A sunny sky and pleasant temperatures greeted more than 250 Durham College (DC) employees at the second annual Professional Development (PD) day. Open to employees from DC’s campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and the Pickering Learning Site, the event celebrates the contributions of all employees to inspire the imaginations and unlock the potential of students throughout the year.

Scott Blakey, DC’s chief administrative officer, welcomed participants to the event and reminded them that providing the best possible educational experience for DC students is truly a team effort.

“This day is about you, our employees, and how much we value your significant contributions to the college,” he said. “No matter what part you play, each of you has an important role in helping Durham College stay true to its mission – the student experience comes first.”

 The event’s theme, the importance of playing your role, was emphasized on social media with participants encouraged to tweet about their experiences with the hashtag #youmatter. The day’s keynote speaker was Sami Jo Small, a long-time member of Canada’s world champion and Olympic gold-medal women’s hockey team, Small told her audience that everyone at DC, no matter what job they have, should feel proud to be part of a team that’s producing great results for students.

“We all have different roles. Some we strive to be in, others we have been put in. They’re all important; win or lose, it’s about the journey you take,” Small said.

The PD Day events coincided with National Aboriginal Day, which is marked across Canada as a tribute to Canada’s indigenous people. Elder Shirley Williams and representatives of the Aboriginal Students Centre participated in a smudging ceremony to promote harmony and balance for the day’s activities. In addition, a flag-raising ceremony took place at the Oshawa campus to recognize the unique culture, history and significant contributions made by First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples to DC and to Canadian society.

Participants took part in breakout sessions throughout the day, where they discussed current best practices in education with experts from DC, and also learned about current trends in social media, nutrition for families and creating an appropriate work-life balance.

With more than 770 employees, DC is one of the region’s largest employers and provides more than $800 million in positive economic impact annually. DC has been named one of the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for  the past six years, and events such as PD Day are just one of the reasons why the college is not only a school of choice for thousands of students, but a great place to work as well.