Durham College celebrates the 25th anniversary of its Whitby campus Posted on December 12, 2018 at 12:59 pm. 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.” DC students share their artistic talents as part of City Idea Lab student showcase Posted on December 7, 2018 at 4:26 pm. 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 once again one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers Posted on December 7, 2018 at 8:57 am. 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/. Durham College to host artificial intelligence summit in June Posted on November 30, 2018 at 1:56 pm. Durham College’s (DC) Hub for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence for Business Solutions (AI Hub) is pleased to announce plans for the inaugural Enable AI Summit, a one-day conference to be held on Thursday, June 6. Using experiential learning to upskill attendees, the conference will provide a platform for community members to converge around core applications and empower businesses to solve complex operational problems through applied research and AI. Attendees will hear from industry experts, participate in master classes, and receive certification in specialized applications, while an awards ceremony and gala will take place at the conclusion of the summit, allowing for rich networking opportunities. The announcement came during the AI Hub’s third Tech Talk on November 30, which featured a presentation from Mohsen Azari, senior cyber security lead at Walmart Canada, and a panel discussion with Farooq Naiyer, chief information security officer at ORION, and Danish Arshad, executive director at the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants, the world’s largest cyber security technical certification body. The sold out event, part of a larger speaker series that occurs throughout the year, explored cyber security and AI’s disruption of the threat landscape. Azari, along with other thought-leaders in the AI sector, will work alongside DC to develop the upcoming summit. Customized for attendees at every level of the AI knowledge scale, the conference aims to showcase the potential nestled within the Durham Region and across the Greater Toronto Area. With the AI Hub celebrating its first anniversary this December, the summit will be an exciting event on the horizon as it continues to offer small and medium-sized enterprises a much-needed access point to the rapidly growing field of AI. Operationally situated within the Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE), the AI Hub is an extension of the college’s success in applied research, utilizing AI techniques and methodologies to solve complex business problems. The AI Hub began as an internal exploration of AI within the college and gradually mobilized into a community-facing, industry-focused application of AI across Ontario’s ecosystem. DC hosts second free dental clinic with Health Mission Outreach Posted on November 26, 2018 at 1:47 pm. Good oral health is strongly linked to overall systemic health – and without dental care, many Canadians may be at risk for other diseases like respiratory disorders, heart disease and stroke. To help combat this and assist those without dental insurance, students in Durham College’s (DC) School of Health & Community Services and School of Justice & Emergency Services spent their Saturday providing free dental care to over 100 of Durham Region’s vulnerable community members on November 24. This free clinic is the second in six months that DC has hosted with Health Mission Outreach (HMO) – a medical charity organization that provides health care services to the disadvantaged – and the largest dental outreach initiative in the region, having helped over 260 people between the two events. Working interprofessionally with dentists and other health care providers from HMO, approximately 85 Dental Hygiene, Practical Nursing, and Paramedic students provided intake, triage, blood pressure readings and dental assisting during the clinic. A collaborative effort between the two organizations, DC also supplied clinic space and student volunteers, while HMO provided dentists, equipment and sundries. DC’s Dental Hygiene students receive ongoing experience and skill-building in the college’s Dental Clinic as they perform dental examinations and cleanings under the supervision of faculty and staff, but this free clinic with HMO also gave them, and students from other programs, the opportunity to give back to the community in which they live and study. DC continues transformation of energy infrastructure on campus Posted on November 22, 2018 at 2:42 pm. With demolition of the Simcoe building complete, work is now underway on the Simcoe Geothermal Field and Innovation Centre at the Durham College (DC) Oshawa campus. Announced earlier this year, the project is part of the college’s ongoing transformation of its energy infrastructure to support and implement sustainably focused initiatives on campus. Upon completion in April 2019, the geothermal field and connected heat pump house will harness 550 tons (1.9 megawatts) of clean, sustainable geothermal power to fuel the energy needs of the Gordon Willey building block. While the underground geothermal system and connected Innovation Centre will provide environmental benefits to DC, the greater campus community will also benefit from what is above ground – a beautiful new greenspace similar to Polonsky Commons, which is also located on the Oshawa campus. Additionally, the Simcoe Geothermal Field and Innovation Centre will create opportunities to act as living labs that provide new experiential learning opportunities. Working with knowledge partner Siemens, who is also the primary contractor for the geothermal field, students will explore green-energy technologies and careers while faculty will receive assistance in developing lessons incorporating geothermal technology into the curriculum. New signage is now on display around the construction zone, featuring information about the geothermal field. Visit www.durhamcollege.ca/geothermal to learn more about geothermal energy as part of DC’s commitment and action to support sustainable and environmentally responsible operations. DC students create new public art mural in Oshawa’s Civic Square Posted on November 20, 2018 at 3:54 pm. Durham College (DC) and its TeachingCity partner, the City of Oshawa, are excited to announce that a new public art mural designed by DC students has been installed on the retaining wall in front of City Hall on Centre Street in Civic Square. Part of a community mural project which installs artwork at City Hall every other year, the theme of the vinyl mural is human rights, which augments the City’s first-ever Diversity and Inclusion Plan. Sixteen Fine Art students in DC’s School of Media, Art & Design created the work in their Community Collaborations course – Leana Anderson, Christopher Cote, Kimberly Cuomo, Shania Dias, Devan Johnson, Amy Johnston, Tanice Laframboise, Tara Larkin, Nicole Marhong, Quinn Mcinall, Toni Mcmullen, Sonja Muskiluke, Andra Rusu, Kyle Samuel, Courtney Skovira and Viktoria Williams. In addition to creating the final product, students also received first-hand experience working with City staff on creative placemaking, public art projects and incorporating community consultation. “This project is a perfect example of experiential learning at its best,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “Our students are able to use their extensive talents and the skills they are learning in class in a real-world setting, which is what the TeachingCity initiative epitomizes – learning, development and research for the betterment of the broader community.” “The community mural project is another amazing TeachingCity initiative that sees post-secondary students engage with the Oshawa community and learn from and work with City staff,” says Oshawa Mayor John Henry. The collaborative focus of the human rights mural project prioritized public input. Community feedback (received via a survey) inspired the students’ concepts, which were then reviewed and selected by the City’s Public Art Task Force. The students’ individual concepts came together in the final mural to artistically express views, experiences and hopes for human rights. Durham Lords men’s rugby cap off return season with OCAA championship Posted on November 20, 2018 at 2:36 pm. The Durham College (DC) men’s rugby team captured the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) championship banner on November 17, defeating the Georgian College Grizzlies 21-15. The provincial banner marks the first in program history as the Durham Lords returned to conference play this season, having last played in the OCAA in 1996. “At the beginning of the season we didn’t know what to expect, but we had a good group of guys and we just worked really hard all season,” said Lords head coach John Watkins. “It’s only year one but this really bodes well for rugby at DC.” Breaking away for several strong runs and scoring the Lords second try of the match, John Stewart was also named Lords player of the game during the championship. “Today was unreal,” said the Sports Business Management student about winning the gold medal. “I was saying to some of the other guys after the game that I’ve never actually won anything in rugby before so this is really special, it’s a huge moment.” The championship contest between the Durham Lords and Georgian Grizzlies began in favour of DC, but just past halftime Georgian found themselves ahead by one point with 10 minutes remaining. Facing adversity, the Lords battled for possession in the closing minutes, winning the ball back and securing a game-winning try in the 76th minute. “We definitely exceeded expectations, but it came with hard work,” said Watkins. “Moving forward, hopefully after today, rugby players in the Durham Region will think about coming to DC for our rugby program.” Enactus DC’s Grassroots project breaks ground at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School Posted on November 16, 2018 at 1:07 pm. 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. DC hosts screening of student-produced documentary about the Kenya Education for Employment Program Posted on November 16, 2018 at 10:00 am. On November 15, Durham College’s (DC) International Office, in collaboration with CICan (Colleges and Institutes Canada), rolled out the red carpet for the premiere of the Kenya Education for Employment Program (KEFEP) Documentary. More than 120 guests from the college and local community, including the principal secretary from Kenya’s State Department of Vocational and Technical Education and the deputy high commissioner of Kenya to Canada, gathered in the Centre for Collaborative Education’s Global Classroom for the screening of the film. Captured, scripted, edited and produced by four DC students and two faculty, the crew spent three weeks in Kenya documenting KEFEP, a five-year initiative focused on strengthening and supporting technical and vocational education and training in Kenya, funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada. “We are so pleased we can finally share this documentary,” said Lisa Shepard, dean, International Education, DC. “The opportunity to work and learn internationally is a great gift and we are deeply appreciative to our Canadian and global partners for all they have shared with us and for this journey of global partnership through KEFEP.” Over the course of visits to nine cities, the #DCinKenya crew, which consisted of Danielle Harder, professor, Journalism – Mass Media and Jennifer Bedford, professor, Video Production, as well as four students from the School of Media, Art and Design, conducted 52 interviews with KEFEP partners, stakeholders and beneficiaries, in addition to collecting 40 hours of incredible footage. After months of effort and countless time spent in the editing suite, the KEFEP Documentary was born. “It is a story of international collaboration, of our Canadian colleges’ commitment and support and of inspirational leaders and institutions in Kenya devoted to the development of education for employment,” said Danielle Harder, the documentary’s producer. “Behind the scenes, it’s a story of the power of experiential learning and expanding a student’s horizons, allowing their talents to flourish outside of the classroom.” In addition to the screening, the premiere featured a photo exhibit, interactive KEFEP stations produced by all first and second-year students in the Journalism – Mass Media program and a #DCinKenya crew question and answer panel session. KEFEP is a $29 million initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada and delivered by CICan through partnerships with 17 Canadian institutions. « 1 … 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 … 160 »