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Durham College to host artificial intelligence summit in June

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

DC hosts roundtable with Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy and MPP Lorne Coe to discuss skilled trades and apprenticeship reform

On November 6, Durham College (DC) welcomed president of the Treasury Board, Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy, as well as MPP Lorne Coe to its Whitby campus for a roundtable discussing skilled trades and apprenticeship reform.

They were joined by Pam Stoneham associate dean of DC’s School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Technology, Dr. Rebecca Milburn, executive dean and principal, Whitby campus and Dr. Elaine Popp, DC’s vice-president, Academic, as well as faculty from the college’s welding, millwright, crane and elevating devices programs.

Grant Hawkins, a Level 1 apprentices in DC’s Elevating Devices Mechanic program, and Haley Barnes, who is in her second-year of DC’s Welding Engineering Technician program, were also on hand to share their experiences as current students.

Participants at the roundtable discussed areas where they felt changes are needed including streamlining the apprenticeship application process and bringing clarity to the journey of becoming an apprentice.

Reaching out to and promoting skilled trades earlier in a student’s education was also highlighted. Whether through offering exposure to those fields through events, such as DC’s recent Young Women in Science, Technology and Trades Conference, or working with guidance counsellors to advocate for skilled trades, it was emphasized that helping students understand the value, potential and importance of these professions is a key factor in assuring the future prosperity of the trades in Ontario.

“Apprenticeship is so important,” said Stoneham. “Our program advisory committees are indicating they want the college to have more apprenticeships and by extension apprentices but we need to review the current system and address ongoing misconceptions about the value of skilled trades; that is a challenge.”

Carla Carmichael, vice-president, Project Assurance and Contract Management at Ontario Power Generation (OPG), also attended the roundtable, stressing that the skilled trades shortage is very real and impacting businesses both small and large.

As the company responsible for approximately half of the electricity generation in the Province of Ontario, OPG is also one of the province’s largest employers however, the biggest threat to its Darlington Nuclear Generating Station refurbishment project is a lack of skilled trades’ workers.

“Our contractors anticipate hiring thousands of skilled trades within the next five years to support the current planned refurbishment activities. This includes boilermakers, millwrights, electricians, steamfitters and carpenters.” she said. “We are working closely with our industry partners such as Bruce Power to ensure the success of the project.”

Of the call for apprenticeship reform, Minister Bethlenfalvy said “the evidence pointing to a skilled trades shortage and issues with the structure of the apprenticeship system is why our Government for the People is taking swift action to transform and modernize the apprenticeship system. There is tremendous value in coming to Durham College today and listening to your feedback. You are on the ground floor of training our next generation of skilled trades’ workers.”

With more than 1,300 students studying in nine apprenticeship programs offered at the college, DC has advocated extensively for apprenticeship reform and welcomed the opportunity to share its thoughts with the minister and MPP Coe.

DC hosts Fall Open House and welcomes future students to campus

On November 10, Durham College (DC) welcomed more than 2,700 prospective students and their families as it opened its doors to visitors at the Oshawa and Whitby campuses and Pickering Learning Site for the college’s Fall Open House.

The event gave prospective students the opportunity to explore DC’s extensive facilities, check out support services, including Financial Aid and Awards and the Access and Support Centre, and learn about the college’s more than 140 full-time programs and hundreds of continuing education offerings.

During the day, the new Centre for Collaborative Education at the Oshawa campus was abuzz – visitors met AI robots in the 360insights Entrepreneurship Centre, explored the Durham College Spa and First Peoples Indigenous Centre, and experienced a unique demonstration in the Global Classroom. At the Whitby Campus, prospective students attended baking and cooking demonstrations in the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food and learned about exciting upcoming plans for expansions to the campus.

On hand throughout the day was DC president Don Lovisa, dean and principal of the Whitby campus Rebecca Milburn, as well as current students, alumni, faculty and staff who eagerly connected with community members and shared their first-hand knowledge and experience related to all things DC.

Fall Open House also gave curious students the opportunity to learn more about DC’s first degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management – which welcomed its inaugural class in September, and the Artificial Intelligence Analysis, Design and Implementation graduate certificate, a new offering beginning in 2019.

Anyone who missed the Fall Open House is still in luck. Campus tours and information sessions can still be requested online, via email or by calling 905.721.3126.

DC will also hold its Spring Open House on Saturday, March 23, 2019.

City of Oshawa supports DC’s AI Hub through Tech Talk sponsorship

On October 29, Durham College (DC) hosted Tushar Singh, CEO of Minute School, for a Tech Talk on special needs education and artificial intelligence at the Hub for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence for Business Solutions (AI Hub). Part of a larger speaker series that occurs throughout the year, these talks explore business trends and possibilities in artificial intelligence (AI) research and design and highlight the growing field of AI.

To support DC’s AI Hub, representatives from the City of Oshawa were also present to announce a sponsorship commitment for future Tech Talks related to cyber security, health care and real estate. The City will be providing the AI Hub with $3000 in financial support and assistance garnering engagement from local and external businesses and stakeholders.

“We are thrilled to have found a partner in the City of Oshawa,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE), DC. “With this type of support, the AI Hub will continue to influence innovation and research in AI through its Tech Talks and further boost economic development in the area.”

“Artificial intelligence is ushering in a new industrial revolution. The integration of AI solutions, even for small business owners, will be vital to Oshawa’s economy and the future competitiveness of firms,” said Kyle Benham, director, Economic Development Services, City of Oshawa. “We believe that our support of the AI Hub represents another great opportunity to showcase AI in the City of Oshawa as an eastern growth and innovation centre for the GTA.”

Housed within ORSIE, the AI Hub offers small and medium enterprises a much-needed access point to the rapidly growing field of AI. Companies interested in how AI and digital transformation can enhance their businesses are encouraged to visit www.durhamcollege.ca/theAIHub or contact the AI Hub team directly via email or phone at 905.721.3223.