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More than 3,000 prospective students visit DC campus during Spring Open House

More than 3,000 prospective students, their families and the community at large got a look inside Durham College (DC) on April 2 as the school hosted its annual Spring Open House.

Showcasing the Oshawa and Whitby campuses and the Pickering Learning Site, the event gave attendees an opportunity to learn more about the college’s programs, services and facilities first-hand while meeting with current students, faculty, staff and alumni.

DC Crew members were also on hand to lead tours through the college’s state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories and provide information on DC’s extensive list of student services. Information sessions were also held topics such as the admissions process, financial aid, academic pathways and career planning.

“Open House is a great way for potential students and their families to learn more about Durham College while having the opportunity to experience our learning environment for themselves,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “The entire Durham College family did a great job sharing the DC experience with our visitors.”

Those who missed Spring Open House are still in luck – tours of the college are still available and can be arranged by visiting www.durhamcollege.ca/campustours emailing campustours@durhamcollege.ca or calling 905.721.3000.

@DC_Pres delivers welcome packages to new DC students

Durham College (DC) President Don Lovisa went door-to-door this week making special deliveries to six lucky students. Travelling to several local communities, Lovisa hand delivered official DC welcome packages and swag to randomly selected individuals who will begin their studies at the college this September.

“Delivering the welcome packages was a fun way to demonstrate our mission statement that at Durham College, the student experience comes first,” said Lovisa. “The opportunity to meet with students face to face and personally welcome them to DC is a great example of the high level of service we strive to deliver on campus every day.”

Lovisa travelled to Bowmanville, Port Hope, Oshawa, Whitby and Pickering to deliver the packages, and captured the moments with students on camera and video that was shared via the college’s social media accounts. Follow @DC_Pres on Twitter and DC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as we continue to share Lovisa’s door-to-door welcome of new students next week.  

Mother Language Day Festival highlights Durham College’s diversity

“Hello.” “Bonjour.” “Ola.” “Kamusta.” “Salaam.” “Marhaban.” “Nǐ hǎo” 

These were just some of the greetings heard at the fourth annual Mother Language Day Festival, which took place on March 24 at Durham College (DC). The event, presented jointly by DC’s International office, office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s (UOIT) International student services department, provided a forum for 17 cultural and linguistic groups to educate students and staff about their native languages and the unique characteristics of their home countries.

Festival attendees were given passports, which were stamped as they visited various booths.  When completely filled, the passports were entered into a draw to win prizes, such as movie tickets and gift certificates. Along the way, participants were treated to a wide range of cultural displays that featured dance, food and the opportunity to learn and practice phrases in a foreign language. International students at each display were encouraged to share cultural and language-related facts about their native countries and showcase what makes their home nations unique in the global community.

“The turnout was phenomenal,” said Sarah Edwards, international student support officer, DC. “Despite the ice storm, more than 500 students stopped by to engage with festival participants, sample some of the food on display and collect the stamps on their passports. It’s a great way for the college to engage students and showcase our commitment to diversity and inclusiveness.”

With 580 international students representing 49 countries already a part of the DC family, the college is expanding its global presence and encourages students from all disciplines to consider learning a new language to enhance their competitiveness in the job market.

“The international students participating in this year’s festival really enjoyed meeting Canadian students, including the opportunity to share experiences and, in some cases, dispel a few myths about their home countries,” said Edwards. “In addition, the festival provides a great opportunity to help their Canadian counterparts gain a better understanding of what life is like beyond our borders.’”

All of the displays were judged on creativity and the hospitality of their international student hosts. This year, the winning displays were from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world and India.

The festival commemorates International Mother Language Day, which was established by the United Nations in 1999 as a day to “promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism,” particularly in education. This festival and other events throughout the year are all part of DC’s efforts to create a dynamic and supportive learning environment that helps students develop successful and productive careers and make a difference in the world.

Durham College student organizes major event for Syrian refugees

Like millions of Canadians, Durham College (DC) student Damien Haveliwalla was moved by stories of Syrian refugees who arrived in Canada in search a new life, and decided to do something to help the cause in his own unique way.

Haveliwalla, a third-year student in the Sport Management program at DC, was doing his field placement in the sales and sponsorship department of the Steelheads – an Ontario Hockey League team based in Mississauga, when an idea hit him. What about inviting some Syrian refugee families, newly arrived in Toronto, to get their first taste of Canada’s national winter sport; hockey?

“The Steelheads are really big on community involvement,” Haveliwalla said. “And I thought, what better way to help introduce these people to our community, and to Canada, than by inviting them to be our guests at a Steelheads game.”

He took the idea to his team’s management and, after getting their approval, he approached Lifeline Syria, a charitable organization that recruits and trains sponsor groups to help Syrian refugees who are settling in the Greater Toronto Area. The Steelheads supplied tickets to the organization and, as a result, more than 200 Syrian refugees were able to attend their first hockey game as the Steelheads claimed a 5-3 victory over the Peterborough Petes on Friday, March 18.

Haveliwalla says he was busy with his regular duties during the game, so he didn’t have much chance to interact with the refugee families who were attending the match, but one story he later heard did stick in his mind.

“One of volunteers with Lifeline Syria told me she talked to one of the refugees who told her she was so happy and excited to be at the game and, after everything she’d been through, it felt like the best day of her life,” Haveliwalla said. “Something like that really sticks with you.”

Haveliwalla’s efforts garnered local and national media attention for the Steelheads, with stories on CBC, CITY, Global and CTV News. His teachers at DC had nothing but praise for his efforts to raise the team’s community profile while helping Syrian families get accustomed to their new home.

“Damien has exhibited leadership skills and professionalism in his role with the Mississauga Steelheads,” said Janice Robinson, professor, School of Business, IT and Management at DC. “This is a great example for all of our students on how to excel in their field placements and careers.”

As for Haveliwalla himself, he will finish his placement as a member of the Steelheads sales and sponsorship team, then begin the task of finding a job in his chosen field. With the solid grounding he received from his family, he hopes the lessons he’s learned while at DC will lead to a successful career in sports management.

“My parents always taught me, and this was reinforced at DC, that I should always do the right thing, no matter how much work is involved.” Haveliwalla said. “This really felt like the right thing to do, and I’m glad I was able to help.”

Boston Marathon bombing and sexual assault survivor shares inspiring story with DC students

Jean-Paul Bédard is a tough guy. The marathon runner, who visited the Durham College (DC) Oshawa campus recently to speak to students and employees, looks every inch the elite athlete with his long, lanky frame and determined look. During last October’s Toronto Marathon, Bédard covered the entire route three times in a single day, running more than 126 kilometres to record a ’triple Toronto.’

Despite his athletic prowess, it was Bédard’s inner toughness that the students saw during his campus appearance. In his remarks, he spoke about his early life as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, a terrifying ordeal that at times during his adult life, left him on the brink of suicide and led him to drug and alcohol addiction. Despite his pain, he refused to speak about his traumas to his family until only three years ago.

“It had become simply too difficult to keep this secret buried any longer, and I knew it was finally time to start unpacking all of the trauma and get some professional help,” said Bédard. “I entered a treatment program at the Gatehouse in Toronto, an organization that specializes in working with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and I have undergone extensive therapy with a psychiatrist and a trauma therapist.”

Running, specifically endurance running, has been a way for Bédard to help combat his demons for more than two decades. He was first introduced to the sport by two individuals he met during a treatment program for drug and alcohol abuse. Since then, he’s competed in more than 130 marathons and ultra-marathons and was awarded the Golden Shoe Award for Canadian Runner of the Year in 2015. The run, however, that stands out vividly in his memory was the 2013 Boston Marathon, where he competed and achieved a personal best time, but which was tragically disrupted by a terrorist bombing attack.

“My wife and I were on the street when the bombs exploded, and it was absolute chaos and terror,” said Bédard. “All that was going through my mind was that I needed to get my wife out of harm’s way immediately.  I think we were both in shock, and were purely moving on adrenaline and instinct.”   

Bédard will be back in Boston next month for 2016 marathon, where he will run to raise awareness of the needs of victims of childhood sexual assault. As an elite athlete, he sees it as his mission to help spark a dialogue on the impact of violent sexual attacks on children, a problem that affects one in three girls in Canada, and one in six boys.

Above all, Bédard left students with a message of hope for the future. As he puts it: “Don’t give up.  You never know where your next step will take you.” 

“The world of sports is made up of equal parts of triumph and defeat,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, vice-president, Academic. “Bringing Jean-Paul’s inspiring story of loss and recovery to Durham College reflects our commitment to developing the professional and personal skills of our students and staff so they can go out and make a difference in the world.”

DC culinary and hospitality students give back to community at maple syrup festival

First-and second-year students from Durham College’s (DC) culinary and hospitality programs recently had the opportunity to show off their skills when they spent the weekend cooking and serving pancakes at the Purple Woods Maple Syrup Festival.  During the weekend of March 19th and 20th, students from DC’s Culinary Management, Hospitality Skills, Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Operations Management, Special Events Planning and Advanced Baking and Pastry Art programs took on the challenge of feeding festival goers with a wide range of products. Chef Peter Lee, program co-ordinator for the Culinary Management program at the College’s Centre for Food (CFF) says this was the first time DC students had been involved with the festival and, by all accounts, their work was extremely successful.

“The students did everything from providing front-of-the-house services to setting up and preparing pancakes in the kitchen,” said Lee.  “They also operated a pop-up bake shop while feeding about 1,000 people per day. With the festival’s organizers saying everything went very efficiently with almost no line ups to get food, it is clear that the skills our students are gaining in the CFF’s classrooms, kitchen and labs, are making a very real impact when it comes to working in the field.”

In particular, events like the festival give students an opportunity to learn more about the requirements of feeding a large number of people, in close quarters, under tight deadlines. Students were responsible for setting up serving lines, cooking dozens of pancakes at a time, estimating how long it would take each batch to be served and how many could be prepared in each hour. Once the morning and afternoon pancake events were concluded, the students cleaned up, washed up and got ready to do it all again a few hours later.

”There are a number of advantages in taking part in these festival-style events, despite the large volume of work involved for our students,” added Lee. “This includes offering young people who might be considering a career in the culinary, hospitality or events industries the chance to meet with DC students and staff and learn about our award-winning programs.”

And the need to connect is a two-way street, as returning students and new graduates from DC’s culinary and hospitality programs are already searching for either summer jobs to pay for next year’s classes, or looking for the first job towards a full-time career. As Chef Lee points out, being visible in the community pays dividends for DC students as they start their career search.

“I’m fielding calls from a number of local restaurants who are seeking both summer staff and full-time cooks at their locations in Durham,” he added. “Being visible at events like the festival at Purple Woods Conservation Area gives us a chance to show potential employers what our students can do, while helping out in the community.”

DC partners with GM Canada to help save endangered butterflies

Pollination provides a direct link between ecosystems and agricultural production systems, and is critical in the process of cultivating natural foods such as apples, bananas, berries, watermelon, and even chocolate. Without the aid of pollinators, such as butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and other insects, a majority of our food sources would disappear and our environment would begin to falter.

One important member of the pollinator family, the Monarch butterfly, has seen a steep population decline over several years. In an effort to help repopulate this species, Durham College (DC) has partnered with General Motors of Canada Company (GM) to support the Milkweed for Monarchs Program, a project launched to increase milkweed plants, the main food source for Monarchs.

On Monday, March 21, DC students and employees as well as General Motors Oshawa Assembly Plant employees made quick work of potting about 500 milkweed seedlings in the greenhouse located at DC’s Centre for Food (CFF) in Whitby.

“We are so pleased to partner with GM, and offer both space and volunteers to grow milkweed in our greenhouse,” said Shane Jones, professor, Centre for Food. “It’s also an excellent hands-on learning opportunity for students as they work with the plants, while understanding the importance of pollination.”

The plants will remain at DC’s greenhouse until late-April when they will be re-potted in larger four-inch pots. In May, they will be transferred to several locations throughout Durham Region where they will provide a safe habitat for endangered Monarch butterflies.

“The Milkweed for Monarchs Program is an example of GM’s commitment to environmental education and conservation through community partnerships,” said Bill Craig, senior environmental officer, Environmental Compliance & Sustainability, GM. “Our employees are proud to partner with Durham College staff and students to enhance the Monarch butterfly habitat.  The level of enthusiasm and engagement demonstrated by the students and staff was inspiring and reflects on the depth of commitment required to be effective environmental stewards.”

Some of the milkweed will be planted in DC’s own pollinator garden, which received a boost last summer with a large donation of plants from Dutchmaster Nurseries, including serviceberry, winterberry and butterfly bush. Students began populating the garden with the donated plants, and added in St. John’s wart and barrier foliage to create a semi-enclosed sanctuary for the bees and butterflies.

The pollinator garden does more than provide a safe haven for pollinators. It also provides learning opportunities for students in the Horticulture – Food and Farming and Horticulture Technician programs, where they can hone their horticulture and pruning skills and practice plant identification.

CBC’s Rick Mercer Report attends international robotics showdown at Durham College

CBC Television’s Rick Mercer was on hand at Durham College (DC) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s shared Oshawa campus on March 12 as the college and university co-hosted the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Canada Greater Toronto East Regional FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC).

Over three days of intense competition, 50 teams from across Ontario, Quebec and Alberta, as well as New York and Texas, demonstrated their engineering skills and knowledge playing FIRST Stronghold™, a robot battle developed for the 2016 competition. The game features a medieval-themed playing field equipped with reconfigurable obstacles that teams incorporate into their battle strategies.

Competitors and judges both agreed that Rick Mercer’s visit was one of the highlights of this year’s event, especially when Rick himself tried to navigate the robots while competing against students in a match. His visit to the FRC competition will be featured on the Tuesday, March 22 episode of the Rick Mercer Report, which airs at 8 p.m. EDT on CBC.

An international, not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring young people’s interest and participation in science and technology, FIRST hosts several levels of competition for students with FRC being the most senior.

“Not only is FRC an incredible forum for students to learn, compete and improve alongside their peers, it’s a celebration of science, technology, engineering and math,” said Elaine Popp, vice-president, Academic at DC. “This is why we love being part of these competitions. It’s our privilege to host these science and tech leaders of tomorrow, as well as the educators and families who support them.”

Each match in the competition saw two competing alliances of teams remotely guide a robot on a quest to breach their opponents’ fort, weaken their tower with boulders and ultimately capture their opponents’ castle. During two-and-a-half-minute matches, points were awarded to each team for defending their castle, retrieving boulders and defeating the other alliance. During the first 15 seconds of each battle, robots operated independently of their drivers to earn points by moving themselves.

After the final match, the four teams of the winning alliance were declared regional champions. They are:

  • (2056) Orchard Park Secondary School (Stoney Creek)
  • (2634) Chaminade College (Toronto)
  • (746) Westview Centennial Secondary School (Toronto)
  • (118) Clear Creek High School (League City, Texas, USA)

Each winning school was awarded a spot at the FRC World Championship, taking place in St. Louis, Missouri from Wednesday, April 27 to Saturday, April 30. Three other teams that won in specific award categories will also compete at the World Championship. The Greater Toronto East Regional FRC was the second of seven national qualifying competitions across Canada.

See a complete list of award winners.

For more information about the FRC program, please visit http://www.firstroboticscanada.org.

Grads-to-be countdown to convocation with exciting events and prizes

Durham College’s (DC) 2016 spring and fall graduates-to-be enjoyed more than just a free lunch during the college’s annual Countdown to Grad events held at the Oshawa and Whitby campuses and Pickering Learning Site.

The event provides students with a fun opportunity to learn about convocation details, cool alumni benefits, and employment services, while enjoying pizza and other treats. Participating students were also presented with a graduate gift.

“Graduation can be both exciting and a little overwhelming,” said Lori Connor, alumni officer, Durham College. “Countdown to Grad is an excellent opportunity for students to get all the information they need about their upcoming transition while having some fun. It’s also a great way to learn about the many perks of becoming a DC alumni.”

The events were held on Tuesday, March 8 (Oshawa campus), Wednesday, March 9 (Whitby campus) and Tuesday, March 15 (Pickering Learning Site) with more than 850 students in attendance.

During the Countdown to Grad events, students also had a chance to enter the School Cup Challenge – a friendly competition where students can submit their favourite DC memories for a chance to win great prizes as well as bursaries for their schools to award the following academic year.

Congratulations to this year’s winners:

First place – $1,000 bursary
Centre for Food

Second place – $500 bursary
School of Science, Engineering & Technology

Individual Prize – $500
Jelena Petrovic, student in the Biomedical Engineering Technology program

Individual prize – Toronto Maple Leaf tickets
Kyle Mundy, student in the Construction and Hoisting Techniques program

For more information about the 2016 graduation please visit the Spring Convocation page.

DC hosting international partners to support the advancement of leadership in higher education

As part of its commitment to supporting international education and training, Durham College (DC) has embarked on its most recent global partnership in collaboration with the Government of Barbados Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (METI), and Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan).  

The agreement is being facilitated through the Government of Barbados Skills for the Future Program – an initiative that aims to enhance the delivery of educational leadership and management under the umbrella of competency-based education and training (CBET). The program is comprised of four components including: support for an employer-driven training system; improving the quality and relevance of secondary and post-secondary education; institutional strengthening; and a communication campaign.  Funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, its objective is to support the government’s human resource development strategy with an emphasis on improving the quality and relevance of secondary education and the effectiveness of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

In November 2015, DC was chosen by METI and CICan to focus on the component of institutional strengthening. Through customized training, mentoring and coaching, the goal is to enhance leadership skills of TVET managers and support Barbadian leaders from METI; the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Human Resources Development; Barbados Vocational Training Board; Barbados Community College; Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic; and 12 secondary schools in understanding the value of leadership models that are focused on current best practices.

As such, the college is currently hosting 25 management professionals, faculty, and representatives from METI, the Barbados Vocational Training Board and TVET at its Oshawa campus from March 7 to 19, and sharing learning strategies related to:

  • Strengthening the leadership skills needed to guide a transformational process of TVET institutions.
  • Building leadership skills to drive competency-based education.
  • Enhancing collaboration skills for developing dynamic relationships with industry partners.

“We are thrilled at the opportunity to support higher learning on an international level,” said Mark Herringer, executive director, international education. “We look forward to supporting our Barbadian partners in creating business plans that will guide the transformation and modernization of trainings offered by their institutions and ensuring those offerings align with industry demands.”

The on-site training agenda was developed by DC’s International office and supported by an interdisciplinary team from across the college including faculty, employees from student service areas, Corporate Training Services, the Centre for Academic and Faculty Enrichment (CAFE), the School-College Work Initiative and the Durham District School Board.

In addition to the in-person training, ongoing mentorship and coaching will also be provided by Pam Stoneham, associate dean, School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Technology throughout the year via an online portal. Several onsite visits in Barbados are also scheduled to support, monitor and evaluate progress and ensure the change management projects are well positioned for successful implementation.

“It is an honour that DC was chosen as the lead Canadian college to support this exciting project,” said Stoneham. “It is exciting to share the insight and expertise the college has developed in the areas of leadership and competency-based, student-centered teaching and learning while supporting the effort of Barbados to transition to a more effective education model.”

CICan is the national and international voice of Canada’s publicly-funded colleges and institutes, with 1.5 million learners of all ages and backgrounds at campuses serving over 3,000 urban, rural and remote communities. For more information about the college’s commitment to international partnerships and engagement, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/international.