Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce it has received $25,000 from the Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund. As part of Bell’s commitment to the mental health of post-secondary students, the Bell Let’s Talk Fund Kickoff Grant is awarded each spring to select colleges and universities to cover start-up costs for specific mental health initiatives.

DC will utilize this funding to infuse mental health resources into DC’s first-year experience course PREP 1000 – a self-guided, non-academic course consisting of seven modules designed to prepare students for their first day of classes.

The development of a mental health module within PREP 1000 is currently under way, and is expected to be completed for the upcoming fall semester. In addition to a dedicated module, wellness resources and mental health awareness will also be embedded throughout the entire course.

“Durham College is incredibly grateful to receive this funding from Bell Canada,” says Tara Koski, dean, Students. “Aligned with the college’s goal of building digital fluidity, the mental health module of PREP 1000 will provide students with their own toolbox, equipped with helpful information, coping strategies and support networks should they find themselves in need of help.”

DC is committed to ensuring mental health resources are accessible across campus to help prepare students for success. Through the updated PREP 1000 modules, students will learn about the various supports and services that exist within DC’s community as well as external resources, such as the Good2Talk 24/7 Post-secondary Student Helpline.

“PREP 1000 is a conduit which allows us to spread mental health awareness to the largest volume of students possible, during a critical point of transition,” says Tara. “Its systematic and comprehensive approach will support our goal to create mental health equity within the Durham College community.”

Led by the Student Development office, the design of the PREP 1000 mental health module features collaborations across a number of DC departments and services, such as the Access and Support Centre, International Office, Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and the Campus Health and Wellness Centre, and includes valuable input from DC’s mental health professionals.

Learn more about DC’s mental health resources online or contact the Campus Health and Wellness Centre at chwc@durhamcollege.ca.

As a recognized leader in food, farming and horticulture science education, Durham College is pleased to announce it has received a $5-million donation, to be released over a period of five years, from The Barrett Family Foundation. Only the second college in Ontario to receive support from the foundation, the funds will be used to create The Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture (Barrett Centre). 

Housed within the college’s Whitby campus, the Barrett Centre’s vision is to become an internationally recognized hub of excellence in urban agricultural practices, research, education and training, to address some of society’s biggest challenges including food insecurity, access to safe and stable supplies of fresh food, and economic stability and regeneration of land for local food production. 

This includes building a dynamic new urban farm that will be developed as a community-inspired living lab in the coming years. Leveraging the college’s horticultural, food and farming knowledge and experience, the farm will replicate and scale the successful farming operation already established at the college’s Whitby campus, within the community.

“We are extremely grateful to be partnering with The Barrett Family Foundation to bring this new centre to life,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “The immense successes we have enjoyed with our post-secondary programs and urban farm on our Whitby campus demonstrate the potential for further exploration and solving critical issues related to food access and security. In establishing the new community farm, we will refine and enhance the current model while also scaling up more broadly to support the local, regional and national urban environments.”

“Durham College is a recognized leader in urban agriculture education,” said Bob Barrett, The Barrett Family Foundation. “The vision to modernize and replicate their current model of urban farming into a regional, national and global entity is very impressive and innovative. Our investment in the college and creation of the Barrett Centre will allow them to scale their operations into a global hub for urban agriculture knowledge and best practices.”

Over the coming weeks and months, the college will begin establishing the infrastructure for the Barrett Centre, including the new community farm which will be scaled and modelled based on the urban farm at DC’s Whitby campus gardens, greenhouses and agricultural fields. A progress update and launch event is planned for the summer, public health restrictions permitting. 

For more information about The Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture visit www.durhamcollege.ca/barrettcentre.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that it has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the fifth consecutive year, further emphasizing the college’s commitment to sustainability.

Awarded as part of the 2021 editorial competition organized by the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project, this designation recognizes employers who create remarkable workplaces that minimize the environmental impact of their operations. DC was evaluated on how it incorporates environmental values into its everyday culture, and how it attracts employees through its green initiatives.

This year, the college was recognized for its continued comprehensive approach to sustainability at both its Oshawa and Whitby campuses. From heating and cooling select buildings using geothermal energy, to growing and harvesting affordable food that produces little waste and few emissions at the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (Weston Centre), DC continues to prioritize its green initiatives.

“As a leader in post-secondary education, it is our responsibility to pave the way for a greener future,” says Don Lovisa, president, DC. “Taking climate action through sustainable initiatives and capital projects is never easy – but as good corporate citizens, the positive impacts we’ve already made are worth the effort. While this award recognizes how far we’ve come, it also demonstrates our continued commitment to creating a culture of sustainability here at Durham College and beyond. Together, we are leading the way.”

Recent capital projects like the Simcoe Geothermal Field are recognized through this award as helping to reduce the demand for heating and cooling through natural gas, as well as electricity generation. The Energy Innovation Centre, which is also part of the geothermal field project, processes the power and is a living lab for DC students to learn about green energy, while the greenspace atop the geothermal field provides a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere for all employees and students to take advantage of.

At the Whitby campus, the Weston Centre is home to numerous sustainable features. There are agricultural growing fields, an apiary, greenhouse, pollinator garden and an arboretum, as well as some experimental projects, such as an old shipping container that has been transformed into a vertical hydroponic garden capable of producing 700 heads of lettuce per week, all year round. This innovative growing space uses 90 per cent less water than traditional farming methods, features LED lighting for growing and eliminates food miles – the distance food travels from where it is made to where it’s consumed.

You can read more about why DC was selected for this award online.