Collaboration & Partnerships
Countdown is on for move-in to new student housing at Okanagan College
March 27, 2024
When the fall term starts in September, the number of students living on campus at Okanagan College in Kelowna will more than double.A new student housing building at the corner of K.L.O. Road and Campus West Road is still a few months away from being move-in-ready; however, OC is anticipating a construction-related milestone in the coming weeks, with the building nearing “substantial completion.”The six-storey building includes elements of mass timber and features unique design elements from two well-known Indigenous artists. It will add 2...
Read more...Help us enhance the OC website and win OC merch!
March 13, 2024
College Relations has embarked on several web-related projects to enhance the student experience on the OC website, making access to our programming as easy as possible.We need the help of our OC community and we've got OC-branded draw prizes for your help!Take the OC website questionnaire and help us identify issues on the website so we can tackle them, supporting prospective and current students' journey on our website.Complete the questionnaire and provide your email at the end for a chance to win prizes, including newly branded and lega...
Read more...OC students arrive in Indonesia for one-week exchange
February 20, 2024
As part of OC's Study Abroad Exchange program, ten Okanagan College students recently arrived in Indonesia for a one-week exchange. Students are from all campuses, except Revelstoke, and represent various programs. They will learn about SDGs and local initiatives at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology. All Canadian students received either an Okanagan College mobility grant or scholarships from the Government of Canada.Students interested in participating in an u...
Read more...Free Early Childhood Education program offered in Salmon Arm
January 2, 2024
Flexible course delivery that includes online and in-person instruction and full tuition support will allow more people in the Salmon Arm-Shuswap to pursue education and training in early childhood education beginning this month. The Shuswap Children’s Association (SCA) and Okanagan College (OC) are launching a new intake of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program at OC’s Salmon Arm campus, with classes beginning Jan. 8, 2024. Tuition is fully funded through the Government of Canada through the Canada-BC Workforce Development Agr...
Read more...Westbank First Nation and Okanagan College sign updated MOU
October 30, 2023
Okanagan College and Westbank First Nation (WFN) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding continuing a long partnership which aims to strengthen the recruitment, mentorship and retention of Syilx learners at Okanagan College. The MOU lays out the objectives and principles of a partnership that will help guide the College to embrace the spirit and intent of reconciliation and ensure culturally appropriate, meaningful, and quality education and skills training opportunities for WFN learners. Chief Robert Louie, Westbank Fir...
Read more...Empowering Tomorrow: Rick and Yasmin Thorpe and Friends Scholarship Celebrates Future Leaders
October 4, 2023
The Rick and Yasmin Thorpe and Friends Scholarship continues to be a launchpad for South Okanagan high school graduates as they begin their educational journey at Okanagan College. This year, Mackenzie Lucier and Kendall Pennington from Princess Margaret Secondary, Eva Braam from Summerland Secondary and Ollie Jaques from Penticton Secondary have each been awarded $2,500. The scholarship annually champions students who combine academic achievement with community involvement. "These young individuals are ou...
Read more...Apprentice Hiring Project supports accessible workplace
September 27, 2023
The work of custom wood framing apprentice Blair Jones is top notch. At work sites he adapts and learns quickly, working alongside colleagues to accomplish tasks. But Blair is unlike most of his peers in the trades in that he is a paraplegic, having endured a spinal cord injury at the age of 17 while mountain biking. As a paraplegic and despite significant skills, Blair has always struggled with accessibility at job sites and employers keeping their word to keep him busy. “Finding career focused work in the trades with a spinal cord inj...
Read more...OneSky Community Resources receives funding to offer free tuition for new Early Childhood Education program at OC’s Penticton Campus
August 10, 2023
OneSky Community Resources, in collaboration with Okanagan College (OC) and the Government of British Columbia, is excited to announce a new Early Childhood Education (ECE) program featuring free tuition and a flexible delivery method for people living in the South Okanagan. The program is designed to help support the childcare industry in the South Okanagan with 15 seats in the free program which begins Aug. 26 at OC’s Penticton campus. Applicants must meet certain criteria to qualify for the funding. “We are thrilled to receive this gen...
Read more...Nearly 30 courses at Okanagan College qualify for B.C. future skills grant toward tuition
July 6, 2023
A new grant offered by the B.C. Government can be used toward nearly 30 short-term skills training courses at Okanagan College this fall, expanding options for people who want to upgrade their skills, advance their careers and pursue in-demand jobs across the region. The $3,500 per person grant was announced earlier this year as part of the Province’s StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan, which invests $480 million into skills training and workforce development. "Every action we are taking is designed to build a better future for people...
Read more...Medicine wheel and traditional teachings inspire OC students preparing for the workplace
June 5, 2023
Okanagan College students preparing for careers as education assistants are benefiting from teaching that goes beyond what you learn from textbooks and in classrooms. Earlier this spring, a seminar led by Dodie Jones, a member of the Splatsin te Secwépemc, introduced students in the Certified Education Assistant Program in Salmon Arm to the medicine wheel, its significance and meaning. The workshop, titled Medicine Wheel and Traditional Teaching – Grounded in Culture, incorporated traditional teachings of the Secwépemc people and the teac...
Read more...OC Associate Dean to join BC Chamber Board
June 2, 2023
Laura Thurnheer, Associate Dean, Okanagan School of Business, was sworn in at the BC Chamber AGM last week in Whistler. Thurnheer, Chamber President in 2007 who has remained an active Former President at the Chamber, was also named the Thompson Okanagan Representative on the BC Chamber Board. Dan Price, current Chair of the Kelowna Chamber Board expressed his pleasure at Thurnheer’s appointment. “I’ve appreciated getting to know Laura and have the greatest respect for her deep business knowledge, and ongoing involvement with all things bus...
Read more...Recognizing extraordinary contributions: Okanagan College names Honorary Fellows for 2023
June 1, 2023
Okanagan College is bestowing its highest honour upon four esteemed residents this spring: Terry Flannigan, Dr. Silvina Mema, Michael Tindall, and Grant Stevens. These distinguished individuals have been selected as 2023 Honorary Fellows in recognition of their remarkable contributions to the fields of philanthropy, health care, community development, and aerospace. “As I reflect on the accomplishments of our honorees, I am struck by the transformative impact each has had on the community,” said Okanagan College President Dr. Neil Fassina....
Read more...College honours Jim Hamilton with Distinguished Service Award
May 31, 2023
Despite retiring as president from Okanagan College in 2021, a role he held for 17 years, the impact Jim Hamilton had as a leader at OC and throughout the region continues to resonate for students, staff and in the community. In recognition of his service, OC will this year award him a Distinguished Service Award, which is presented to employees who have contributed in exemplary and significant ways to the College, and who are active in the broader OC community. “At the time of his retirement, Jim Hamilton was the longest-serving presiden...
Read more...Enactus OC’s Unusually Good Food Co. expands to 19 cities
April 14, 2023
Student entrepreneurs from Okanagan College (OC) are taking their fight against food waste and food insecurity to more businesses throughout Western Canada, as their social enterprise the Unusually Good Food Co. is expanding. With the goal of donating one-million servings of apple chips to children, the Unusually Good Food Co. has formed a partnership with Loblaw Companies Limited, expanding to 19 cities in Western Canada with its line of apple juice. “This is so exciting for our social enterprise to be able to partner with such a well-kn...
Read more...Post-secondary partners to unite early childhood education faculty, policy groups, and others from across Canada to discuss outdoor pedagogy in college ECE programs
April 5, 2023
How does playing outdoors support children’s development and wellness? Why is outdoor play such a powerful conduit for learning? How can we advance curriculum in college programs to empower current and future early childhood educators (ECEs) to view outdoor play as an important part of the children’s day, in all kinds of weather? How are colleges integrating and advancing outdoor pedagogy in their ECE programs? These and other questions will be explored during a unique virtual conference next month that will bring together early childhood...
Read more...Same studies, but worlds apart: OC student enriched by study abroad
April 4, 2023
For one Okanagan College student, studying abroad turned into an opportunity to learn new ways of preserving old traditions in one of the most fast-paced countries in the world. Jillian Seronik, a fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student from Kelowna, travelled to Nisshin, Japan, last term as part of Okanagan College’s mobility program. She had always wanted to do post-secondary studies abroad but her dream of international studies was put on hold by the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, she signed up for mobility updates in the o...
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