Beginning Sunday, June 11, and running through to October, Durham College will host the North Oshawa Farmers’ Market every second Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Founders Lot 2.

The gates to the campus parking lots will be up during these times to welcome market patrons and so that anyone who typically parks in Founders Lot 2 can access alternative parking.

Started by a group of local residents, the market hosts a wide variety of local produce, meats, pastries and other goods.

For more information on the North Oshawa Farmers’ Market please visit: www.northoshawafarmersmarket.ca.

“Allow the way to your great work to be guided by your service to others.” – Mollie Marti

On May 27 and 28, Durham College (DC) Dental Hygiene students who are in their fifth semester gained on-the-job experience while putting their skills to work for a worthy cause by providing dental hygiene care to clients of Health Mission Outreach in Brampton.

Thirty-six students, as well as seven program graduates and four faculty members, made a significant impact on the not-for-profits’ patrons, treating over 100 people who otherwise would not have had access to basic dental care.

A culmination of their program studies, the opportunity for the students to serve some of the community’s most vulnerable members proved to be equal parts challenging and rewarding. With faculty guidance, the students were able to practise many of their dental hygiene skills while providing assessments, periodontal debridement, fluoride treatments and oral hygiene instructions.

Previous to their work with Health Mission Outreach, the students had gained experience treating clients through DC’s Dental Hygiene Clinic, field placements and additional volunteer work, including the provision of education and dental screenings at The Refuge youth shelter in Oshawa.

Working with vulnerable populations helps students to develop greater capacity for bringing empathy and compassion to their dental hygiene practice, a skill in itself that is vital to their success and a hallmark of DC’s Dental Hygiene program.

Durham College (DC) students from the School of Media, Art and Design’s (MAD) Fine Arts – Advanced program, recently grew their experiential learning in the community through a project that allowed them to paint on the windows of the Arts Resource Centre near Oshawa City Hall to commemorate Canada’s 150th birthday and other milestone anniversaries being celebrated by community partners in 2017.

As part of their work in the Community Collaborations course, each student was tasked with filling a window with a design that would capture an organization’s spirit or certain period from its history.  In addition to recognizing DC’s 50th anniversary, the project also captures the following milestones:

• Francophone Organizations Council of Durham Region / Conseil des Organismes Francophones de la Région de Durham – 30th Anniversary
• Oshawa Art Association – 50th Anniversary
• Oshawa Church Hockey League – 70th Anniversary
• Oshawa Historical Society / Oshawa Museum – 60th Anniversary
• Parkwood Estate National Historic Site – 100th Anniversary
• Robert McLaughlin Gallery – 50th Anniversary
• Simcoe Street United Church – 200th Anniversary

“This has been such a fabulous experience for our students, staff and faculty,” said Greg Murphy, executive dean, MAD. “We need partners who give us an opportunity to make a contribution to the cultural landscape of Oshawa, and the city has been a great partner.”

Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that it has been selected for a second partnership in support of the capacity-building goals of the Kenya Education for Employment Program (KEFEP).

Humber College (Humber) is the lead of the Canadian consortium which will also include DC, Vancouver Island University (VIU) and Selkirk College (Selkirk). The Canadian institutions will collaborate with three Kenyan institutions, Kisumu National Polytechnic, Kisii National Polytechnic and Sigalagala National Polytechnic. DC will be the direct institutional partner of Sigalagala National Polytechnic in supporting their goals of developing a Renewable Energies Program.

The goals of this project are in line with DC’s other KEFEP initiative – to exchange knowledge and help our Kenyan partners strengthen their technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems. DC is the lead institution on the previously successful project bid with an institutional focus on leadership and curriculum development in the sectors of agriculture and civil engineering.

Katie Boone, manager, International Projects and Partnerships, led DC’s responses to the request for proposals (RFP) in partnership with the other Canadian institutions. In both cases, the proposals were shortlisted for a virtual interview and then selected for the projects by our Kenyan partners.

“The college is proud to play a role in supporting the development of our Kenyan partners’ technical and pedagogical expertise in designing and delivering inclusive, market-driven programs,” said Boone. “We are excited to support this curriculum development in a way that is innovative, applied and inspiring.”

The KEFEP project is a five-year initiative focused on strengthening and supporting technical and vocational education and training in Kenya. It is funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada and facilitated by Colleges and Institutes Canada. These partnerships are great examples of partner-driven capacity-building projects that work towards sustainable results and professional development opportunities for all parties and are a critical component of DC’s internationalization strategy.

Durham College (DC) was proud to welcome 300 guests to campus on May 24 as host of The Cypher: Black Male Empowerment Conference.

The conference, an initiative of the Durham District School Board (DDSB), provided black male students from grades 8-10 with the opportunity to learn about future academic pathways and positive transitions, while also experiencing the college’s unique learning environment.

Students also met with community leaders, including award-winning spoken word poet and conference keynote speaker, Dwayne Morgan and DDSB alumni youth speaker, Francis Asheri who won the TD Scholarship for Community Leadership in 2014. Throughout the day, students participated in a variety of presentations from DDSB alumni, teachers and community members.

On May 13, Durham College (DC), along with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, showed Durham Region families just how fun science can be during Science Rendezvous 2017, Canada’s largest celebration of science and engineering.

An annual festival that takes science out of the lab and onto the street, Science Rendezvous works with Canada’s top research institutes to present a free coast-to-coast open house and festival.

Held at the college’s Oshawa campus, DC co-hosted the Durham Region event that featured a day of family fun with over 60 activities, known as INVENTours, for science lovers of all ages to explore. Among the numerous stations, guests were able to make their own lava lamps and lip balm, try cool science magic tricks, build their own ecosystems and much more.

Nearly 100 volunteers, including faculty from DC’s schools of Health & Community Services and Science & Engineering Technology, as well as local high school students, helped make the day a success.

The excitement wrapped up with a grand finale celebration that included cake, music and prizes to mark Science Rendezvous’ 10th anniversary, DC’s 50th anniversary and Canada’s 150th birthday – all being celebrated in 2017.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that it has been selected as the lead institution to support the capacity-building goals of the Kenya Education for Employment Program (KEFEP).

Working in partnership with Olds College (Olds) and Algonquin College (Algonquin), the three-year project will begin in May 2017 and conclude in September 2020, and is the result of a joint proposal by all three institutions. The project is being funded by a contribution of $880,000 from Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), as well as a $231,968 in-kind contribution from DC, Olds and Algonquin, totalling $1.1 million.

As project lead, DC will work with Kitale National Polytechnic (Kitale) and the Eldoret National Polytechnic (Eldoret) in Kenya, providing support for institutional leadership and assisting with the implementation of Kenya’s technical and vocational education and training reforms. Led by Katie Boone, manager, International Projects and Partnerships, DC’s team will also include Pam Stoneham, associate dean in the college’s School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Technology, and Joanne Patterson, a professor with the School of Justice & Emergency Services.

“We are excited to be part of an initiative that will help build upon our partners’ established successes in the fields of agriculture and civil engineering,” said Stoneham. “We look forward to working with the Kitale and Eldoret leadership teams to build their capacity in competency-based education, helping them build long-lasting, sustainable partnerships that will contribute to their success.”

Both Kenyan institutions are poised and ready for growth. Kitale runs two agriculture-based programs: General Agriculture and Agriculture Engineering, as well as a Building Technician program. Eldoret is Kenya’s largest national polytechnic and has a strong and well-resourced program in Civil Engineering. This strong knowledge base, when combined with the expertise of DC, Olds and Algonquin in training practices for agriculture and civil engineering, will help to build a pool of skilled in-demand graduates.

“International projects such as this one are mutually beneficial to both the in-country partner and DC,” said Boone. “The college’s involvement supports our efforts to internationalize the campus, while providing unique professional development opportunities for our employees both here and abroad. We also benefit from the chance to not only assist international educational institutions but also see how our teaching and training methodologies work in new educational and cultural contexts.”

KEFEP is a five-year initiative focused on strengthening and supporting technical and vocational education and training in Kenya. It is funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that TD Bank Group (TD) is contributing $100,000 to support the construction of its new Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE).

As a leader in environmental practices and with a strong commitment to Indigenous Peoples and communities, TD is supporting the college’s CFCE and its contribution to those values. The donation will be directed towards a Centre for Indigenous Peoples and green construction elements that will be incorporated throughout the building.

“On behalf of everyone at Durham College, I would like to offer sincere thanks to TD for its investment in our amazing new learning space that will be home to our Centre for Indigenous Peoples and advance our ongoing efforts in sustainability,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “This investment not only supports DC’s 21st-century approach to learning, but also our vision for the CFCE to act as an educational hub of excellence. It is a notable endorsement from a well-respected Canadian organization that shares the college’s values of inclusion and social responsibility.”

The new building will include a larger and more natural space for Indigenous students, employees and community members that will accommodate traditional practices such as smudging and provide increased access to modern learning. The green construction elements will include the unique TD Green Roof, a living wall, solar panels and low-light fixtures, and the contracting company will utilize regional materials, ensure onsite waste management and use materials that optimize safe building practices. 

The CFCE is a multi-level, 75,000-square-foot facility and legacy project tied to the college’s 50th anniversary in 2017. Scheduled to open in 2018, it will act as an educational access point for students, community groups, both local and worldwide, Indigenous Peoples and key business sectors, while maintaining a commitment to environmental stewardship.

“We are proud to partner with Durham College and contribute to a shared vision in advancing environmental stewardship and supporting Indigenous Peoples,” said Cory Kaiser, DVP Commercial Banking, TD Canada Trust. “Support for Indigenous Peoples and communities is a top priority at TD as is the effort to integrate environmental responsibility into every aspect of our business. We are committed to enhancing the progress we have made in both areas and are happy to support an institution, such as Durham College, that is also working to achieve that goal.”

In addition to the Centre for Indigenous Peoples, the CFCE will also house the School-College-Work Initiative and the affiliated Centre for Success program, and the Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions. It will offer spaces for innovation and collaboration and provide open learning and social spaces for students, faculty and the community.