On December 12, Durham College (DC) celebrated its Whitby campus’s 25th anniversary surrounded by employees, alumni, corporate partners, donors and local politicians.

Once a Cadbury chocolate factory, DC purchased the property in 1992 and began the process of turning its vision for a training facility, focused primarily on skilled trades, into a reality.

The first group of students was welcomed in 1993. Fast forward to 2018 and DC’s Whitby location has evolved into an active post-secondary campus that is home to a range of programs across multiple disciplines. Corporate Training Services (CTS) has also been delivering client-focused and results-driven training solutions for decades, providing businesses and organizations with access to top experts and specialists in their respective fields.

“We are really proud of all we have accomplished at the Whitby campus,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “We’ve come a long way since its inception. The physical footprint and program offerings are constantly changing and evolving to meet the demands of both the marketplace and our students; and we will continue to grow as we head into the next 25 years.”

Home to more than 2,000 post-secondary skilled-trade students, 1,300 skilled-trade apprentices (which includes 150 high school level Ontario Youth Apprentices), 1,000 post-secondary students pursuing non-trades studies and 1,000s’ of other part-time students and corporate training clients through the college’s School of Continuing Education and CTS, the Whitby campus provides numerous opportunities for experiential learning.

Whether in the fields outside the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, in the two houses used as learning labs, working in the kitchen at the college’s teaching-restaurant Bistro ‘67 or the Industrial Maintenance Shop, students are able to use the skills they are being taught in realistic settings.

“We are only scratching the surface of the potential for the Whitby campus,” said Lovisa. “It’s grown in phases, from when we first made it a full campus by adding services, amenities and additional supports for students, to recently breaking ground on a new student residence for those studying here. It will need to continue to grow to further accommodate more students, more programs and new partnerships with industry. We will remain forward thinking in the days, months and years to come to ensure the history of excellence already established here in Whitby continues.”

On December 7, TeachingCity partners the City of Oshawa, Durham College (DC), Trent University Greater Toronto Area and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology gathered together for the inaugural City Idea Lab student showcase.

City Idea Lab, which is part of TeachingCity, is an innovative, curriculum-based program that draws on the knowledge and creativity of college and university students who work directly with faculty and City staff to co-design solutions through active community research. Each course focuses on a particular City-identified problem statement embedded in the academic curriculum.

Supported by RBC Future Launch, the first City Idea Lab cohort included DC students and upper-year undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, who were asked to address the challenge question “how might the City of Oshawa better engage youth in priority neighbourhoods?”

Held at the TeachingCity Hub, the showcase was also the debut of a new mural within the space. Entitled, “The Balance” and designed by DC alumna Leana Anderson, a young Indigenous artist and graduate from the college’s Fine Arts – Advanced program, the piece is meant to embody ethical innovation.

In the next term of the City Idea Lab, DC students from the School of Media, Art & Design will take part in the Community Collaborations and Service Learning course.

Durham College (DC) has been named one of the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for 2019. This is the eighth time the college has received this honour, which recognizes organizations for their progressive and forward-thinking employee programs.

DC is proud to be acknowledged for its commitment to ongoing employee development through programs such as Leave for Change, which offers faculty and staff the opportunity to transform their vacations into short-term leaves so they can volunteer in a developing country.

The fact employees can provide direct feedback to college leadership through programs such as the annual Retreat with the President was also noted, as was DC’s encouragement of healthy, active living through subsidized access to the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre and the suite of services including massage and dietary counseling available in the Campus Health Centre.

“We are so pleased to once again be recognized for the college’s efforts to support our employees,” said Dr. Scott Blakey, chief administrative officer. “One of our greatest strengths is our people. It is through their talent and dedication that we can deliver on our mission that the student experience comes first.”

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 offer the most progressive and forward-thinking programs.

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

On November 12, five Durham College (DC) students put the field back in field trip as they traveled to St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Pickering to break ground on the first phase of the Grassroots project, guiding high school students as they built micro-greenhouses and planted a fruit tree orchard.

Part of Enactus DC and in partnership with the Durham District Catholic School Board (DDCSB), Grassroots is an initiative that aims to educate elementary and secondary school students about food-related issues in a sustainable outdoor education environment.

Cold frames for the micro-greenhouses were designed by students in DC’s Horticulture – Food and Farming and Building Construction Technician programs and use passive solar energy to absorb heat from the sun and built-in vents to regulate temperature, extending the growing season of produce and encouraging students to develop their own sustainable social enterprise and connect with their community year-round.

In the future, Grassroots will continue to work with St. Mary and the DDCSB to build an accessible food and farming hub that will help students learn about plants, food production, climate, sustainability, regeneration and resiliency.

Enactus is an international non-profit organization dedicated to creating social change through entrepreneurship. DC’s chapter was introduced to the college in 2016 through FastStartDC, the college’s entrepreneurial centre, to create a club of student leaders looking to make a positive economic and social impact on society. DC’s chapter now has over 60 student members.