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Online game development for Barrett Centre uses student skills and provides real-world experience

What if you could help children learn that the food doesn’t just appear on their dinner plates but grows on farms? What if you could make that heavy lesson fun? What if you could provide students from two creative programs with a real-world learning experience along the way? Now a collaborative partnership between the Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture and programs in the Faculty of Media, Art and Design is doing just that, by enlisting student talent to build educational games for the Barrett Centre’s website, in a multi-semester project.

The Barrett Centre is already a pretty fun place to visit as a kid. Hosting sessions with local schools as well as community organizations, the farm offers tours where children can see vegetable growing in action, as well as play farm games like “Maple Tree baseball” with different cards that help (seeds, light, soil, rain) or hinder (lawnmower, deer) plant growth—kids take their cards and run to  a base. If the group on base has all the conditions they need to help a plant grow, they are safe. But if seed meets lawnmower instead, they are out.

It’s that same spirit of creativity and fun that the Barrett Centre’s Community Engagement Coordinator Jennifer Hoban is hoping to extend online. Their web portal was developed in 2023 and already includes resources about sustainable urban agriculture, a community forum, Barrett Centre experts on call, and a blog with stories from the community. Students can already jump on to continue their experiences from home and the games are expected to make the site even more interactive, especially for kids and parents looking for educational tools.

“The Barrett Centre facilitates farm and food literacy at our Ajax Urban Farm, and online through the Urban Agriculture Community Portal.  Both before and after students visit the farm, they can continue their education on the portal.” said Hoban. “This project started with an intention of wanting to support this community by connecting the physical and digital learning spaces through gamification.”

The project began with a capstone student group from the Project Management Graduate Certificate program, where students generated several plans for how games could be integrated onto the Barrett Centre’s education initiatives.  It was then carried forward with a five-week field placement at the Barrett Centre, where students started to brainstorm types of games that might work. Now the creation process has moved ahead, with students in the Interactive Media Design program and Web Development each hard at work in their own domains, the former to design an interface for the game that the latter students will build.

Program Coordinator and Professor Linda Cheng said that she runs the class like an agency to facilitate student collaboration. Several games are in various stages of development, and each will go through planning, prototype and testing. As for the creativity, she’s leaving that to the students.

“When we launch, it will be a surprise. There are three different games, each approach is different, and the knowledge players gain will be different,” she said. She wants students to feel complete ownership of the project as they work to meet the practical needs of the Barrett Centre, and also to have the opportunity of receiving feedback from a real-life client, plus communicating directly as they would in any real-world agency.

For her part, Hoban just has one requirement for the finished product. “The goal of these games has to be educational and fun,” she said, adding that the target audience is Grades 1 and 2. “It‘s all about using the online games to facilitate food literacy education.”

Durham College students celebrate great showing at provincial marketing competition

Durham College (DC) celebrated a fine performance at the Ontario Colleges’ Marketing Competition (OCMC), held this year at St. Clair College in Windsor. The largest and most prestigious marketing competition for college students, OCMC has been running for over 30 years and features case competitions in a variety of sectors, as well as a Quiz Bowl that tests students on their knowledge of marketing concepts and current events.

DC saw wins all the way through the event. The DC Quiz Bowl team placed second overall, led by Mahalia Clarke, Tianna Walden, AJ Bello and Raven Sy. Several teams placed in the case competitions: Tyler Dunstan and Mason Wright placed third in the Entrepreneurship category, Rylee Poleon and Raven Sy placed fourth in International Marketing and Julianne Nascimento and Dianna Trevisan placed fifth in Direct Marketing.

For third-year Marketing students Mason Wright and Tyler Dunstan, this was their second trophy win at OCMC. Paired for last year’s OCMC by coaches who thought they would work well together, the two are now good friends. They will also compete for a second time in the Scotiabank Vanier College National Marketing Case Competition in February 2025.

Wright credited the team’s coaches for DC’s impressive showing at OCMC, as well as his and Dunstan’s success. “Our coaches did a fantastic job of putting us into categories where we could succeed. And we have our coaches to thank for pairing us together, because it has been an amazing experience with Tyler. We just seem to work very well together. OCMC brought us together originally, because we are very similar people, but we had never crossed paths as students.”

Coming together under the leadership of Faculty of Business professor Alison Sprayson, the teams trained for many months, practicing weekly on cases in their categories to produce a sample solution and presentation which was then critiqued by a specialist coach. While the extra-curricular requires a time commitment, Dunstan said he found a major advantage in developing closer relationships with his professors. “I love that one-on-one interaction that you get with the professors who are your coaches, sitting down and dissecting all that you’re doing,” he said.

In Wright and Dunstan’s case, professor Sheldon Koufman coached the team for their first OCMC where their focus was on Retail, and Jay Fisher for this year’s focus on Entrepreneurship, a topic that Dunstan said was an added challenge. “It was a big learning curve, just because the intricacies are different between marketing for a big company and a small business. Having those weekly practices with Jay really helped us to be comfortable with the subject.”

By the time they got to the event, all the teams had been through the format many times, which allows students 30 minutes to work on a solution and 15 minutes to make their presentation. Wright said that while the competition itself was intense, participating with so many fellow students who also shared his enthusiasm for marketing made the event special, with teams wishing each other good luck as they departed for their presentations.“ And then when we came back, we had people waiting for us, cheering, giving us hugs, asking us how it went. Throughout the day, the support, teamwork and overall collaboration was absolutely amazing. Durham College school spirit was at the forefront of everything we did on that weekend,” said Wright.

Durham College awarded funding from 2025 Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships program

Durham College (DC) has been awarded funding through the 2025 Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships program (QES) to participate in a collaborative project that will provide life-changing international experiences for students. DC is among 22 colleges and universities from across the country to receive $6.2 million in funding from the program, which is led by the Rideau Hall Foundation and Universities Canada.

With this funding, DC will launch the Global Student Exchange for Community Resilience project, which will immerse students in cross-cultural experiences. “This opportunity creates a unique, cross-cultural learning platform that connects students with global communities actively addressing climate resilience,” said Kelly O’Brien, Associate Dean of DC’s Faculty of Hospitality & Horticultural Science. “For DC students, it opens doors to international collaboration, cutting-edge knowledge, and invaluable work-integrated learning opportunities.”

Proposed by the International Education Office, The Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture, and along with DC’s Horticulture – Food and Farming and Social and Community Service programs, the project’s major goal is to help students understand the impact of climate change on well-being and develop as informed community changemakers capable of driving sustainability initiatives both locally and globally. Additionally, students will develop intercultural competencies, leadership skills, and a holistic understanding of the challenges and solutions related to climate resilience.

“This funding allows our students to see and appreciate firsthand the impact of climate change on less-privileged areas of the world,” said Danielle Harder, DC’s Global Learning Facilitator. “Students will be able to apply the skills they have learned in the classroom in meaningful and impactful ways by working with local communities. They will also grow as global citizens by understanding the interconnectedness of people and problems around the world and seeing their role in creating a more just and equitable future in the face of climate change.”

DC is also excited to partner with the international development organization World Vision and their “Vision for Vulnerable Youth” initiative on this project, which will see DC students and representatives of the Barrett Centre travel across the globe to broaden their education and work integrated experience. The Barrett Centre looks forward to elevating local innovation through its learning portal, while engaging students in the Urban Growers of Tomorrow program. The work-integrated learning experiences will benefit students in DC’s Horticulture – Food and Farming program as well as Social Service Worker, Child and Youth Care, Developmental Services Worker, Behavioural Science – Honours Bachelor and Behavioural Science Technician.

DC will also welcome international learners from World Vision, who will receive scholarships to attend DC to deepen their understanding of Urban Agriculture and global community adaptation to climate change. Seven inbound students from World Vision will attend DC on short-term exchanges and one inbound student from World Vision will attend a full program at DC in the Faculty of Hospitality and Horticulture Sciences.

Janine Knight-Grofe, Director, International Education, notes that this is the first year the QES program has been open to colleges, adding that DC is pleased to be among the first to be able to access the funding for the benefit of students. “We are grateful to have been selected for our proposal that supports DC’s collaborative cross campus internationalization work, including our relationship with the Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture.”

Established in 2012, the QES scholarship has been awarded to more than 2,600 students from Canada and 80 countries around the world. It is Canada’s premier academic program for global leadership, collaboration and multidisciplinary learning.

Durham College Faculty of Business students earn second place in national Sports Management case competition

Sports Business Management student Annika Bell had never been a part of a business case competition, so she was thrilled when her Durham College (DC) team placed second in the MLSE PrimeTime Sports Case Competition in November.

Under the guidance of professors and coaches Sheldon Koufman and Ian Ellis, and the leadership of Team Captain and Marketing student Mason Wright, the team of five included two other Sport Business Management students, Sapandeep Messina, Josh Dasilva, and Sport Management student Coulter Babcock.

Following tryouts in September, the team trained using MLSE cases from previous years. In the first couple of weeks, they figured out the team’s strengths and weaknesses and divided their members into specialty areas from financial analysis to creative. Then they drilled cases, working especially hard on refining the return on investment in each solution they presented. At each step, their coaches helped them tighten their teamwork and improve their speed and presentation skills.

“It was great to have the coaches. We needed that guidance and structure, and it was nice to have them to motivate us,” said Bell.

But nothing could prepare the team for the actual competition day, where the topic turned out to be a bit of a curveball: how to improve equity, diversity and inclusion within the sports industry.

“We had focused our practice on cases that would bring in revenue, and this was industry based,” said Bell. The team nonetheless quickly got to work, brainstorming ideas and coming up with a solution that really resonated with the judges. In their 15-minute presentation, they proposed community collaborations where every month would kick off a focus on a different equity-deserving group (a sample event was an LGBTQ+ game night), while continuing to follow up with each group afterwards to ensure continuity.

“The judges loved it—we got lot of comments, and they liked the idea of us thinking long-term,” said Bell.

Bell said that the overall learning experience of participating in the case team was valuable from start to finish. She called out the team captain in particular for his leadership. “We wouldn’t have gotten where we were without our captain, Mason. He was there for us, he really went above and beyond,” said Bell, adding that the day itself was great for networking, both with the other case teams and also with the opportunity to attend the PrimeTime Sports Management Conference and trade show where the competition took place.

Originally from New Brunswick, where she completed a bachelor’s degree from Mount Allison University with honours research in sports media and communication, Bell said she came to DC specifically for the Sport Business Management graduate certificate. She recently accepted an internship in Nova Scotia as marketing coordinator with one of Canada’s new soccer teams, the Halifax Tides. “My passion is to work within the sports industry, and I’m so grateful for this opportunity,” said Bell.

Students can graduate with a degree and a diploma with DC pathway into Honours Bachelor in Community Mental Health

Blending the hands-on learning of a diploma program and the academics of a degree, Durham College’s (DC) pathway programs into an Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Community Mental Health are the perfect combination of theoretical and practical knowledge setting students up for career success.

Students who already have an Advanced Diploma in Child and Youth Care or Social Service Worker from DC or another Ontario college can pursue a degree and enter the fourth semester of the Community Mental Health – Honours Bachelor (HBMH) program (second semester of second year), with only one additional course. With credit for completing the diploma, students fast track through the program to complete their degree in five semesters, plus the 420-hour placement opportunity.

The first cohort of pathway students will enter the Community Mental Health degree program at DC this January.

“The benefit of having a diploma and degree is the opportunity to combine hands-on training with academic and critical thinking skills,” said HBMH Program Coordinator, Jenny Andrus, adding that the degree also gives students the option to pursue future graduate-level studies. “It is a chance for the student to further distinguish their academic resume, and to graduate and enter the workforce with both academic and practical skills.”

Courses in the degree program allow students to learn more about a field that they have already demonstrated a passion for and gain additional employment-ready skills in the full-semester field placement.

“Having both a diploma and a degree broadens the student’s employability and the positions they can pursue in the workforce,” said Andrus. The degree builds on the diploma to offer a range of increasingly specialized courses in areas from psychology to communications skills to counselling skills. In the final year of the degree, a thesis project offers students the opportunity to engage in an area of mental health research that interests them, with the benefit of deeper expertise.

Besides the added learning, degree students also enjoy small class sizes and the opportunity to connect with others who share their passion for mental health.

“One of the biggest highlights about the HBMH degree program at Durham College is the class sizes and faculty-to-teacher ratio,” said Andrus. “Students find a community of like-minded peers and wonderful connections with their teaching faculty.”   

DC’s General Arts and Science program works to develop a sense of community from day one

The General Arts and Science program (GAS) in the Faculty of Liberal Studies may be a pathway to other places, but the program team wants to ensure that students enjoy every aspect of their time at Durham College (DC). Designed for students still figuring out their career path and interests or those preparing for future college or university programs, this one-year certificate program is focused on setting students up for success in their academic journey. Now the GAS team’s efforts to deepen the student experience, with a more interactive orientation and regular meetups, have resulted in double-digit increases to retention and graduation rates, and a closer-knit community.

For the faculty and staff, step one was to start on day one — orientation. Last year, the team re-formatted their event to focus on the fresh adventure to come, with a focus on building connections between students, faculty and staff through activities focused on goal setting and collaboration.

“We wanted to get away from piling on information,” said General Arts and Science program coordinator Nathan Wilson. “Talking as a team, a lot of us remember from our own orientations the fun, the cohort and the collegiality, a confirmation that you made the right decision.” In practical terms, the team created two orientation segments, a breakout session on creative thinking and brainstorming, and an activity where students worked together to create an infographic on the topic of “why choose General Arts and Science.”

To keep the connection going, the team also created a new weekly event called MEET 1000, where students could drop in for lunch and learn sessions and social time. From information sessions about pathways available through Durham College, Ontario Tech and Trent University, to guest lectures on student-centred topics such as wellness or motivation, the hour has become a gathering point and the response has been tremendous, with weekly attendance ranging from 50 to 100 students depending on the topic.

Recent feedback from one student said: “MEET 1000 was a great addition to the program as a lot of people were afraid to ask questions. It provided an opportunity to learn things you wouldn’t have thought to ask.”

Sometimes the MEET 1000 sessions feature pizza or giveaways, and always a presence from faculty and student advisors, as a way to raise the profile of student supports.

“I think it’s really helped cultivate a level of trust and rapport with students,” said Wilson. The team also circles back between events via the DC Connect program page with information and discussion forums for follow-up questions.

GAS has also increased efforts to stay in touch with alumni, inviting graduates back as ambassadors to participate in Q&A sessions with current students and contribute to Program Advisory Committees. Three GAS graduates were recipients of DCAA Leaders of the Future awards this year.

“Even though they are only with us for two semesters, we want them to actually feel like a part of the General Arts and Science community, and to see this as a valuable step along their path,” said Associate Dean Claire McCormack. “We’re helping them build a solid foundation, and academic self-confidence for future programs.”

Already, enrolment numbers show that these activities are making a difference with both an increase in enrollment and improved student academic performance. It’s a success that McCormack credits to her entire team.

“It’s a faculty team who I think really understands the goals of the GAS program,” she said. “Our faculty and staff team care deeply about supporting student success.”

 

Interested in joining the General Arts and Science program in the Faculty of Liberal Studies? Learn more about the program options here

Give yourself the time and space to explore a variety of options and evaluate the many paths that lie ahead with one of DC’s upgrading, general arts or pathways programs.

DC Advanced Law students use virtual reality to gain essential de-escalation practice

Durham College (DC) Advanced Law Enforcement and Investigations students are using an innovative and interactive way to practice their crisis de-escalation techniques thanks to a new virtual reality (VR) scenario program.

The program was designed to deepen students’ communications skills by providing more real-time opportunities to practice the difficult scenarios they would face in the profession, said Program Coordinator Yvonne Armstrong, who was inspired to incorporate the new VR tools by both her own position on the Toronto Police Services’ Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Panel, as well as by recommendations from the Program Advisory Committee.

Christopher Patton is one of the 23 Advanced Law students who had the opportunity to try out the system first. He’s now gone through dozens of scenarios, which last five to 10 minutes each and deal with everything from suicidal people to citizens with dementia to domestic violence. Patton says that one of his most memorable recent scenarios was a traffic stop where he practiced pulling an individual over and talking them down and making sure everything was under control.

“When you’re in it, it feels real with the noises and traffic going by, you’re looking at everything and there’s a lot going on,” he said. Already a graduate of the Police Foundations program, Patton says he’s de-escalated similar situations on placement so appreciates how valuable the training can be.

Patton also gains a lot by watching his classmates go through their scenarios (students interacting with the scenario wear VR headsets but the rest of the class can follow along by watching a screen projection). The space is set in a 10 x 10 metre perimeter with cameras 360 degrees around the user, so users can look all around when using the headset.

“You get to see a different perspective when other people answer. Everyone approaches scenes a little differently, so it shows you that difference,” says Patton.

Armstrong unfolds the scenario in real time on the headset, advancing the scene based on students’ responses and even starting over if they get stuck, which is part of the benefit. “It’s a safe environment—it allows for the student in the scenario to stop, start and reset, and for students watching to also learn from the feedback,” said Armstrong. She says it’s a great opportunity to expand students’ communications practice, an essential employability skill.

“I don’t expect perfect responses, but I always say, ‘let’s talk, let’s think about the questions you should ask,’” she said, noting that while some students may have a bit of experience, others have never done this sort of exercise. “For them, it’s really a shock, and in real life, you can’t stand and freeze. Hopefully, this provides some skills and situations.”  

Patton agrees: “This is your time to make mistakes, where you’re allowed to mess up, versus on the job.”

DC team places third in supply chain case competition

Durham College (DC) students from the Supply Chain and Operations – Business diploma program showed off their skills at the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) Toronto Student Case Competition in late October. There were 18 teams from Greater Toronto and Hamilton-area colleges and universities, and the DC Team placed third in their category.

Eight students from the program’s second and third year represented DC in two teams, each showing creativity, critical thinking and collaboration in the three-hour match. Although students receive the scenario for the case two days ahead of time, the problem to be solved only arrives on the day itself, when teams are sequestered into rooms to hash out their solutions. Held at George Brown College, the goal after three hours was to create an eight-minute presentation that introduced their solution to the problem, calling on students’ public speaking skills in addition to their classroom learning.

Gliza Domondon, a team member who participated alongside classmates Gokul Ramasamy, Rodney Lachapelle, and Pratik Adhikari, said that the team decided to take a relaxed approach to the challenge, in part because they initially felt overwhelmed with the calibre of the competition. “We decided that at the end of the day you win or lose, but at least you learn a lot,” she said, adding that it was her first case competition.

While the team had discussed the company over a group chat after they received the scenario, the time constraints on competition day meant that they had to get down to business right away. After discussing possible solutions, they selected one conventional and one riskier one. To make the most of their time, they divided up parts of the presentation and got to work immediately.

While Domondon said she’s dealt with case studies in various classes before, the competition problem was more detailed, and the time pressure really called on the team’s organizational and collaboration skills plus their ability to think on their feet.

Program Coordinator Reza Mofid said those are exactly the competencies he hoped the team would find in this extra-curricular. “The experience provided our students with valuable insights and practical applications of their learning. Their ability to think critically and collaboratively under pressure showcased the quality of education we strive to provide.”

For Domondon, who at 39 is a mature student who already works full-time in logistics for Amazon, the experience was yet another positive aspect of a program that she says has been a really useful complement to her career.

“I’ve had so much fun, learning with my classmates,” she said. “I’d recommend the case competition to other students, for us it’s a learning experience you can’t get in other places, a real-life situation where you can apply all the knowledge you get in college.”

DC names Communicative Disorders Lab in recognition of Harmonize for Speech Fund

Students in Durham College’s (DC) Communicative Disorders Assistant (CDA) graduate certificate program will benefit from a $50,000 donation, contributed over the next five years, made by Harmonize for Speech (H4S), an official charity of the Ontario District of the Barbershop Harmony Society International. To recognize this generous gift, the program’s lab has been named in their honour the Harmonize for Speech Communicative Disorders Lab.

On November 8, members of the Ontario District including three members of the H4S visited the college’s Oshawa campus to celebrate the naming of the lab and hear from faculty and students in the CDA program about the impact their gift has made to students’ education and to the clients of the program’s Kids Speech Clinic.

During their visit, members of H4S and the Last Call quartet also treated attendees to a performance, which included their theme songs We Sing That They Shall Speak and Keep the Whole World Singing – and even engaged students in a brief singing tutorial.

“The support for Harmonize for Speech will enhance our ability to provide essential services to young clients in need,” said Gillian Dunn, Associate Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences. “The Kids Speech Clinic has been an important part of the CDA program since 2018, helping to meet the needs of children in our community with speech while providing our students with invaluable experiential learning opportunities.”

Founded in 1977, H4S provides funds and support for Ontario children and adults to improve their ability to communicate. In addition to directly supporting the Kids Speech Clinic, funds provided by H4S will contribute to the purchase of assistive technologies and tools that will enhance therapeutic outcomes and equip students with crucial hands-on experience. Equipment purchased through this donation allows students to create communication aids such as visual schedules and communication and choice boards. Funds will also contribute to procuring an Anatomage 3D digital anatomy visualization and virtual dissection system.

“Our number one goal as a charity is to see that individuals with communicative disorders receive the help they need,” said Jim Finlay, Co-chair of the Harmonize for Speech Fund. “We believe that if we see to it that more people are well trained to work with them, the better chance they have of receiving the services they require.”

Durham College Food Access Bursary helps students experiencing food insecurity during the holidays

As the cost of food continues to be a challenge for many students, Durham College’s (DC) Food Access Bursary can serve as a relief, supplementing grocery costs over the holiday season.

The bursary is funded by the DC community -- including employees, alumni, students and the Durham College Student Association (DCSA) -- who donate during November and December so that students navigating challenges can receive support for the purchase of food during the holiday season. Last year, almost $200,000 was distributed, supporting 1,150 students.

Cora Reid was among those students.

“The holidays can be a very stressful time for students,” she said. “With OSAP as my only source of income, there simply wasn’t enough funds for something as simple as a holiday dinner. I was truly grateful for the support of the Food Access Bursary.”

Tara Koski, DC’s Dean, Students, says the escalating cost of living — including rising housing and grocery costs — presents a tremendous challenge for many students.

“By pursuing a college education, students are laying the foundation for future success,” she said. “But as they work to realize their goals it’s crucial for us as a college community to help by easing some of the pressures they face and that includes addressing food access over the holidays.”

The Durham College Alumni Association is matching the first $10,000 raised so every dollar contributed has twice the power to make a positive change in students’ lives.

“I’m hopeful our community will come together and support our students so they can focus on learning,” said Ariel Sully, Associate Vice President, Advancement and Alumni Relations at DC. “Donations to the Food Access Bursary are an investment in a brighter future for our students and their families.”

Donations are welcome until December 31 and gifts of more than $20 are eligible for a charitable donation receipt for income tax purposes in the 2024 tax year. Contributions can be made online by selecting the “Food Access Bursary” option from the designation list. The DCSA has generously committed to support this initiative this again this year, donating $60,000 towards the bursary.

Applications for the bursary are open to DC students from November 15 to 29. Bursaries will be awarded in December. Are you a student who needs a little extra help this season? Learn more about applying for the Food Access Bursary.