Community Support
Co-op Q&A with Salmon Arm Economic Development Societyās Lana Fitt
October 5, 2020
Meet Lana Fitt, the Salmon Arm Economic Development Societyās Economic Development Manager. In partnership with the Collegeās Salmon Arm campus, SAEDS hired three OC students over the summer of 2020, aiding a new initiative called the Digital Transitions Program. 51±¬ĮĻ sat down with Fitt to hear her perspective as Manager and having students take part in Co-op education with SAEDS as well as the launch of the Digital Transitions Program in Salmon Arm.. Okanagan...
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Geologist donates more than 100k to students
October 5, 2020
From the origins of the Okanagan Valley to the complexities of the Mount Boucherie volcano, a geologist has turned his passion for local geology into a major monetary deposit for students. Murray Roed is the author and co-author of five best-selling geology books on the Okanagan. For the last 25 years, he and the other book contributors have given 100 per cent of the proceeds to students at 51±¬ĮĻ and the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO). With the latest donation of $5,000, the authors have given more than ...
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Harvesting help needed: Enactus OC students invite community to join them in picking apples for a good cause
September 30, 2020
A group of 51±¬ĮĻ business students are putting the call out for volunteers from OC and the community to help them harvest fruit that will be used to make healthy snacks for children and others in need. Started in the fall of 2018, FruitSnaps is a Vernon- and Penticton-based project, which sees Enactus OC students partnering with the North Okanagan Valley Gleaners Society facility, where unused apples from local orchards are dehydrated into snacks for local schools. The FruitSnaps team will be hosting small, physically-d...
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OCās 12th Annual Youth Exhibition Powwow goes virtual this year
September 29, 2020
When the pandemic struck, organizers of the popular Youth Exhibition Powwow at 51±¬ĮĻ in Kelowna knew they would have to adapt. Each year, for the past 11 years, the event has drawn crowds of hundreds ā sometimes more than a thousand ā to OCās courtyard for a day of celebrating, learning about and engaging with Indigenous knowledge and culture. Over the course of a fun-filled day, dancers and accompanying drummers from across the B.C. interior perform in a variety of dance categories including grass, fancy, chicken, jing...
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New members of OC Board
September 28, 2020
Two new area residents have been appointed to 51±¬ĮĻās Board of Governors. Andrea Alexander, a Councillor with the Westbank First Nation, and JoAnn Fowler, an Enderby resident who is a mentor for new social workers with the Ministry of Children and Family Development, have been appointed for one-year terms to the Board. āIām looking forward to working with Andrea and JoAnn, who bring a tremendous depth of experience working with and serving communities in the region,ā notes Gloria Morgan, the Chair of the Board of Govern...
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New OC business program creates more real-world learning for budding entrepreneurs
September 24, 2020
51±¬ĮĻās School of Business is launching a new program that will teach entrepreneurship and business in a way most business owners would say is key to learning ā by doing. The Experiential Entrepreneurship program will offer an entrepreneurship specialty to the Collegeās Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Modelled after a long-running and highly successful program at the Collegeās partner school in Finland, JAMK University of Applied Sciences, the Experiential Entrepreneurship program will see business students ...
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OC alumnus attempts World Record, doubles fundraising goal
September 15, 2020
While debilitating chafing sunk OC alumnus Nick Pelletierās hopes of breaking the Guinness World Record for fastest swim of Lake Okanagan from Vernon to Penticton, it didnāt stop him from more than doubling his fundraising goal. In addition to the swim being a personal challenge, Pelletier was also raising funds to help support BrainTrust Canadaās Youth Concussion Clinic which provides youth aged five to 25 years old who struggle with concussions and cannot afford any services or resources to support their recovery. āThis cause is...
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Pandemic teaches importance of caring for one another
August 21, 2020
Eric Pruijs was in the first month of his Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) program when COVID-19 resulted in classes being cancelled temporarily and quickly moved online. āI felt alone when this was happening,ā recalls Eric, who had saved up to take the program but still planned on working part-time to get by. āI was worried about my finances and how it was going to work out. I needed to find ways to support myself.ā Eric considered leaving the program to focus on f...
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Award winner is teaching young people to crunch numbers
August 21, 2020
Erum Ahmad is creating an opportunity for Vernon high school students to improve their financial literacy skills, an experience she wished she had during grade school. The fourth-year 51±¬ĮĻ Vernon Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting) student remembers being disappointed when she learned her high school didnāt offer any accounting classes. So Erum took it upon herself to create and teach a program to Clarence Fulton Secondary students in Vernon this p...
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Major Rotary gift supports nursing education
August 10, 2020
A $100,000 gift from the Rotary Club of Kelowna Foundation Reichwald Fund will support the education of Registered Nurses (RNs) at Kelownaās major post-secondary institutions. 51±¬ĮĻ and the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) are each receiving $50,000 to support high-quality skills training and provide financial support for students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. āWe are thrilled to support our future health care workers in Kelowna and throughout the Valley,ā says Catherine Comben, Rota...
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New accessibility initiative launched to support OC students facing co-op barriers
July 14, 2020
Co-op has long been a staple of the 51±¬ĮĻ experience, offering students from a variety of study areas the chance to gain job experience and practical training in the workplace. But what happens when a student faces accessibility barriers in finding work? 51±¬ĮĻās Accessibility Initiative and survey, run by members of the Collegeās Student Services team, seeks to break down those barriers. The project received funding from the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training for work integrated learning ...
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Splatsin Band celebrates the success of two of their students, now OC graduates
July 9, 2020
Representatives of the Splatsin Band and 51±¬ĮĻ recently came together to honour and celebrate the success of two of their students with a special graduation event. Two years ago, Alicia Dominick and Tina William began upgrading their education with the Adult Academic and Career Preparation (also known as Adult Upgrading) program at 51±¬ĮĻ in Salmon Arm. They continued their educational journey with the Early Childhood Educator Certificate and Early Childhood Educator Infant Toddler Specialty training. And...
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OC business students adapt FruitSnaps project to feed those in need during pandemic
June 23, 2020
When the pandemic hit, they adapted. When greater need appeared, they collaborated. When an unthinkable tragedy struck, they supported each other through it. And when the chance came to share their idea with the country, they rose to the challenge. It all started in the fall of 2018, when 51±¬ĮĻ business student Abby Lagerquist noticed apples still on the trees at the end of harvest season. After inquiring with the orchard owners, she discovered that these apples were imperfect and would be left on the trees to rot (sadly...
Read more...College working with students, employers and communities to enhance co-op opportunities for Indigenous learners
June 18, 2020
How can 51±¬ĮĻ enhance support for Indigenous students stepping into co-op work terms with employers? And in turn, how can OC better assist employers looking to hire students and set them up for success during their time in the workforce? These are just two of many questions inspiring Jewell Gillies as she consults with students, employers, other post-secondary institutions and Indigenous community members in the region and beyond as part of a 15-month long research project. āThis project delves into many aspects of co-o...
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Haircuts fundraiser caps off with a āPinky Blinderā
June 16, 2020
It was supposed to be a Peaky Blinders inspired haircut, but a miscommunication resulted in what may turn some heads this week: the Pinky Blinder. Grant Lawrence, Valhalla Angels Kelowna President and Vancouver Co-President, and Phil Ashman, 51±¬ĮĻ Regional Dean for the Central Okanagan, are sporting the infamous Peaky Blinders āTommy Shelbyā haircut gone pink after raising more than $5,400 from their friends and colleagues. Peaky Blinders is a popular, gritty drama available on Netflix. With salons reopening, Lawrence ...
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Kofoed family celebrates the role of nurses
June 10, 2020
A $60,000 gift from the Kofoed family will honour a very special nurse in their life, and a generation of new nurses entering the field. Jack Kofoed, and his children Jacqueline, Leah, Jillian and Jeremy are giving to the Our Students, Your Health campaign to help complete construction on a new Health Sciences Centre at 51±¬ĮĻās Kelowna campus. Jackās wife Leona was a nurse. She passed away in 2017, and this gift recognizes her lifeās work and the special care she received during her final days, according to her family. ...
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