OCNews

Collaboration & Partnerships

BCBTAC Logo
LCRB Clarifies Legality of Sample Distribution for Wine Releases

July 5, 2021

Sent on behalf of the BC Beverage Technology Access Centre  BC BTAC Consults with Licensing Branch to Confirm Legality of Wine Sample Delivery The province’s Liquor & Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) confirmed this week that the local beverage sector may legally deliver taste-sized samples of their product, which is great news for boutique producers and medium to large companies alike as it will allow for the traditional ‘Vintage Release’ for BC wineries in virtual format. In searching for ways to offer up its services to support bever...

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Edible Garden
Edible garden project at OC’s Penticton campus to feed students, community members

June 29, 2021

A partnership between Okanagan College's Penticton campus and the Medical Arts Research Group is helping to root out food insecurity amongst students and local families. An edible garden program is being established on the north end of the Penticton campus, with the aim to provide fresh vegetables to OC students and food bank patrons in the community. Medical Arts Research Group donated the wood and fence material for the project. Raised garden beds were built in May by students in the Women in Trades Training program, and installed outside...

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OC Culinary Arts students and the OC Inspiration Box
Partnership dishes up meal ideas by OC Culinary Students and local food products

June 24, 2021

A new partnership between Okanagan College and produce supplier company Farm Bound is bringing locally sourced organic foods to your doorstep with delicious summer-ready recipes crafted by OC Culinary Arts students. Food-lovers can now order the OC Inspiration Box from the Farm Bound website. The box has fully portioned ingredients for recipes to make Middle Eastern Chicken Za’atar, Carrot and Radish Salad, Pea Risotto with Asparagus and a spice blend to make your own Za’atar Spice Mix. Not only will you learn new recipes but also a few cul...

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Children Outdoor Play
Post-secondary partners seek to unite early childhood education instructors across Canada

April 28, 2021

Virtual conference will focus on outdoor pedagogy in college ECE programs How does playing in the mud support children’s cognitive and social development? Why is outdoor play such a powerful conduit for learning? How can we advance curriculum to empower current and future early childhood educators (ECEs) to tap into it? These and other questions will be explored during a unique virtual conference next month that will bring together ECE instructors and outdoor play experts from across the country. On May 18, Okanagan College, in collaborati...

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Growing Green Earth Day
OC doing its part to reduce emissions

April 22, 2021

As the world’s leaders gather on Earth Day 2021 to discuss steps to battle climate change, Okanagan College is pointing to recent statistics that demonstrate how far its energy savings efforts are advancing B.C.’s sustainability agenda. Calculations completed this week show that OC has reduced its total overall greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 44 per cent since 2007 – this in the face of an overall growth in space of 44 per cent in the same period. The calculations show that OC has managed to decrease its per-square-metre emissions by more...

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Research Innovation Partnership Expo logo
RIPE with opportunity: Join OC for a conference showcasing applied research in the region

April 9, 2021

From proposal writing to hydroponics, chemotherapy to climate change, and early childhood education to engaging with marginalized populations, the region is RIPE with applied research projects and Okanagan College is inviting you to attend its free showcase event to hear about the innovative research projects happening in your own backyard. RIPE (Research, Innovation and Partnerships Expo) is happening on May 4 from 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. as a virtual event, allowing people from across the region to attend. The event is an opportunity for comm...

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OCSU members
Students invest in Health Sciences Centre

April 7, 2021

It’s an investment in future students and community health, and one the Okanagan College Students’ Union (OCSU) says is even more important in light of the ongoing pandemic. OCSU is donating $15,000 to the Okanagan College 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. “T...

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FruitSnaps Regional team 2021
OC business students take trio of first-place finishes at Enactus Western Canada Regionals

March 30, 2021

Okanagan College business students enjoyed a fruitful victory at the Enactus Western Canada Regionals, earning three first-place finishes and ensuring their ticket to the National Competition in May. The Regional competition took place last week in a virtual format with teams from a multitude of post-secondary institutions submitting their student-created and student-run initiatives that seek to positively impact communities in a social, economic or environmental way. The award-winning OC Enactus initiative FruitSnaps was entered – and won...

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OC Serves Up
College culinary program supports students facing food insecurity

March 15, 2021

When Mariko Nagata picks up a free lunch at Okanagan College 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 lot ...

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Ford donation to OC
Okanagan College automotive program receives donation from Ford of Canada and Orchard Ford

March 8, 2021

Contribution of a 2020 Ford F-150 will allow students to gain valuable hands-on experience Automotive trades students at Okanagan College are getting a big boost for their education with the arrival of a shiny new training tool on which they can hone their skills. Ford of Canada and Orchard Ford are donating a 2020 Ford F-150 to the College to be used by students in its automotive service training programs. The vehicle has arrived at the Kelowna campus and will be put to good use in the shop immediately, notes Dean of Trades Steve Moores. “...

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Kelowna campus conceptual rendering
Student housing initiative announcement

March 5, 2021

To the Okanagan College community, Earlier today, B.C. Premier John Horgan, Vernon-Monashee MLA Harwinder Sandhu, and OC President Jim Hamilton – joined by Business Administration student Evan Smith – announced an important student housing initiative that will see 376 more beds added to the College’s housing stock. The project involves buildings in Kelowna (216 beds), Vernon (100 beds) and Salmon Arm (60 beds) and will cost a total of $67.5 million, with the province contribution $36.3 million in grants, another $30.2 million in loans and O...

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Roen Janyk
Open education efforts continue to enhance access for OC students

February 25, 2021

Thanks to a grant from BCcampus, over the next several months Okanagan College will be adding to its strong track record for promoting and supporting open education practices, including the creation, use and adaptation of open educational resources (OER). The $10,000 grant is empowering project lead Roën Janyk, Web Services Librarian, and a group of OC employees and student union representatives who have been meeting for the past several years, to focus their efforts on honing an open education strategy and action plan for the College. “T...

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Austin MacArthur
Indigenous Awards drives support for OC students

February 24, 2021

Kamloops’ Austin MacArthur moved to Kelowna to attend Okanagan College’s Automotive Service Technician program to unlock a lifelong dream of becoming a mechanic – a dream fueled in part by the Irving K. Barber BC Scholarship Society’s Indigenous Student awards. MacArthur is one of over 600 BC Indigenous students who shared more than $2.2 million in awards from the Society in support of post-secondary studies. The Society’s Indigenous Award program is one of six award programs and was created to assist in removing barriers to higher educatio...

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App Project
College and Monashee applied research projects seeks participants

February 16, 2021

An applied research project by Okanagan College and Monashee Health Collective, a local allied health professional clinic, is in need of participants to help guide the creation of a cutting-edge new tool to enhance communication between patients and health care professionals. Funded by a grant from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the goal of the project is to launch a prototype holistic wellness app. “We are looking for people to participate in this research project to investigate the impact of a new health a...

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Xiaochen Yang, OC School of Business student
OC students get primed for financial success

February 16, 2021

A local partnership with a non-profit company, Launch Financial Education Society (Launch Okanagan), is powering up to help Okanagan College students boost their financial literacy this spring. Starting March 2, OC students will benefit from a free financial literacy program hosted online by Launch Okanagan. The Primer for Life series is an interactive, five-week program that offers students a chance to learn about their relationship with money, consumerism, budgeting, saving and credit. A number of Okanagan College Business students are al...

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Medical Cannabis
OC partners with Durham and NorQuest Colleges to offer Medical Cannabis Essentials for Health Professionals

January 20, 2021

New course for health care providers explores rapidly-evolving medical cannabis use in Canada Okanagan College is partnering with Durham College (DC) in Oshawa, ON and NorQuest College in Edmonton, Alta. to deliver a two-day Medical Cannabis Essentials for Health Professionals course. Facilitated live online over the weekend of Feb. 6 and 7, this unique introductory course is aimed at new and experienced health care professionals across Canada seeking to better understand medical cannabis in the context of client-centered care. “Since addi...

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