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Durham College receives $75,000 in funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada to reduce social isolation among youth

Durham College’s (DC) Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) is pleased to announce it is receiving $75,000 in applied research funding via a College and Community Program – Applied Research Rapid Response to COVID-19 grant, awarded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

The funding will be used to support a collaborative project between DC and Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Durham (BBBSND), an organization that provides vital mentorship programming to vulnerable youth who deal with anxiety in rural areas of Uxbridge, Scugog, and Brock Townships. The project will be led by two DC nursing faculty members, Crystal Garvey and Jacqueline Williamson, who have ample experience working with youth and addressing issues of mental health.

BBBSND has a long history serving the youth in these communities, and is very familiar with the daily hardships they experience. These include having limited opportunities to build healthy relationships and little or no access to supports, including transportation and technology. In addition, before the pandemic occurred, BBBSND estimated that 75 per cent of youth they work with deal with anxiety on a regular basis.

Knowing that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated many of these challenges, the project is designed to ensure that the vitally important mentor support provided to mentees is maintained and does not deteriorate despite physical distancing challenges. The mental health needs of the mentor and mentee will also be addressed.

Those resources include building a bank of activities, tools and mental health supports that are easily accessible to mentors and can serve as a roadmap for use by BBBS Canada and others in rural communities across the country. The resulting resource bank will be useful for BBBSND to enhance training of current and future mentors. The resources may also be disseminated by the national office to other BBBS agencies for their use.

Students from various DC programs, including, Child and Youth Care and Nursing, as well as those from the School of Media, Art & Design, will be involved at various stages of the project, providing them with experiential learning opportunities while also meeting project objectives.

For more information about ORSIE visit www.durhamcollege.ca/orsie.

DC’s 3DP Task Force brings PPE project to a successful end

In what was truly the little community project that could, the Durham College (DC)-led 3DP Task Force wrapped up its production of 3D-printed PPE parts for frontline workers in June.

The 3DP Task force launched on March 26 when Chris Daniel, a professor with the college’ School of Science & Engineering Technology, galvanized a group of students, employees, alumni and community members to use 3D printers to create headbands for face shields used by the healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Working out of their garages and basements, the task force members embarked on an inspiring journey that saw the team grow to an impressive 62 volunteer members using 83 3D printers and raising nearly $16,000 in funds to support the initiative. Members produced face shield headbands as well as ear savers that relieve the pressure of elastic bands used to hold face masks in place.

Industry is now more fully online to manufacture PPE, allowing the 3DP Task Force to wind down its operations and celebrate the positive impact its members have made on communities across Durham Region and beyond.

Highlights of the 3DP Task Force’s work include:

  • 32, 700 ear savers produced and distributed to the following organizations
    • Kerry’s Place Autism Services
    • Lakeridge Health
    • Peterborough Regional Health Centre
    • Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga (Credit Valley Hospital, Mississauga Hospital and Queensway Health Centre)
    • Unity Health, Toronto (Providence Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Health Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital)
    • Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto
    • Scarborough Health Network, Toronto
    • Markham Stouffville Hospital, Markham
    • Southlake Regional Hospital, Newmarket
  • 6,350 face shield headbands produced and distributed in collaboration with Northumberland I.O. to the following organizations:
    • Northumberland Hills Hospital
    • Campbellford Memorial Hospital
    • Extendicare, Port Hope
    • Colborne/Cramahe Food Bank
    • Community Living, Campbellford/Brighton
    • Christian Horizons, Cobourg
    • Canadian Mental Health Association, Durham
    • CAD Microsystems
    • SickKids Hospital, Pediatric Respiratory Therapy Unit
    • InkSmith
    • Rosalie Hall, Scarborough
    • Kerry’s Place Autism Services
    • Dorset Dental, Scarborough
    • Thornhill Medical Centre
    • Moss Medical Office, Toronto
    • Kahane Medical Office, North York
    • 26 community medical offices in Thornhill, North York, Richmond Hill, Stouffville, Markham, Unionville and Scarborough

DC wishes to recognize and thank everyone involved in the 3DP Task Force, which has provided a terrific case study for how our employees, students and alumni can collaborate and mobilize to create tangible solutions for real problems facing our communities.

 

Four DC alumni working abroad talk sports and law enforcement during DC Talks: Global Graduate

On March 11, four Durham College (DC) alumni from across North America spoke via video conferencing in the Global Classroom for DC Talks: Global Graduate, an event organized by the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs. Co-hosted by DC President Don Lovisa and Global Class professor Lon Appleby, students and employees had the opportunity to attend the class in person or join via livestream, taking advantage of the Global Classroom’s state-of-the-art facility and teleconferencing capabilities.

During the event, the alumni, who are all graduates from one of DC’s sports business programs, spoke about their career path in the sports entertainment and law enforcement industries and what it’s like to live and work abroad.

Guest alumni included:

  • Stew MacDonald – Currently executive vice president of revenue for Oilers Entertainment Group, Stew has also worked for the Regina Pats and the Saint John Flames and has been part of Stanley Cup Championships in 1987, 1988, and 1990, a Calder Cup Championship in 2001 and a Memorial Cup Championship in 2014. A native of Ottawa, Stew holds a diploma in Sports Administration from DC and is currently based in Edmonton at Oilers Entertainment Group headquarters.
  • DJ Mackovets – A 1980 Sports Administration graduate, DJ has spent 40 years in event marketing and operational planning in the sports entertainment industry. He has been involved in the World University Games, the Goodwill Games, two US Olympic Festivals and two Super Bowls. Most recently he was the CEO of the 2021 World Games Birmingham Organizing Committee, and the CEO of the 2015 World Police and Fire Games. DJ currently lives in Alabama with his wife Christy.
  • Judy Pal – After graduating from DC’s Sports and Entertainment program in 1983, Judy started her career in PR and sports marketing, working for the Edmonton Oilers, and as a television anchor for Global Television. She then took her communications experience and applied it to law enforcement, working as chief of staff for numerous police organizations and as director of operations for the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association. Today, Judy lives in Knoxville, Tennessee and works as a consultant, training public information officers and police leaders about how to better communicate.
  • Philip Pritchard – A 1985 graduate of DC’s Sport Administration program, Phil travels the globe to promote the game of hockey and the Hockey Hall of Fame. He has visited more than 35 countries and attended a number of key amateur and pro hockey events, including the Olympic Games and World Championships. Part of his duties include being the “Keeper of the Cup”, travelling with and walking the Stanley Cup out onto the ice to be presented to the National Hockey League’s champion.

To watch a recording of the class, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/globalgrad.

LoL Worlds Viewing Party

On Sunday November 10th the Durham College Esports Club alongside the Ontario Tech
University Esports Club held a Viewing Party for the League of Legends World Finals. Over 30
students attended the event and witnessed FunPlus Phoenix capture the championship 3-0 in a
best of five series. Attendees were able to go home with some merchandise thanks to our event
sponsors: Riot, Twitch, Uconnect, and HyperX. Thank you to all the students who attended and
made the event a success. For more information about the Durham College Esports Club join our
Discord server discord.gg/durhamesports or email us at DurhamEsportsClub@gmail.com

DC welcomes more than 12,000 students to campus for 2017-2018 academic year

Against the backdrop of its 50th anniversary, Durham College (DC) has welcomed more than 12,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students to its Oshawa and Whitby campuses and Pickering Learning Site for the 2017-2018 academic year. This represents an increase of more than eight per cent in overall domestic and international enrolment.

This year’s student population includes more than 7,000 new students (domestic and international) and close to 1,100 international students who have travelled from 61 countries around the world to study at DC – a number that is nearly double international enrolment last year.

“We are very pleased with the growth in the college’s enrolment this year,” said Paul Bishop, executive director, Strategic Enrolment Services and registrar, Durham College. “The increase can be attributed to an intensive collaborative applicant conversion plan executed by student recruitment and admissions, communications and marketing, and our academic schools, but also speaks to DC’s commitment to the student experience and its focus on experiential learning, applied research and the quality of the programs offered.”

New market-driven programs for 2017-2018 include Entrepreneurship and Small Business – Business – Transfer to UOIT Bachelor of Commerce (Hons), Massage Therapy and Mechanical Technician – Elevating Devices.

In total, DC offers more than 140 full-time programs through its nine academic schools as well as more than 500 educational pathway opportunities in partnership with universities in Ontario, Canada and around the world.

DC Therapist Recognized for Life-saving Actions

Saul Behrman, an athletic therapist with Durham College’s (DC) Campus Health Centre has received the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association (CATA) Merit Award for his actions during a Durham Lords basketball game in January 2017. The honour recognizes CATA members who through their immediate actions saved a life, prevented serious injury or performed outstanding emergency service.

During the game in January, Saul leaped into action to provide emergency medical attention to a referee. Working alongside a visiting student athletic therapist from Centennial College, Behrman stabilized the referee and then worked with DC’s Campus Emergency Response Team (CERT) until paramedics arrived.

“Saul embodies the true definition of hard work and commitment to excellence in carrying out his role in support of our student-athletes,” said DC’s director of Athletics and Recreation, Ken Babcock. “In this case, his training, combined with quick thinking and action, helped save a man’s life.”

Behrman holds both a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and a certificate specializing in Athletic Therapy from York University.

2015

President Don Lovisa signs the Indigenous Education Protocol for Colleges and Institutes, adding DC to the group of more than 45 signatories. Developed by Colleges and Institutes Canada, the protocol aims to support members’ commitment to improving and better serving Indigenous education.

1980

Expansion of college facilities continues. New structures include a state-of-the-art robotics lab (precursor to the Integrated Manufacturing Centre found on campus today).

1971

First permanent building is built at DC’s Oshawa campus with the construction of the Gordon Willey building (what are now the A, B and C wings).

Durham College Personal Support Worker student receives Central East Community Care Access Centre Award

Durham College student Shona Tighe on and off the volleyball court

Personal Support Worker (PSW) student Shona Tighe readies herself on the volleyball court. Tighe received a $500 donor award from the Central East Community Care Access Centre.

The Durham College School of Health & Community Services received exciting news last month when it was notified that Shona Tighe, a student enrolled in the one-year Personal Support Worker (PSW) program, was being given a $500 donor award from Central East Community Care Access Centre.

Tighe, who received her award based on her academic achievement and fulfilling the criteria laid out by the college’s Financial Aid and Awards office, was recognized at a reception at the college on March 31. She, along with several other award recipients, was given an opportunity thank the college’s donors in person and meet with Durham College President Don Lovisa.

“This award is an honour to receive as it is helping someone who is training in the health-care industry,” said Tighe. “Not only does it acknowledge my hard work in school, it also helps me financially. I want to thank the donor for this award. I greatly appreciated their donation and generosity. Awards such as this one make it worth all the hard work.”

Donor awards provide post-secondary students with a valuable and long lasting resource and numerous awards are given out each academic year. Award amounts vary from year to year and between organizations.

The PSW program teaches the skills required to provide a safe and positive environment for patients experiencing physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioural challenges while effectively interacting and communicating with patients and their family members.

Students graduate with an Ontario College Certificate and are well-prepared to work at long-term care facilities, community service agencies, homecare agencies and group homes.