In February, Michelle Hutt, associate dean, School of Business, IT & Management (BITM), and Katie Boone, manager, International Projects and Partnerships, Durham College (DC) International, visited Kenya as part of the college’s second mission to the country. 

The visit involved a two-week workshop series to support Sigalagala National Polytechnic (SNP) with efforts to develop competency-based programs in the fields of renewable energies and advanced solar power systems. The workshops also provided guidance to SNP delegates on organizing their first program advisory committee, incorporating industry input into curriculum design and completing a labour market information report to receive approval to commence program development based on the analysis.

Developed with the support of Joanne Paterson, professor, School of Justice & Emergency Services, Katie Boone also led workshops on gender equality and gender mainstreaming. The workshops opened up dialogue on critical issues impacting youth socio-economic development in Kenya and helped create better understanding of the cultural norms within which the partnership would flourish. The discussions paved the way for a partnership founded in mutual learning and respect.

In November 2017, DC hosted a group of 25 Kenyan post-secondary leaders from five partner institutions. In conjunction with DC’s Canadian partners, Olds College and Algonquin College, Marianne Marando, dean, BITM, and Michelle Hutt led workshops on industry engagement and strategic development of program advisory committees.

Both initiatives were part of the DC-led Kenyan Education for Employment Program, a three-and-half-year project facilitated by Colleges and Institutes Canada and funded by Global Affairs Canada that started in spring 2017.

In January, Durham College completed its seventh mission in Vietnam as part of a five-year partnership focused on supporting Hau Giang Community College (HGCC) to develop a technical vocational program in post-harvest production.

Sue Hawkins, student services specialist, School of Intersciplinary Studies (IS), and Jacqueline Towell, manager, Curriculum Development, Centre for Academic and Faculty Enrichment (CAFE), travelled to Vietnam to provide training, best practices and strategies focused on teaching HGCC faculty and staff how to plan and lead student-centered focus groups and use subsequent information to plan and design student services and activities that support recruitment and retention.

While there, Hawkins and Towell also shared a variety of resources and tools to help identify barriers to success, develop student-centered coaching and advising models, increase student leadership and engagement, organize orientation activities and deliver career development services.

Funded by the Government of Canada, the partnership is being facilitated by Agriteam Consulting Ltd, an organization that provides management and technical expertise to developing and transitional country partners on projects that promote sustainable growth and meaningful opportunities for people to improve their lives.

Over the course of the project, DC faculty and staff are working with their counterparts at HGCC to share their expertise with developing programs in the areas of food and pharmaceuticals, agriculture and food sciences.

The project is proving to be quite successful. For the 2017-2018 academic year, HGCC’s post-harvest production program saw 31 students enrol for the fall semester, and 24 students enrol for the winter semester.

The project’s next milestone will see DC host 13 HGCC delegates for a conference being held Monday, April 2 to Friday, April 13. The objectives of the visit include building HGCC faculty’s capacity to teach the new curriculum in an applied, student-centred approach; explore a variety of teaching and learning resources and assessment methods to support HGCC food and pharmaceutical science programs; develop lesson plans that demonstrate student-centred teaching; and reflect on teaching and learning skills to help plan future training activities at HGCC.

Durham College (DC) announced today that it has received $14.7 million in funding from the provincial government through the Greenhouse Gas Campus Retrofits Program, including $9.1 million to fund the new Simcoe Geothermal Field project at the Oshawa campus. DC is using $1.45 million to complete upgrades of existing facilities, including the installation of high-efficiency HVAC systems, new and upgraded building automation systems and LED lighting and $4.1 million will take the form of an eligible interest-free loan, uses for which are still to be explored.

The announcement was made by Granville Anderson, MPP (Durham), on behalf of the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development (MAESD) at an event held at the college this afternoon.

Launched by MAESD as part of Ontario’s five-year Climate Change Action Plan 2016-2020, the Greenhouse Gas Campus Retrofits Program aims to support projects that demonstrate innovative plans and approaches to increase campus sustainability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while also supporting other institutional and Strategic Mandate Agreement priorities.

The Simcoe Geothermal Field project is part of a multi-year initiative at DC’s Oshawa campus to create a net-zero carbon footprint in existing campus buildings by using reclaimed land to install a geothermal field, new central plant and piping network.

“On behalf of everyone at Durham College, I extend my sincere thanks to the provincial government for this significant investment in our vision for a campus that makes a direct positive impact on the health and future of both the environment and our students,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “Today’s announcement of the Simcoe Geothermal Field project is the latest example of our commitment and action to support sustainable and environmentally responsible practices across all aspects of our operations.”

In addition to the environmental benefits that the geothermal energy system will yield, the project will also provide significant new experiential learning opportunities for DC students. The geothermal field and new heat pump plant will become a living lab that will be incorporated into a wide variety of program curricula to address new green-energy technologies and careers.

“Durham College is a leader of technology and innovation in Durham, so it’s important that we ensure institutions like this are equipped with the most up-to-date, efficient, and environmentally friendly infrastructure,” said MPP Anderson. “I’m delighted that funding from the Climate Change Action Plan is helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on our campuses, thus creating a better learning environment for our students.”

“DC is already widely recognized for our excellence in advancing environmental sustainability through our programs, services and facilities,” added President Lovisa. “We are one of Canada’s Greenest Employers and a proud recipient of a silver rating from the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Now, thanks to innovative projects and planning such as the Simcoe Geothermal Field project, our reputation and leadership in this area will only continue to grow and strengthen.”