Durham College is partnering with the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT) to undertake a six-year pilot program to determine the value of offering free memberships to students in engineering and applied science programs.

The pilot project will follow a single cohort of students through their two- or three-year college program, as well as the three-year period following graduation. Durham College recognizes the value employers place on professionals with a certification and that OACETT members and graduates from engineering and applied science programs go on to earn their certification as a Certified Technician (C.Tech) or a Certified Engineering Technologist (C.E.T.).

“We recognize the value of having industry certifications and the advantage they give graduates in a competitive job market,” said Tony Doyle, executive dean of Science, Engineering and Information Technology, at Durham College. “That’s why we are proud to introduce students to the OACETT and its certifications early in their studies to offer them opportunities to gain additional skills, training and mentorship that will help kick start their careers. We are thankful to OACETT for selecting us to partner with them on this pilot project.”

The pilot program will also include offering OACETT’s Professional Practice Exam (PPE) – one of the requirements for certification – while the students are still studying at DC, giving participating students advanced standing in achieving their C.Tech or C.E.T.

“There are two schools of thought about student membership in associations,” said Cheryl Farrow, CEO of OACETT. “One theory is that when students have to pay even a nominal fee, they are more personally committed and are more likely to convert to full membership upon graduation.  Another theory is that if membership is free, there is the potential to sign up more students, and even if not all of them become engaged, there still may be more that convert to full membership than from the smaller number of paid student members.”

The pilot will be available to students in the following programs:

• Biomedical Engineering Technology
• Chemical Engineering Technology
• Civil Engineering Technician and Technology
• Electromechanical Engineering Technology
• Electronics Engineering Technician and Technology
• Environmental Technology
• Mechanical Engineering Technician, Technology, and Non-Destructive Evaluation

The Barrett Centre Indoor Farm has practical applications in urban and northern settings where it’s tough to grow fresh food.

Even on the coldest day of the year, fresh produce will be ripe for the picking and ready to be shared with the community from a new and innovative indoor farm located at Durham College’s (DC) Barrett Centre for Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture (Barrett Centre) in Ajax.

The Barrett Centre Indoor Farm is a hydroponic growing unit manufactured by Growcer in Canada. Think shelves and bunk beds for plants inside an 18-foot structure similar to a shipping container.

“The Barrett Centre Indoor Farm is a great new addition to our Ajax Urban Farm,” said Barrett Centre partnership manager Brenna Bizley. “This indoor farm will allow us to grow produce year-round, helping to address some of the barriers to fresh food and food security that exist in our community, especially in the winter months.”

The unit was delivered in August, and the team is now working on producing the first crop.

Similar hydroponic units have generally been used to grow leafy greens like lettuce as well as herbs. But in this case, two different crops can be grown at a time and part of the research aspect for the project involves experimenting with different types of fruits and vegetables.

A key feature for the indoor farm is that it is accessible for people who use mobility devices.

“At the Barrett Centre we’re trying to support traditionally marginalized and underserved populations,” said Bizley. “Someone who has mobility issues and is interested in the agriculture industry may think that’s not a viable career option because there’s uneven terrain but what we’re trying to demonstrate is that actually anyone can come and work in the agriculture industry using this unit as an example.”

The indoor farm is only the second AODA-compliant farm in Canada and Growcer worked directly with the Rick Hanson Foundation to design the Osiris Access unit.

For the Barrett Centre, the goal is to address food insecurity and demonstrate options that can serve urban communities without access to farm land.

“You could put something like this in a parking garage in an apartment building and you could grow food in there that could help feed the residents,” said Bizley.

It could also benefit northern communities with short growing seasons.

“We’re very excited to share this indoor farm and innovative growing practices with the community. We hope to inspire a new generation of urban farmers to explore innovative ways to grow food in urban settings.”

As part of work-integrated learning opportunities, DC students are involved in all aspects of the Barrett Centre. Students from the Horticulture – Food and Farming program and the Horticulture Technician program also visit the site on field trips to learn more about hydroponics and indoor growing.

Bizley adds that the Barrett Centre is community-focused and she’s working with high school and elementary school teachers to arrange for trips to the farm.

Food grown in the indoor farm will also benefit community groups like Community Care Durham and it may be used in food literacy and cooking classes.

“We’re really trying to get feedback from the community about what they need and what they want to see at the farm because at the end of the day, the farm is meant to serve the community that it’s in,” said Bizley.

Learn more about the Barrett Centre’s sustainable and innovative initiatives online.

Eight Durham College (DC) students launched innovative urban agriculture projects this year, thanks to $5,000 in funding each from the RBC Urban Agriculture Work Integrated Learning Program.

The new grant program is a partnership between RBC and DC’s Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture and aims to raise awareness of this critically important field which encompasses any farming or food production done in an urban area, such as aquaponics, aeroponics, rooftop farms and community gardens.

Students from a wide range of DC’s programs submitted ideas, bringing their unique expertise and experience to promote urban agriculture. Some project examples include:

• The expansion of the DC Farmer’s Market, led by Horticulture – Food and Farming student Natalie Cox.
• A community seedling program that provides seeds to promote planting in urban spaces, from Graphic Design student Labiba Raisa.
• A micro-garden system allowing clients to build their ideal 12’x12′ garden, led by Horticulture – Technician student Matthew McCready.

“With food insecurity a growing concern around the world, it’s more important than ever to develop alternative methods of food production,” said Brenna Bizley, partnership manager, Barrett Centre. “The RBC Urban Agriculture Work Integrated Learning Program is an amazing opportunity for Durham College students and graduates to develop, launch, or scale a project or business related to urban agriculture and make positive contributions to the community. We are grateful for RBC’s support and vision.”

“What an amazing opportunity for students to learn about urban agricultural skills alongside industry experts,” said Andrew Staniforth, RBC Vice-President, Business Financial Services Agriculture. “The RBC Urban Agriculture Work Integrated Learning Program will help students develop the critical sought-after skills and experience needed for jobs of the future and at the same time help address food insecurity in our communities.”

The projects are underway and the students must submit their final report by October 1.

Durham College (DC) welcomed more than 3,900 students to Fall Orientation this month to mark the beginning of a new year and educational journey.

Students participated in program orientations as well as a variety of fun events to help them adjust to college life. New students had the opportunity to meet employees and faculty members, discover campus services and learn more about their new programs all while making connections and friendships with fellow attendees. Nearly 1,600 international students also received programming to assist with adapting to the Canadian classroom, part-time employment opportunities and more.

Following both campus program orientations, students enjoyed DC Fest where they received new DC swag, enjoyed live music and indulged in free food truck fare before cheering on the Durham Lords as they went toe-to-toe with the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks at Campus Cup.

Fall orientation events also included a DC movie night, axe throwing, foam party, yoga session, plus so much more. Did you miss out on some of the fun? Don’t worry, we’re just getting started! Check out these five ways to get involved on campus this fall.

Community members will once again enjoy an evening under the stars as Durham College (DC) hosts the seventh Harvest Dinner at the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (Weston Centre) on Thursday, September 21.

This signature event is a unique opportunity for students and employees in the Faculty of Hospitality & Horticultural Science and Weston Centre to come together to create an unforgettable dining experience.

With a special focus on student engagement, the Harvest Dinner’s hands-on opportunities allow students from DC’s horticulture, culinary, event management, hospitality and tourism programs to be active participants in their learning, under the guidance of Andrew Guay, Weston Centre field supervisor and Bistro ‘67’s executive chef, Raul Sojo.

To prepare, Horticulture – Food and Farming and Horticulture Technician students have tended to and harvested the fields where many components of the meal were grown and will be brought to life by Culinary Management and Culinary Skills students in the Bistro ’67 kitchen and Weston Centre labs and classrooms. On the day of the event, students will set up the impressive harvest table – fit to accommodate more than 100 guests and spanning the length of the garden path – as part of the experiential learning component of the Special Events Management program, before joining fellow Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Operations, Hospitality Skills and Tourism – Destination Marketing students to provide exceptional service and execution of the event.

“Harvest Dinner is the result of countless hours of creativity, collaboration and teamwork across all fronts and one of our most anticipated events of the year,” said Patrick Lernihan, general manager, W. Galen Weston Centre for Food. “The event offers so many benefits to our students, who get to be involved in the process from start to finish, and our community members, who continue to support the college and celebrate the Weston Centre’s passion for innovation.”

Upon arrival, guests will enjoy pre-dinner drinks, including Lords Ale, brewed by All or Nothing Brewhouse, and samples of a new IPA brewed on-site in the college’s Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation (CCBI). They will also have the chance to tour the Weston Centre’s Urban Farm gardens before gathering under strings of lights for the seasonally-inspired, multi-course meal.

Don’t miss your chance to attend Harvest Dinner 2023! Limited tickets are still available. Visit Eventbrite for details.

Durham College (DC) has purchased new, state-of-the-art equipment to provide even more opportunities for innovative and hands-on learning thanks to the proceeds from the employee Pay Day Lottery.

Each month, DC employees have the option of buying up to six tickets ($5 each) in the lottery. The lucky winner gets half of the money collected, while the other half goes to the Student Experience Fund.

The Office of Development and Alumni Affairs has unveiled the equipment purchased with last year’s lottery proceeds, which includes:

• Five emergency childbirth simulators for instructors and students in our nursing and paramedic programs.
• A thermal imaging camera to aid in live fire training for firefighting students.
• Two teaching robots for students in our automation and robotics courses and science programs. With many applications, these robots will be featured at events both on- and off-campus.
• A micro-volume spectrophotometer for DNA and RNA quantification, to be used by students in microbiology-related courses within a variety of programs.

“The generosity of our DC family never ceases to amaze me,” said Linda Flynn, associate vice-president, Development and Alumni Affairs. “For just a few dollars every month, our employees make a tangible difference in our college by fostering an environment that encourages growth, innovation, and excellence. With their support, we are enhancing the learning experience and benefiting countless students for years to come.”

DC employees can register for the Pay Day Lottery online via ICE. 

Durham College (DC) professor Matisse Hamel-Nelis has been recognized for her tireless commitment to accessibility in communications.

PR News has named her one of their People of the Year in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Champion category.  

A professor in the PR and Strategic Communications program, she emphasizes the importance of making communication materials accessible to all.  

“I love teaching and bringing the concept of accessibility into what I do. In every class I teach, my students have to make sure their content is accessible when they submit it to me, and I teach them how to do it,” she said.

There are a number of ways to make a document more accessible, like using a larger font size, prioritizing concise language that is easily digested by a screen reading program, and providing descriptive text with photos.

Students who enter the workforce with these skills will be in demand with employers.

“If you’re creating a document accessibly, it’s going to save you money down the line and it’s going to save you time when you’re doing it. Once it’s done, you’ll have a truly accessible piece of communication that you can use anywhere, and you’ll have a skillset that not many other students will have.”

As a 2015 graduate of the program in which she now teaches, Hamel-Nelis knows firsthand how fast things can change. Accessibility wasn’t a big part of the curriculum at the time, and she didn’t realize the scope of its importance until she got a job at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

“That’s where I found my love and passion for accessibility and communications and all things diversity, equity and inclusion,” she said, noting that although 15 per cent of the world’s population identifies with a disability, the real number is likely even higher.

In addition to her work at DC, she serves as vice president, Communications for AbleDocs, where she helps organizations ensure their messages are accessible to all.

That commitment is what caught the attention of PR News, and she’ll be traveling to New York next month to accept her award alongside the other honourees.

“Accessibility is really coming to the forefront of what we need to learn and do as communicators. To be recognized for that is a huge, huge honor. It means the world to me.”

With the PR and Strategic Communications program winding down, she is guiding the development of a new graduate certificate that will take its place.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity for our prospective students. We’ve put some really good stuff into it. They’re going to love it.”

With Hamel-Nelis leading the way, DC will continue to produce graduates who excel in the field of communications.

More information on the new Public Relations graduate certificate program is available here.

The Journalism – Mass Media program is celebrating 50 years of excellence.

The first issue of the Durham College (DC) Chronicle was published in November of 1973. Over the ensuing decades, the world of journalism has experienced a number of seismic shifts, and the Chronicle has kept pace. What started as a printed campus newspaper has grown into an online platform that incorporates social media, Riot Radio and YouTube. But what hasn’t changed is the hard work of the award-winning students and professors who deliver the news from campus and the surrounding community with accuracy and integrity.

“This year is a chance to celebrate that we are still here, and that journalism is still very much alive and it’s still really important to democracy,” said professor and program coordinator Danielle Harder. “A lot of the world thinks journalism is in decline, but we like to think we’re just changing with society. We’re still telling the same stories; we’re just changing the ways in which we tell them. We’re telling them with more context and on new platforms.”

The internet may have irrevocably changed the old media landscape, but it has also created limitless opportunities for those with the skillset an education in journalism can provide. Graduates aren’t relegated to jobs as reporters or broadcasters anymore.

“Our students take the skills they learn from us and apply them in really interesting ways. We have students who go out and work in communications, and others who create social media content. We have some who write reviews for video games,” she said. “We’re teaching how to tell stories, how to think critically, how to ask questions that get to the truth.”

The 2023-24 school year will feature a number of special events to commemorate the Chronicle’s semi-centennial:

• A series of panel discussions will highlight important issues, beginning on Tuesday, September 26 with ‘Indigenous Voices in Journalism.’
• At the campus Library, a microfiche machine will allow for perusal of copies of the Chronicle from throughout its history.
• During Social Justice Week in January, professor and writer-in-residence Alvin Ntibinyane will discuss the importance of equity in journalism, while librarian Trish Johns-Wilson and students from the program will promote digital literacy and provide tips on how to critically analyze information and navigate online platforms.

There are also plans for a panel discussion involving graduates of the program who have gone on to exceptional careers.

All of the successes the program and its students have enjoyed over the last 50 years wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the campus community, according to Harder.

“We would like to thank people for supporting our students on campus as they learn to become journalists. We have really appreciated the support of leadership, faculty and staff.”

Stay tuned for more information on this year’s anniversary events to learn how DC’s homegrown journalists are leading the way.

More than 12,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students are set to attend Durham College (DC) and on-campus events, efforts and initiatives have already kicked off to welcome the college community.

Ringing in the new year

Orientation activities are underway for new DC students! There are a number of planned events, ways to get involved, helpful program information and services that provide opportunities to connect with other DC students and the campus community.

Employees kicked off the academic year with an annual event to generate excitement and set the stage for the year ahead. Keynote speaker Justin Reilly, CEO of Wavelo, shared his unique perspectives on integrating AI programs and machine learning technologies in our work and inspired faculty as they continue to lead the way in innovative teaching.

Creative campus spaces

There are some exciting updates to campus spaces. DC’s new PROTO and Electric Vehicle (EV) Lab officially opened this week and our brand new vertical hydroponic farm was just delivered with preparations underway for its use at the Barrett Centre Urban Farm in Ajax.

At the Oshawa campus, the Centre for Innovation and Research (CIR) opened and we revitalized the Naanaagide’endamowin Courtyard and other outdoor spaces. The L Wing got a major refresh with 18 new murals, designed and installed by DC Fine Arts students as a work-study project.

Responsive programs to meet industry needs

Over the last year, DC has enhanced program offerings to meet the industry and community needs and ensure graduates are career-ready and in-demand.

New programs this year include:

• Cloud Computing (graduate certificate)
• Early Childhood Education – Childcare Worker Stream (diploma)
• Fire Prevention and Technology (advanced diploma)
• Honours Bachelor of Community Mental Health (degree)
• Honours Bachelor of Paralegal (degree)
• Recreation Therapy (diploma)

DC’s Professional and Part-time Learning also launched two new initiatives this year – Internationally Educated Nurses and Personal Support Worker (PSW) to Practical Nurse (PN) Bridge – to increase the number of qualified nursing professionals in the province.

Promoting health and wellness

To support health and wellness of our community, we launched the Wellness Directory, an online hub that provides direct access to all of the wellness supports and resources at DC and on-campus accessibility supports ensure a sense of inclusivity and belonging for all.

Students and employees have access to free fitness classes at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre. And tryouts are underway for Durham Lords varsity sports teams. Check out the full schedule. And you can come cheer on our athletes at the annual Campus Cup!

With the majority of classes set to begin on September 6, DC is looking forward to an exciting year ahead!