Employees return from challenging and rewarding professional and personal growth experience in developing countries 

Oshawa, ON – Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce the return of the first three employees chosen by Uniterra, a leading Canadian international development program, to participate in the Leave for Change program. Dale Burt, professor, School of Justice & Emergency Services; Cosette Kazarian, intranet specialist, Communications and Marketing; and Kim Sharpe, program assistant, School of Continuing Education, travelled to three different locations across the globe.

“This is a fabulous opportunity for DC employees to learn from international experiences while contributing to the social and economic stability of developing foreign communities,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “The experiences of our employees were shared with others to assist in advancing the internationalization of our college, a key pillar of our strategic vision, while also allowing DC to foster a more inclusive learning environment and enabling employees to develop a wider global perspective.”

Burt travelled to Danang, Vietnam, where she worked within the School of Economics at Danang University in July, 2017. As a teaching methodology advisor, Burt helped to create and share tools, resources and templates for use in designing modern and dynamic teaching plans. 

Kazarian returned from Colombo, Sri Lanka, in February, where she worked as a social media marketing advisor with the University of Vocational Technology (UoVT). She provided resources and recommendations to improve UoVT’s website and developed a social media strategy for the university.

Sharpe travelled to Kathmandu, Nepal in June, 2017, where she worked with the National Youth Federation of Nepal to train their members using her experience and education. She was the first participant in the role and made a significant impact breaking ground with this training.

The agreement between DC and Uniterra allows DC employees to transform vacation time into professional and personal development opportunities. Employees enjoy three to four weeks in developing countries, where they participate in work mandates in their respective fields. During their time abroad, participants contribute their skills and expertise to a development project, paired with professionals from non-governmental organizations in their host countries. DC is pleased to continue the partnership with Uniterra in 2018. 

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About Uniterra

Uniterra is a leading Canadian international development program that is jointly operated by CECI and WUSC. Each year, 600 volunteers contribute their time and experience to positive and lasting change towards a more equitable world by dedicating a few weeks to two years of their lives to international volunteer work. The program also provides opportunities to get involved in Canada and play an active role in combatting poverty. The Uniterra program receives funding from the Government of Canada, provided through Global Affairs Canada.

About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, the college offers more than 12,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and eight apprenticeship programs in a number of different disciplines, enabling them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. The college is also set to launch its first four-year degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management, in September 2018.

The Oshawa campus features the state-of-the art Student Services building and will soon feature the Centre for Collaborative Education, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The new facility will bring together local, Indigenous and global communities, providing a new home for several of the college’s most innovative and ground-breaking programs.

The Whitby campus features the award-winning W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.