Collaboration & Partnerships
Zahra Salon takes a cut for College fundraiser
December 18, 2020
Experience in – and experience of – health care services has led management of Zahra Salon and Spa to turn their attention until the end of January to supporting the education of health care professionals at ǿմý. Zahra Salon will be inviting its customers to make a holiday or New Year donation to the College’s Our Students Your Health campaign, along with selling raffle tickets for a gift basket valued at $1,000. The salon’s medical spa will also be donating 10 per cent of all laser treatments services to the campaign ...
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Enactus’ FruitSnaps transitions into social enterprise
December 8, 2020
The award-winning Enactus initiative FruitSnaps is now running as a social enterprise after the student-run team recently launched apple juice boxes. The direct result of an abundant number of apples over the fall semester, the five-litre boxes of fresh apple juice are now available locally and online for purchase. All proceeds go back into the program and help to keep it sustainable. ǿմý alumni, staff and community members were among the first people who showed up to help the Enactus team pick the approximately 13,000 pounds of app...
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ǿմý’s Thurnheer sheds light on lessons from the pandemic in CPHR virtual roundtable
December 8, 2020
Laura Thurnheer, ǿմý’s Associate Dean of Science, Technology and Health, was one of four panelists on the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR) Canada virtual roundtable on Dec. 1. Titled, “In Conversation with HR Leaders,” the session saw human resources specialists from across Canada discuss next steps on workplace recovery from the pandemic, asking crucial questions around changes made in light of the pandemic, mental health and attracting and engaging talent. With close to 300 attendees, the event also g...
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ǿմý joins Vernon and Salmon Arm communities to hold vigil against violence against women
December 1, 2020
Many activities stopped as a result of the 2020 pandemic. Violence against women, however, is not one of them. This is why communities in the Okanagan and Shuswap are paying special attention to the 31st anniversary of the École Polytechnique Massacre, in addition to the ongoing cases of missing women from the region, with a Virtual Candlelight Vigil on Dec. 6 co-hosted by a network of organizations and volunteers. “The SAFE Society has been partnering with ǿմý Students’ Union and Indigenous Services for over a decade...
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Culinary Arts students help take a bite out of food insecurity, one apple at a time
November 24, 2020
As the Okanagan days start to get shorter and orchardists wrap up their harvest for the year, Culinary Arts students at the College’s Kelowna campus are busy transforming apples into healthy snacks for the community. Earlier in the fall semester, the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project (OFTP) approached the College’s Culinary Arts team with an idea: could culinary classes somehow help process apple donations into snacks, going into backpacks for local students in need? The answer was a resounding yes. With some creative thought on how to...
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College launches Applied Bachelor of Arts degree
November 23, 2020
New four-year degree focuses on community research and evaluation Who will be the future change-makers in our communities? Who will help organizations tackle the most pressing social issues we are faced with as a society? The answer might just be the graduates of a new program unlike any before it in the region. ǿմý has received provincial approval for its first new degree program in more than 15 years – and its focus couldn’t be timelier. The Applied Bachelor of Arts: Community Research and Evaluation is a four-year...
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ǿմý Foundation and Jane Hoffman Realty present Season’s Eatings, a virtual cooking class fundraiser
November 17, 2020
On Dec. 3, fire up your oven and your laptop to join a festive, virtual cooking class and wine tasting fundraiser. The ǿմý Foundation and Coldwell Banker Jane Hoffman Realty are presenting ǿմý Cooks: Season’s Eatings, with ticket sales benefitting the Our Students, Your Health campaign to complete a new Health Sciences Centre on the College’s Kelowna campus. “Season’s Eatings is an opportunity to come together virtually, enjoy good wine and cook alongside the College’s award-winning chefs,” says ǿմý Founda...
Read more...RBC, local experts offer up virtual financial advice for students
November 6, 2020
ǿմý trades students will have a unique opportunity later this month to ask questions of local experts and learn how they can build a strong financial foundation. Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is hosting Business Planning for Trades, a virtual panel discussion geared toward students currently training for a career in the trades at the College. Panelists include: Jason Williamson, Commercial Account Manager with RBC (previously a small business account manager and has worked with clients through all stages of their bus...
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New app aims to enhance communication between health professionals and patients
October 27, 2020
An applied research project by ǿմý with Monashee Health Collective is focused on developing an innovative new tool that will help allied health professionals connect with patients in real-time – and support them on their path to wellness. Funded by a grant from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the researcher and students are working to develop, test and launch a prototype holistic wellness app over the next six months. Monashee Health Collective (MHC) provides chiropractic, physiotherapy...
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Visiting scholar discusses polarization over energy and climate in Canada: How bad is it? What’s to be done?
October 9, 2020
How can Canada chart a positive path for its energy and climate future amid polarization, partisanship and regional differences? Dr. Monica Gattinger, Director of the Institute for Science, Society and Policy, Full Professor at the School of Political Studies and Founder/Chair of Positive Energy at the University of Ottawa, will be delivering an online keynote delving into this topic on Friday, October 16 at 1 p.m. PST. Gattinger’s talk is presented by ǿմý’s Department of Political Science, in conjunction with the BC ...
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Co-op Q&A with Salmon Arm Economic Development Society’s Lana Fitt
October 5, 2020
Meet Lana Fitt, the Salmon Arm Economic Development Society’s Economic Development Manager. In partnership with the College’s Salmon Arm campus, SAEDS hired three ǿմý students over the summer of 2020, aiding a new initiative called the Digital Transitions Program. ǿմý 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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New work-integrated learning opportunities for ǿմý students and employers across the region
October 5, 2020
Earlier this year, ǿմý announced new opportunities through the Student, Graduate and Co-op Employment office for Indigenous learners and students who face accessibility challenges. With funding from the provincial government, the College is set to launch a third project to increase access to co-op and work-integrated learning for ǿմý students and employers. Overseeing the project at ǿմý is Alison Beaumont, a Coordinator in the Student, Graduate and Co-op Employment office. She notes that the new project has dual opportun...
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Harvesting help needed: Enactus ǿմý students invite community to join them in picking apples for a good cause
September 30, 2020
A group of ǿմý business students are putting the call out for volunteers from ǿմý 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 ǿմý 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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North Okanagan Talent Hackathon Looks for Out-of-the-box Thinkers
September 25, 2020
ǿմý students, employees and alumni: check out this opportunity to collaborate, demonstrate your skills and connect with other business and technology minds in the community as part of the North Okanagan Hackathon. ǿմý is a sponsor of this event and encourages ǿմý students to take advantage of this unique virtual networking opportunity! The following media release is shared on behalf of Accelerate Okanagan: On October 29th, 2020, the Accelerate Okanagan team will be hosting the first North Okanagan Hackathon virtually fr...
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New ǿմý business program creates more real-world learning for budding entrepreneurs
September 24, 2020
ǿմý’s 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 – by doing. The Experiential Entrepreneurship program will offer an entrepreneurship specialty to the College’s Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Modelled after a long-running and highly successful program at the College’s partner school in Finland, JAMK University of Applied Sciences, the Experiential Entrepreneurship program will see business students ...
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ǿմý joins Mohawk and other institutions across Canada to form Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery
September 24, 2020
Eight colleges, institutions, CEGEPs to support new climate-resistant economy ǿմý is joining forces with a group of colleges, institutions, polytechnics and CEGEPs from across Canada to educate a post-pandemic workforce to support a new climate-focused economic recovery. The group of eight climate-action leading institutions from all regions of the country have launched an initiative called Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery. The group will champion projects across Canada to support a recovery that delivers go...
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