Following the success of Durham College’s (DC) Personal Support Worker (PSW) Accelerated program in 2021, the college will launch a new intake beginning Monday, June 27 to continue to educate future healthcare workers. Similar to the 2021 intakes, tuition and ancillary fees for accepted students in the June 2022 intake will be covered by the Ontario government, with students having the ability to graduate within six months with full PSW credentials.

The accelerated program is delivered in a hybrid model that combines remote learning with in-person laboratory classes and hands-on activities in care settings, providing important experiential learning opportunities to students. After three months, students will also participate in a paid work placement.

“Now more than ever, our health-care system is relying on Durham College to quickly and efficiently deliver on the exceptional education DC is known for to prepare well-trained and compassionate graduates for work in the PSW field,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, executive vice president, Academic, DC. “By offering additional intakes of this highly successful program, our students have the opportunity to explore a dynamic and in-demand field while making a difference and leading the way in their community.”

PSWs are front-line care providers whose responsibilities focus on the personal care and support that include activities of daily living with client populations across institutional, community care and service settings. They provide client-centred care to enhance and maintain the quality of everyday life. Through dedicated faculty, enhanced curriculum, skills and certifications obtained in the course of study, and implementation of several interprofessional education and simulation opportunities, and access to valuable community partners, students will graduate well-prepared and career-ready.

Students who are currently enrolled in the winter 2022 intake of the traditional PSW program, as well as those planning to enroll for fall 2022 are eligible to receive a $2,000 bursary to support their studies.

More information about the PSW Accelerated program, including admission requirements, answers to FAQs, and details to apply can be found online.

Durham College (DC) students and alumni from the Journalism – Mass Media program triumphed at this year’s Ontario Community Newspaper Association’s (OCNA) Better Newspapers Competition.

Every year, the member newspapers of OCNA compete for a chance to have their journalism work recognized as exemplary.

For the third consecutive year, DC’s student-produced newspaper, The Chronicle, has taken home first place in the General Excellence – College/University category. In recent years, the Chronicle has been praised for its fine photography and layout, as well as its ongoing professionalism, gripping storytelling skills and superb editorial work. The Chronicle also scored honourable mentions in the Best College/University Newspaper Website category.

DC students also enjoyed individual success at this year’s competition. Allaya Sue and Shaun McLeod, graduates of the Journalism – Mass Media program, took home first and third respectively in the Student Feature Writing category. The awards also recognized DC alumnus Chad Ingram, who placed second in the Premier Awards – Best Editorial, circulation under 9,999 category, writing for the Minden Times.

Congratulations to DC’s Journalism – Mass Media students, alumni and faculty for this well-earned celebration of their dedication and hard work.

Ryan Honey and William Marques, students of Durham College’s (DC) Game-Art program, were recently announced as finalists of Ubisoft Toronto NEXT, an annual competition designed to showcase the talents and help kickstart the careers of Ontario video game development students.

On May 12, Ryan and William took first place in 3D Art and second place in Technical Art, respectively. As the winner of the 3D Art category, Ryan has secured an internship with Ubisoft’s team in Toronto, where he’ll further develop his professional skill set at one of the most recognizable names in the gaming industry.

“We are so proud of Ryan and William for the work they’ve done and all they accomplished in the Ubisoft Toronto Next competition,” says Greg Murphy, dean, School of Media, Art & Design. “When we see DC students enjoying this level of success, it only goes to show that our program and our faculty are providing students the knowledge they need to thrive and lead the way in the world of game art and design.”

During a virtual ceremony to announce the winners, Ubisoft lauded Ryan’s piece, which demonstrated his eye for composition and strong attention to detail. Judges also complimented William’s work, praising the variety of techniques he applied and referring to his work as a good show of innovation.

“It was months of hard work for Ryan and William to put these pieces together, and it shows,” says Ryan Miller, project manager, Mixed Reality Capture (MRC) Studio. “Students can adapt school projects to accommodate the competition requirements, but they still have to manage the workload in their other classes. Luckily, they have a lot of support from DC’s professors, who provide feedback and critiques before the submission goes to Ubisoft.”

Now recently graduated, Ryan and William were able to further hone their skills through the work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences offered through MRC Studio. During their time as students, they gained valuable hands-on learning from working with clients like game studios, animation companies and technology partners, as they produced 3D art, technical art, and prototypes at a professional level.

DC congratulates Ryan and William on their achievements at Ubisoft Toronto NEXT and thanks the DC faculty who offered additional guidance to help them along the way.

Durham College Journalism – Mass Media student Andrew Neary took third place at the inaugural Ontario Colleges Incubator Network (OCIN) PitchIt Competition on May 3.

Andrew’s first-ever pitch for his growing business, Kettleboy Coffee, landed him a $1,000 award to help grow his operation, plus a Shopify package valued at $4,500 to expand his online services. OCIN PitchIt included eight high-achieving entrepreneur finalists from colleges across Ontario who presented their startups online to a panel of judges and a live audience.

Andrew credits the team at FastStart for his success, helping him with everything from developing a business model canvas to graphic design and videography.

“In the week leading up to the finals, the FastStart team helped me craft a better presentation than I could have imagined on my own,” Andrew said. “I am grateful for this team and hopeful that every student interested in business ownership at DC takes the time to meet the team and sign up.”

Durham College and FastStart congratulate Andrew on his success. To read about his experience, visit his DC blog post.

To learn more about DC’s entrepreneurial resources for students, visit the FastStart site.

Durham College’s (DC) Photography and Video Production programs have partnered with the Robert McLaughlin Gallery (RMG) to produce a student-led exhibition of visual images captured throughout Durham Region. Currently on display at the RMG in the Thomas Bouckley Corridor, the collection is the cumulative work of 32 first-year students who were carefully selected from a pool of 79 submissions.

Spearheaded by K. Jennifer Bedford, professor, School of Media, Art and Design, planning for this partnership and resulting exhibition first began three years ago, well before the pandemic started.

“Images are such powerful communication tools that can help challenge our way of thinking and engage in emotional, meaningful conversations,” says Bedford. “I am so proud of what the students accomplished and how they applied their technical knowledge to create photographs that explore a personal connection to the community.”

In this work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunity, students were asked to explore photovoice, a process in which participants capture their lived experience to share perspectives with others. The results displayed similar shared themes, such as dealing with the effects of COVID, empty streets and paths, and the perspectives of newcomers to Durham Region.

“Our school went into the partnership with the Robert McLaughlin Gallery hoping the experience would teach our students new skills that would help them tell their stories,” says Greg Murphy, dean, School of Media, Art and Design. “When you look at the collection, it’s clear that this exercise has developed the students’ personal photography styles and helped them become leaders as future Canadian artists.”

Congratulations to the following DC student photographers whose work was included in the curated exhibition on display.

Jayde Duhn	Michael Mlynarczyk
Stuart Foster	Erik Smith
Jacqueline Woods	Emilie Maltais
Kayleigh Algar	Brooke Warner
Jaden Howson-Visser	Natasha Miles
Bryanna Fudge	Aaron McInnes
Jacey Boyer	Norbert Turoczi
Kyle Mercieca	Jay Kruetzmann
Rebecca Otto	Ekansh Yakhmi
Taylor Will	Montana Budd-Haynes
Jacobin Mathews	Sartaj Singh
Logan James	Patrick Chayer
Robyn McGrenere	Aaron Lagler
Jonathan Miller	David Dixon
Cameron McNeely	Eva Modica
Liam McManus	Dejah Wocker

 

DC would like to thank the RMG for its ongoing support of our aspiring artists, with special thanks to Sonya Jones, curator of collections, RMG, who helped bring the partnership to fruition. With community partners like the RMG, DC students are afforded every opportunity to flourish and grow into the leaders of tomorrow.

Please visit the onsite student display at the RMG, available for viewing until June 12. You are also welcome to view the exhibition online. It features photographs from all 79 students who participated in the project.

Durham College (DC) is proud to share that eight students achieved victory at the 2022 Virtual Skills Ontario Competition on May 4, bringing home seven medals, including five gold, one silver and one bronze. Virtual for the second year in a row, the competition and Career Exploration Showcase welcomed thousands of elementary, secondary and post-secondary attendees to discover new skilled trade and technology careers, while students competed against one another in categories from numerous fields.

The winning students include:

• Holly White – Silver – Aesthetics
• Yasmin Parhizi – Gold – Aesthetics
• Abigayle Hamilton and Emma Pace – Gold – Horticulture & Landscape
• Daniel Hinbest – Gold – Coding Programming
• Jared Toomey – Gold – IT Network Systems Administrations
• Christopher Santoli – Gold – Photography
• Owen Jackson – Bronze – Photography

“Our students continuously impress us with their talent, determination and commitment to their crafts, and this competition is no different,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, executive vice president, Academic. “From capturing moments in time as art, to writing complicated code for programming, these students are leading the way in their own right. We are proud of them for using the skills they’ve learned at Durham College to fuel their passion and find success.”

Good luck to the students who will represent DC and Ontario in the 27th Annual Skills Canada National Competition to be held in Vancouver from Thursday, May 26 to Friday, May 27.

Skills Ontario is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of skilled trades and technologies as viable, first-choice career options for Ontario youth through programs and initiatives such as provincial skills competitions.

Durham College’s (DC) Project Management students took home first place in the Ontario Project Management Competition (OPMC). Held in collaboration with the Project Management Institute, this annual event is an opportunity to develop and advance project management (PM) practices. Students must have an above-average understanding of best PM practices and methods, and the ability to apply their learnings in an innovative setting in order to compete.

“We are very proud of the work achieved by Durham College’s Project Management faculty and students,” says Reza Mofid, professor, School of Business, IT & Management. “We’ve competed twice in this event, and our students have won both times. This kind of success reaffirms the fact that our school is preparing exceptional leaders for the future of this industry.”

This year’s DC team consisted of PM students Lauren Breen, Diana Pena Orjuela, Andrea Zuluaga, Jaisleen Kaur and Roshan Kottary. The team created Project MEPHY Health, a combined mental and physical health application with a built-in algorithm to check measurement and placement of a person’s body while correcting posture issues. As part of the OPMC requirements, the application was evaluated on how well PM principles were used to plan and deliver the project. It also had to satisfy the Health UN Sustainability factor, which encourages students to consider protection of the environment and our planet.

“With the help of Durham College’s Project Management faculty serving as our mentors, our team started our application concept, which we had to submit in January for approval to compete,” says Jaisleen Kaur, Project Management student. “From there, we had to meet identified requirements and submit the complete application to a judges’ review panel. On the day of the competition, our team had twenty minutes to present our project and ten minutes to answer questions from the judges. It was an exciting experience to have as our first competition!”

In recognition of their win, the OPMC awarded the team a cash prize, which the students have generously donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.

DC congratulates the winning students on their success and thanks the PM faculty for leading our students to meet their fullest potential.

Last year, Durham College (DC) received funding from Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada and its Innovation Hub (iHub) for two unique work-integrated learning (WIL) projects. Funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Initiative (I-WIL), iHub is a program dedicated to developing career-ready students through quality WIL experiences.

The first project, led by Dr. Michael Williams-Bell, a professor in the School of Health & Community Services, provided four Fitness and Health Promotion students the opportunity to implement a unique assessment and training program for Ontario Tech University’s Varsity athletes to monitor their training, injury risk and recovery.

The DC students administered weekly and monthly fitness assessments that were approved by supervisors, team coaches, and the head strength and conditioning coach at Ontario Tech University and assisted with exercise prescription delivery. This provided a unique opportunity for DC students to learn from established professionals while interacting with the student-athletes to build relationships around trust and outcome goals. The project culminated in a final guest speaker event in November 2021 with professional athletes and strength and conditioning coaches sharing their experiences and answering questions.

In the second iHub project, co-led by Dr. Williams-Bell and Danielle Harder, a professor in the School of Media, Art & Design, three students from the Journalism – Mass Media program and two students from the Fitness and Health Promotion program collaborated to create six episodes of a new podcast called Research Remix.

The episodes provided a behind-the-scenes look at research projects underway at DC while also following a multi-year research project with the City of Oshawa Fire Services to give listeners a glimpse into the lifespan and impact of an applied research project. At the end of the project, students were invited to three intimate speaker series events. The first in December featured Sandra Appiah and Imman Adan from the Dishes and Dimes podcast, where they learned more about podcasting as a career and a way to support their own personal and professional brand. In February, Jordan Heath-Rawlings of The Big Story podcast spoke, while the March 16 event featured two popular climate change podcasters – Laura Lynch of CBC’s What on Earth and Shaghayegh Tajvidi of the National Observer’s Race Against Climate Change.

These two projects are significant examples of how WIL helps students develop hands-on skills in a supportive and educational environment. As part of DC’s commitment to providing unique experiential learning opportunities, WIL has been a vital part of DC’s framework for decades, embedded as a formal component in many of the college’s programs of study.

Durham College (DC) once again connected its students with the world through its Working Across Borders (WAB) course during the fall 2021 semester. Open to students studying in DC’s business programs, WAB allows learners to virtually engage and collaborate with other institutions globally, as teams collaborate to develop sustainable business solutions for real clients.

In its fifth year being offered at DC, 163 students from the college’s International Business Management and Project Management graduate certificate programs worked as part of multi-national teams with fellow participants from 14 other post-secondary institutions in countries such as Indonesia, Slovenia, Finland, Ghana and Belgium.

Following an opening ceremony in the early fall, each multinational group acted as consultants for Dutch fashion brand Garcia, where they were tasked with developing a sustainable value proposition, as well as a plan for how to effectively communicate with target audiences in one of the countries the company serves.

Because WAB encourages students to explore business opportunities to achieve the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals as part of their work, a special focus of the project was to enhance consumer perceptions of True Pricing, which reflects a product’s market price plus the social and environmental costs associated with that item.

Each team presented their final work via video pitch at the beginning of December 2021 and was assessed based on self-and-peer evaluation, as well as feedback provided by their team coach. Overall, the experience provided students with hands-on experiential learning, while developing their intercultural awareness and communication skills.

Congratulations to these DC students on their incredible success!

Durham College (DC) is proud to share that Dave Palachik, a part-time professor in the Electronics Engineering Technology program, was awarded with a gold medal in the Software Invention category at the 6th Annual International Invention Innovation Competition for his Quantum Resilient Encryption cybersecurity solution.

Organized by the Toronto International Society of Innovation & Advanced Skills, the competition saw 652 inventions submitted by competitors from more than 70 countries worldwide within a diverse selection of categories, from bicycle improvements and EEG brain wave detection, to diagnostic medical bandages and more. Gold medal winners were judged by a Board of Advisors and judges from organizations across the globe.

Palachik’s Quantum Resilient Encryption will have real-world application to help prevent super-machines and new Quantum computers from decoding transmitted data.

Congratulations to Palachik on this exemplary award!

For more information on the Electronics Engineering Technology program, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/ELTY.