Learning & Programs
Meet Andrew Klingel, Business Administration Professor
April 27, 2021
Q: What is your education and background? A: I have a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master's of Business Administration from Queen’s University. Q: What is your area of interest? A: Prior to joining À¦°óSM, I consulted for major corporations such as Telus, TD and General Motors — but my true passion is entrepreneurship. I have been involved with many new ventures as an operator, investor and advisor. For example, I joined a software start up that grew from $0 i...
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Stewart family invests in health at À¦°óSM
April 16, 2021
The Stewart family is donating $50,000 to support the education of health care professionals at À¦°óSM. The gift will recognize Rosemary and Richard “Dick†Stewart. Dick, a founder of Quails’ Gate Estate Winery and Kelowna City Councillor, passed away nearly one year ago at the age of 94. According to his son Ben Stewart, MLA for Kelowna West, the gift reflects his father’s passion for education. “My dad believed education creates opportunities for people to lead independent and fulfilling lives,†says Ben. “He saw education as ...
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Students invest in Health Sciences Centre
April 7, 2021
It’s an investment in future students and community health, and one the À¦°óSM Students’ Union (OCSU) says is even more important in light of the ongoing pandemic. OCSU is donating $15,000 to the À¦°óSM Foundation’s Our Students, Your Health campaign to complete construction of a new Health Sciences Centre on the Kelowna campus. “It’s always good to invest in education, but the pandemic has really brought to the forefront how important nurses and other health care providers are," says Joseph Welton, OCSU board member. ...
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Long Night long on benefits for À¦°óSM students
April 1, 2021
If there is power in numbers when fighting procrastination, then À¦°óSM was fully plugged in last week. Long Night Against Procrastination, held Thursday March 25th, was organized by Penticton Librarian Eva Gavaris, in concert with several À¦°óSM instructors and staff members who volunteered their time to slay the beast of procrastination. More than 230 students registered for access, and at the peak, Gavaris said there were approximately 100 students in a variety of break-out rooms. “Over the past year, Okanaga...
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College Pastry Arts students craft creative Easter confections
April 1, 2021
While no official sightings of the Easter Bunny have been reported on campus, À¦°óSM’s Pastry Arts students hopped into action this week, serving up smiles ahead of the holiday. Students pulled out all the stops to prepare an eggs-travaganza of chocolate eggs, bunnies, bon bons, sponge candy and other confections for the À¦°óSM. “The students outdid themselves once again,†notes Culinary and Pastry Arts Manager Cari Jahns. “When everyone saw the tables of treats assembled, the array of different items they...
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Speers to lead Trades and Apprenticeship at À¦°óSM
April 1, 2021
À¦°óSM will welcome a new Dean of Trades and Apprenticeship this spring with the arrival of Stephen Speers, who brings extensive experience as a post-secondary administrator and an impressive record of public service in Ontario. Speers will start in the role on April 19. He comes to the College having most recently served as Chair of Workforce Development and Partnerships in the School of Trades and Apprenticeship at Conestoga College in southern Ontario. For much of his 16-year career at Conestoga, Speers has been responsible ...
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OC Indigenous Community Support Worker grad reflects on making a difference
March 31, 2021
Upcoming info sessions spotlight learning and career opportunities for studentsShannon Peltier was inspired to train to provide support to Indigenous youth and families by her Nohkom (grandmother). She found that opportunity through the Indigenous Community Support Worker Certificate program at À¦°óSM.The Indigenous Community Support Worker (ACSW) program is just one of the College's Continuing Studies certificate programs on display during info sessions this spring. The virtual sessions are designed to provide students with the o...
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Knuever Legacy Fund makes major investment in Vernon students
March 30, 2021
A new awards fund at À¦°óSM will more than double the value of annual support available for students attending the Vernon campus. Kurt and Jutta Knuever have donated $210,000 to create the K&J Knuever Legacy Awards, which will provide up to $70,000 annually in tuition and living support to students entering trades programs or the Health Care Assistant program over the next three years. The awards reflect the value the Knuever family place on education, especially hands-on skills training that can add value to an individual’s...
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Going back to school in COVID-times: How OC supports mature students in our communities
March 29, 2021
In my years as a post-secondary administrator, I’ve had a front row seat to innumerable examples of how education truly does transforms lives, which in turn benefits and transforms our communities. As À¦°óSM’s Regional Dean for the Shuswap-Revelstoke, by far some of the most inspiring and remarkable stories I’ve been fortunate to witness over the years have been those of our mature students. Working parents, who have summoned the courage and the will to go back into the classroom, level up their skills, maybe make a 180-degree c...
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EV skills training powering up at À¦°óSM and other B.C. colleges
March 29, 2021
More automotive technicians in B.C. can upgrade their skills to work on electric vehicles (EVs) through the expansion of the EV Maintenance Training program to À¦°óSM and other institutions in the province. On Monday, March 29, the B.C. Government announced $440,000 through the Province’s CleanBC Go Electric program and in partnership with Trades Training BC (TTBC); the program will be offered at À¦°óSM’s Kelowna campus, College of New Caledonia’s Prince George campus and Camosun College’s Interurban campus in Victoria....
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Long connection inspires major gift by Friesen family
March 22, 2021
A decades-long connection to À¦°óSM and a desire to give back to community is inspiring a $150,000 donation by the Friesen family to the À¦°óSM Foundation. The family gift will support the Our Students, Your Health campaign to complete and equip the College’s new Health Sciences Centre on the Kelowna campus. The gift reflects a strong connection to the College. Dianne Friesen worked at À¦°óSM in the mid-1970s. In 1984, her husband Rod started Voyager RV and their son Jason who is running the business is grate...
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Meet Ashley Lubyk, Sustainable Building Technology Professor
March 19, 2021
Q: What is your education and background? A: I have a Master in Building Science from Ryerson University (Toronto), and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Calgary. In the 11 years between degrees, I worked in various capacities in the ENGO sector and ran a small natural building company, building straw bale houses and teaching hands-on workshops all across Western Canada. Q: What is your area of interest? A: It’s in working toward a future whereby human activity ...
Read more...Nighttime noshing and homework help: OC students gear up for Long Night Against Procrastination
March 18, 2021
The power of pizza among peers is greater than procrastination. With end-of-term deadlines in sight, organizers of the popular À¦°óSM Long Night Against Procrastination are ready to offer up snacks, prizes and solidarity to students facing winter term finals. Long Night Against Procrastination started at the Penticton campus in 2015, with students converging on campus for late-night cram sessions with help from faculty, librarians and Success Centre coordinators. The annual event helped students meet end-of-term deadlines with...
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Returning to Education Seminar supports adult learners looking to take the leap
March 17, 2021
Adults looking to return to education can feel confident in taking the next steps thanks to an upcoming virtual seminar offered by À¦°óSM. On March 31, mature students in the North Okanagan and Shuswap looking to make a career change or jump back into school can discover programs, funding options and the support network available to assist their transition. The Returning to Education Seminar supports adults in deciding whether retraining or upgrading their education is right for them. “Returning to class may seem like big step...
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College culinary program supports students facing food insecurity
March 15, 2021
When Mariko Nagata picks up a free lunch at À¦°óSM she likens it to a warm hug. The mother of two was laid off during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic giving her a chance to return to school and enrol in the Culinary and Pastry Arts program. Now, she's helping cook healthy meals that not only support her during her studies but a range of fellow students who are facing food insecurity. “It's nice to be able to access this help and the food is always so beautifully presented,†says Nagata. “I think it makes a difference in a l...
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Retired nurse donates $50k to Health Sciences Centre
March 11, 2021
Many things have changed since Delphine Stone went to nursing school more than 60 years ago, but she’s sure one element still holds true: the positive role education plays in one’s life. In honour of the value of education, Stone is donating $50,000 to the Our Students, Your Health campaign for a new Health Sciences Centre on the Kelowna campus. “Education really changed my life,†recalls Stone, who was the youngest of 11 children and grew up on a farm near Battleford, Saskatchewan. Stone remembers receiving a $100 award from the Hosp...
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