Durham College (DC) is supporting a ground-breaking joint initiative designed to help women enter the skilled trades by breaking down barriers, providing essential skills training and empowering women to thrive in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

Introduction to Millwrighting: 5-Week Program for Women was a joint initiative between the Millwright Regional Council and the national non-profit Build a Dream and supported by DC, Ontario Power Generation and UBC Millwright Local 2309 Toronto.

Starting in early February, 10 women received personalized support and training to prepare them to wright their millwright aptitude test so they could begin a millwright apprenticeship.

Sue Hawkins, Director of School College Work Initiative and Academic Upgrading at DC, explained that DC’s role was to provide academic upgrading support during the five-week program.

“This initiative is a testament to the power of partnerships among individuals passionate about breaking down barriers for women,” said Hawkins. “We are honoured to be part of such a ground breaking program that challenges stereotypes, fosters inclusivity, and paves the way for a brighter, more equitable future in the skilled trades industry.”

DC has supported similar programs in prior years, including a program to help Indigenous students enter the millwrighting trade.

Mya Benjamin was one of the participants who celebrated her graduation from the millwrighting program for women on March 8.

“As a proud participant of the Introduction to Millwrighting Program, I’ve not only acquired essential skills but also redefined what’s possible for women in the trades,” she said. “The program has empowered me to step confidently into a male-dominated field and make my mark. I’m grateful for the support and encouragement I’ve received, and I’m excited to pave the way for aspiring women in the trades, proving that gender is no barrier to success.”

Are you interested in a skilled trades career? Explore programs available at DC including our Mechanical Technician – Millwright program.

If you’re missing prerequisite courses for a college program, need help improving your grades or attaining your high school equivalency, consider DC’s free academic upgrading services. Learn more online or consider attending one of our upcoming information sessions.

For more than 2,000 visitors, Spring Open House at Durham College (DC) was the place to be last weekend.  

On Saturday, March 23, prospective students and their families filled the halls and classrooms of our Oshawa and Whitby campuses and learned why DC is the best choice for their post-secondary education. Braving some unseasonably cold weather, they explored our state-of-the-art facilities, met our expert faculty and learned about our career-driven programs and support services.

“We’ve been really busy,” said Jaden Brough, a Membership Services Agent with the Durham College Student Association (DCSA) who explained all the valuable benefits that DC students enjoy, from health insurance to mental health assistance. “The students have been really soaking in the information.”

Guests were free to explore the campus on their own or join guided tours. In Oshawa, the bus tour was a popular choice, ferrying visitors to destinations like the Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE) and the Campus Ice Centre.

Students who couldn’t wait to begin their DC journey were able to apply on the spot, and 166 applicants did just that. As a bonus, they had their application fee waived and received some DC swag.

The impressive scope of the event was recognized and appreciated by guests like Sandra Chin-James, who accompanied her son Macalib to the Oshawa campus as he finalized his post-secondary plans.

“Everything has been great,” she said, noting that they had received a lot of information about student life and his program of interest.

Having been accepted into the Music Business Management program, Macalib took advantage of the opportunity to familiarize himself with the school before confirming his acceptance. By the end of the day, he was ready to do just that.

A talented musician who plays multiple instruments, he’s eager to begin his studies.

“I love music, and I want to learn more about the business side.”

DC will welcome prospective students once again for Program Information Nights on Tuesday, May 7 (Oshawa) and Wednesday, May 8 (Whitby). Campus tours and information sessions can also be scheduled online.

Student artists shared their passion with the Durham College (DC) community at ‘Art in The Pit’.

Third-year Fine Arts students displayed examples of their remarkable work while helping attendees develop their own artistic talents. The free event featured activities like origami, sticker stations, drawing prompts, colouring pages, trivia, prizes and more.

For many of the students, it was the first time they had ever shared their art with an audience. That made it an invaluable opportunity for them according to Dani Crosby, Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Media, Art and Design.

“It’s about understanding yourself and how you’d like to share your art with the world in a barrier-free way,” she said. “It’s creating little entry points for creativity that are about social engagement, not monetization.”

‘Art in The Pit’ was produced in collaboration with the LivingRoom Community Art Studio. A charity dedicated to community development through the creation and sharing of art, LivingRoom is comprised of artists who take part in classroom discussions and provide an example to DC students of how they can connect and engage with the public as artists.

One of the goals for the day was encouraging all DC students to get in touch with their creative sides, and Crosby was encouraged to see how many visitors took part in the event and how her Fine Arts students interacted with them.

“It’s very cathartic for anyone to create something without thinking in terms of quality or skill level. There’s value in simply sitting down, disengaging from whatever might be stressing you out and engaging in this particular setting,” she said. “There’s a very therapeutic quality to it.”

The benefits to the Fine Arts students themselves were considerable as well. For Elijah Mackenzie, it was a great way to prepare for future events.

“Opportunities like these give you a good gauge on what it’s going to be like at art vendors and festivals, because it’s essentially the same thing,” he said.

His classmate Meghan Costello agreed.

“It’s really good practice engaging with people and talking about art, because sometimes we get used to being in a classroom,” she said. “Speaking with students who normally don’t engage with art on a regular basis has been really fun.”

Andrew Neary, a dedicated and passionate journalism student at Durham College (DC), has recently been recognized with three impressive awards, spanning from national recognition for his dedication to work-integrated learning to campus acknowledgment of his academic success. The recognitions include the 2023 as Experiential & Work-Integrated Learning Ontario (EWO) Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Student of the Year for the College category, the Co-operative Education & Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada Emery-Dufault Student of the Year 2023 Award, as well as DC’s Alumni Association Scholarship for Academic Excellence for his first year of study in DC’s Journalism – Mass Media program.

Neary was notified of all three awards within the span of a week while finishing a Faculty-led Classroom Abroad trip in Guatemala.

“We had a seven hour bus ride into the mountains and halfway through we stopped at a restaurant, and right before we were getting back on the bus, Danielle (Harder), got an email saying that I had gotten the EWO WIL Student of the Year award – and that was wild – and then on our last day in the community she got another email saying I had gotten the CEWIL Student of the Year award,” Neary recalls. “It was just this amazing vibe, and as soon as I got home, I found out I had gotten the Alumni Scholarship as well for my program, and I just thought to myself, what is happening right now?”

Neary’s recognition as EWO WIL Student of the Year is a testament to his outstanding performance and commitment to work-integrated learning through his dedication and achievements in blending theoretical knowledge with practical experience. And for those who know him, it comes as no surprise that Andrew’s significant contributions to experiential learning initiatives within the local community and his commitment to professional growth and development landed him the CEWIL Emery-Dufault Student of the Year Award.

Neary shared how DC’s Journalism – Mass Media program taught him about photography, which led to many of these opportunities.

“My CEWIL experience over the summer last year was doing a lot of photo and video work, and before starting the program I hadn’t even touched a DSLR camera before,” he says. “And because of that, I started a personal photo-video company that I received a grant for last summer that has helped me work on and pay for things for school and my personal life, all because of the skillset developed in my program but also because of these work-integrated learning opportunities.”

Neary’s active involvement in three work-integrated learning initiatives provided him the opportunity to film and document City of Oshawa firefighter trainings.

The first was a MITACS project through DC’s Experiential Learning Hub and in collaboration with the Social Impact Hub, that created a virtual reality simulation to safely train firefighters under extreme search and rescue circumstances. Plus, two simultaneous CEWIL projects with the same group members that included documenting the impact breathing control exercises have on trauma recovery for firefighters, as well as highlighting the recovery time after a firefighter undergoes strenuous activities by monitoring body responses such as heart rate.

Neary also worked on EnactusDC’s Founders Drive, a CEWIL project led by Danielle Harder, a Professor and Program Coordinator for DC’s Faculty of Media, Art and Design. She commended Andrew’s commitment to embracing every opportunity offered to him.

“Andrew has made college happen for him rather than to him. He is first and foremost a kind and caring person, whether he is supporting a classmate or just being a good global citizen concerned with amplifying the voices of those who need uplifting,” she says.

Having the ability to use his photography skills all summer as a work-study student, and working on the CEWIL projects is how Neary said he learned the skills to be a photographer. He also credits the hands-on experience he gained to helping him secure an upcoming internship.

“I’m about to do an internship with the CBC in two weeks and I think it’s because of what I learned at DC through these experiences,” he says. “They asked if I could go out and do my own photos and videos, and I can because of the extra-curricular training I received through work-integrated learning.”

But Neary’s dedication is just as strong inside the classroom. DC’s Alumni Scholarship for Academic Excellence recognizes students who have demonstrated outstanding academic performance and leadership potential throughout their studies.

“On top of that, he brings a worldly and constructive approach to every role he takes on, whether it’s as the creator of the Founders Drive podcast, as a communications intern on a research project, or as a leader on the recent Faculty-led Classroom Abroad to Guatemala,” added Harder.

The recognition of Andrew’s achievements underscores DC’s commitment to fostering an inclusive campus environment that nurtures student success. Through the college’s emphasis on hands-on learning and immersive experiences, DC empowers students like Andrew to excel academically, make meaningful contributions to their communities, and make tangible impacts in their chosen fields.

Neary says those thinking of entering the journalism field have endless opportunities to get involved at DC, sharing “Don’t let college happen to you, take every opportunity you can and if there’s ever an opportunity to do experiential learning, it can make a huge difference. It builds on what you learn in the classroom and exposes you to things you never thought possible.”

Three Durham College (DC) students successfully reimagined a famous snack food package, earning a third-place finish at the Packaging Association of Canada’s (PAC) Global Student Packaging Competition.

The event invited post-secondary students from around the world to redesign the iconic Pringles can with a focus on inclusivity and accessibility. Three students from DC’s Graphic Design program were up to the challenge. With guidance from Professor Rhian Moore, the team of Ina Jablonski, Megan Scott and Nicole Tracey created the Accordi-Can.

“It’s a tubular package that expands at the sides when in use to allow the consumer to easily access the chips inside,” explained Tracey, noting that shoppers consistently cite the difficulty of reaching inside the standard Pringles can. “We started with generating several ideas for how the can would be different without losing the integrity of the shape. We knew we wanted to keep the shape of the can as that is what Pringles is recognized for, and the packaging is revolutionary to the snack market.”

Over the course of the fall semester, the team continued to make improvements to their design in preparation for the competition.

“Our design went through many stages throughout the process as we developed the most feasible, realistic, and innovative choice,” said Scott.

The result is a package that is both recognizable and creative.

Although graphic design work is inherently visual, the Accordi-Can was more than just a rendering. The team created a real mock-up of their concept using a poster mailing tube, cardstock and glue.

“They worked very hard to come up with both their structural and graphic solutions to meet the needs of the product,” said Moore. “They represented the college in a very professional manner and I couldn’t be prouder.”

Taking part in the competition was a unique and valuable experiential learning opportunity for the three students. In addition to being an important facet of their Portfolio Studies course, they worked on a famous brand and developed a product that is sure to impress potential employers.

“I have learned to think critically about every detail that goes into a design,” said Tracey. “It helps to really think about the choices you make and doing the research on the target market and what their needs are is also very important.”

For Scott, representing DC in the competition was a positive experience that helped her build confidence as she prepares to graduate and enter the workforce.

“My biggest lesson from this experience is to try things that make you nervous and not let self-doubt prevent you from participating,” said Scott. “I’ve learned what it takes to be a team and how important it is to surround yourself with hard-working, like-minded, kind people.”

More than 600 high school students from across the province gathered at Durham College’s (DC) Oshawa campus to put their engineering skills and student-designed robots to the test by participating in sport-like games at the 2024 FIRST® Robotics Durham College District Competition, this past weekend.

More than 20 challenge teams used sophisticated technology to build and program industrial-sized 120lb robots and compete in an action-packed, alliance-based game on a themed field. With the guidance of industry professionals, students used their knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to operate their robots and used problem-solving skills that apply to real-world situations.

As one of Canada’s leading colleges, DC was the perfect backdrop for the district competition, which encouraged participants to consider a future education in the in-demand STEM fields.

“We’re proud to once again be sponsoring and hosting the annual FIRST® Robotics Durham College District Competition this weekend,” said Tony Doyle, Executive Dean, Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Information Technology, and interim Executive Dean, Faculty of Business, DC, at the competition on Saturday. “This event is always an exciting time for us since we get to see the bright, young, STEM enthusiasts using their imagination, engineering and teamwork skills in an exciting new way.”

This year’s arts-inspired game theme – CRESCENDO – provided a unique twist for challenge teams by encouraging students to raise funds, hone teamwork skills, and advance respect and appreciation for STEM education within the local community through the development of outreach events, marketing plans, and even fundraising initiatives.

“We know that the skills they learn during this competition are the building blocks for success in post-secondary learning and lead to rewarding careers in STEM and skilled trades,” added Doyle.

At the end of the exhilarating weekend, three teams were crowned as the FIRST Robotics Durham College District Competition Champions: Team 1241 “Theory6” and Team 1285 “The Biggest Birds” both from Rick Hansen Secondary School in Mississauga, and Team 9621 “Payload” a community team from Whitby. In addition to their champion title, Team 1241 “Theory6” also received FIRST‘s highest honour, the FIRST Impact Award.

A full list of FIRST Robotics award winners can be found online.

For the second year in a row, Enactus Durham College (DC) has been declared one of the Central Regional Champions for its Founders Drive podcast project. This year, the team competed in the Desjardins Youth Empowerment Challenge, a national competition empowering post-secondary students to deliver projects that make social impact through entrepreneurial skills. 

“It’s so exciting to see our students achieve success through an approach of collaboration and co-creation with a focus on building authentic relationships with Indigenous entrepreneurs to tell their stories,” said Danielle Harder, EnactusDC faculty advisor for Founders Drive. “Not only did our students enhance the skills they have learned in the classroom, they also benefitted from a cross-cultural exchange they might not have had otherwise. Enactus gives students opportunity and agency to become changemakers.”

DC competed against 21 schools in the youth empowerment category and presented Founders Drive: Season Two, a global podcast aimed at inspiring young Indigenous entrepreneurs to overcome barriers and become their own bosses.

Meanwhile, a new project, Just Dandy, was a runner-up in the Canadian Tire Environmental Sustainability Challenge. Just Dandy aims to foster a supportive community at DC by promoting financially and environmentally sustainable practices.

“Witnessing our students (from across programs) “touch the stage,” recognized for their collective efforts and placing in two categories, brought us to tears as it marked such a life-changing moment, showcasing the true power of teamwork and dedication,” shared Sara Mercier-Priebe, EnactusDC faculty advisor for Just Dandy. “EnactusDC has become an experience that etches itself into your very being, allowing you to see what our students are truly capable of achieving – together.”

First-time faculty advisor at the Enactus Canada Regional Exposition, K. Jennifer Bedford, also had the opportunity to witness the coming together of student, academic, and industry leaders to celebrate the impactful projects and ventures crafted by Canada’s future entrepreneurs.

“This event not only showcases innovation and community leadership, but also fosters collaboration, encouraging excellence among the next generation of leaders,” she said.

The victories mark a significant milestone for the Founders Drive team, which will now move on to the National Exposition in Toronto in May. Founders Drive will compete in the Desjardins Youth Empowerment Challenge against the League B and League C champions, as well as the Desjardins Youth Empowerment champions from the Atlantic and Western regions. Just Dandy will also compete again in the overall category.

For more information about Enactus Durham College, Founders Drive and Just Dandy, please visit www.enactusdc.com.

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Photo Credit: Ayomide Kuye, DC Video Production student and a member of EnactusDC.