Durham College (DC) is pleased to share that its 2018-2019 Annual Report is now available to the public. As one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for a third consecutive year, the college is also proud to share its successes in a fully electronic format.

“This year’s report is a celebration of community and how the combined efforts of our students and employees continue to make DC a great place to work and learn,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “Together, we are DC!”

As the college looks back on its past accomplishments, the report also provides an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of DC, while highlighting innovation, growth and excellence in teaching and learning.

Durham College (DC) hosted several dignitaries from the government, educational and corporate sectors on July 10 for the National Inventors Hall of Fame™ (NIHF) Reception in the Centre for Collaborative Education’s Global Classroom at the Oshawa campus. During the event, guests took a tour of the first-ever Canadian offering of Camp Invention™ and spoke with camp educators and participants of the non-profit summer enrichment program.

In attendance was U.S. Consul General Greg Stanford; Mayor Dan Carter, City of Oshawa; and John Wrycraft and Evan Bombino of technology leader Johnson Controls Inc., as well as Amy Gorecki, executive director, and Nathalie Rudner, president-elect, of the Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario/L’Association des professeurs de sciences de l’Ontario.

Camp Invention is a program developed by the non-profit NIHF, in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It was held at the DC Oshawa campus from July 8 to 12 and provided a unique experience for children to learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). National Inventors Hall of Fame (Canada) is the Canadian non-profit organization responsible for introducing NIHF’s ground-breaking innovation ecosystem to young inventors in Canada. The one-week program was funded by the United States Embassy in Ottawa and U.S. Consulate in Toronto.

Overseen by four teachers from both the Durham District School Board and Durham Catholic District School Board, and five counsellors, Camp Invention’s 2019 Supercharged™ program allowed campers the opportunity to learn about ocean navigation and survival skills on a remote island, conduct mock DNA tests on farm animals and learn to protect their own ideas. As an added bonus, at the end of the week, each camper brought home their own robot.

The Durham College (DC) Board of Governors (BOG) is pleased to announce Ivan DeJong and Michele James as the new board chair and vice-chair, respectively, effective Monday, July 1, 2019. The appointments are for a one-year term.

Ivan is co-owner of Youngfield Farms in Nestleton, which was started by his family in 1953, and he has been involved in local organizations including the Durham Agricultural Advisory Committee, the Durham College Community Choir and the Canadian Food Grains Bank. In 2013, Ivan received the Diamond Jubilee Medal for community service.

With a career in health care spanning 30 years, Michele is the vice-president of People and Transformation at Scarborough Health Network and her diverse portfolio includes oversight of the human resources function for the organization’s 5,200 employees and 1,600 volunteers. Michele has also been involved in local organizations and is currently the volunteer chair of the Advisory Committee for the Black Physicians Association of Ontario.

The BOG is responsible for the governance of DC and, as such, is accountable to the students, employees and communities the college serves for ensuring that it is effectively and appropriately managed to achieve its established mandate and to provide needed services.

As chair, Ivan will be responsible for ensuring the board meets its responsibilities and established mandate through leadership, openness and transparency.

On June 20, Durham College (DC) held a commemorative ceremony to plant hero trees at its Whitby campus, as part of the Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign.

Created with a mission to plant two million trees along and within the communities adjacent to the 401 Highway of Heroes, the campaign is a living tribute to the members of the country’s Armed Forces, including DC alumni and the 117,000 men and women who died in conflicts since Confederation.

College employees joined DC President Don Lovisa, along with the Lords women’s varsity softball team and Mike Hurley, executive director of the Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign, to plant the first tree.

Special thanks goes out to DC professor Shane Jones and several of our Horticulture – Technician and Horticulture – Food and Farming students, for the role they have played in getting the land ready for the planting.

On June 19, more than 450 Durham College (DC) employees took time to invest in themselves by joining their colleagues for a day of thoughtful discussion, growth and knowledge sharing at the college’s Professional Development (PD) Day 2019.

Indigenous student advisors Julie Pigeon and Peggy Forbes led attendees in a smudging ceremony to start the day in a good way before CFL legend and community builder Michael “Pinball” Clemons delivered the program’s keynote address.

The former coach and player for the Toronto Argonauts football team captivated the room with an empowering presentation in which he talked about personal perseverance and the importance of teamwork.

Attendees then broke out into smaller groups to attend three concurrent sessions over the course of the afternoon. This year’s event offered employees a choice from 25 presentations delivered by their colleagues on a variety of timely subjects from meditation and esports to creative problem solving, time management and more.

PD Day is an annual event, organized by the college’s Human Resources department, which enhances employee engagement using thought-provoking presentations and opportunities to reconnect with colleagues and recharge through exposure to new ideas and skills.

With more than 800 full-time employees and approximately 1,000 part-time employees, DC is one of the region’s largest employers and provides more than $900 million to Durham Region in positive economic impact annually. Events like PD Day are one of the many initiatives that help make DC one of the GTA’s Top Employers.