in our local communities.”

In addition to financial support, Schulich Builders also provides leadership training and mentorship to set up graduates for success.

“We are proud to promote the skilled trades and support students pursuing this rewarding career path,” said Judy Schulich, Executive Vice-President of The Schulich Foundation. “Canadians rely heavily on the trades to build and maintain infrastructure critical for prosperous communities.  Our challenge today is not having enough of these talented people to meet the demand.”

Applications for Durham College students open on March 1 for students starting in September 2023.

Program Details:
Launched in 2023, Schulich Builders will cover tuition, tools and living expenses for students enrolling in a skilled trade program at one of ten participating colleges in Ontario, including Durham College. Priority will be given to students nominated by their high school. Students may apply directly through Durham College.

Durham College will award 10 scholarships per year:

• five $20,000 scholarships for one-year certificate programs, and
• five $40,000 scholarships for two-year diploma programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca/schulichbuilders.