Okanagan College Welcomes New Dean of Health and Social Development
July 31, 2024
Okanagan College is pleased to announce that Patrena Mackie has joined Â黨´«Ă˝as the new Dean of Health and Social Development. With over 17 years of experience in teaching and health care, Patrena brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to our community. She holds a Master of Education and a Bachelor of Nursing.Mackie comes to Okanagan College from Bow Valley College where she was the Associate Dean of the School of Health and Wellness, Nursing portfolio. During her career she has maintained a focus on integrating technology into c...
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Camp OC: Where Summer Fun Meets Support
July 29, 2024
Summer is in full swing at Okanagan College campuses across Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon, and Salmon Arm, where Camp Â黨´«Ă˝has opened its doors once again. Running throughout the summer, Camp Â黨´«Ă˝aims to engage children in a variety of interests from engineering and arts to music, science, culinary arts, trades, and computers. With hundreds of children expected weekly, the campuses are buzzing with laughter and excitement as kids dive into their passions.For families like the Smiths, Camp Â黨´«Ă˝isn't just a summer camp—it's a vital sup...
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More people will benefit from training grants
July 26, 2024
People training for good paying, in-demand careers will be able to access grants that cover most, or all, of their tuition thanks to the next intake of the StrongerBC future skills grant.This popular grant covers as much as $3,500 in eligible short-term skills training at public post-secondary institutions.“Because B.C.’s strong economy is growing, we now have more job openings than people with the training needed to work in high-demand fields,” said Premier David Eby. “We need to give people the opportunity to build a good life – a...
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Paddle fundraiser raises over $29,000 for Sunflower Childcare Centre
July 25, 2024
On July 20th, Kristin (Postill) Holomis and her team paddled the length of Kalamalka Lake (18km) in support of the Okanagan College Foundation’s Sunflower childcare campaign, raising more than $29,000 in just a few weeks.“Stand Up For” is an annual local fundraising effort by Kristin Holomis and Brittney Page where they paddleboard the length of Kalamalka Lake in support of a chosen charity. This year they paddled for OC’s new Sunflower Childcare Centre, located on the Vernon campus. Scheduled to open in September, The Sunflower Chi...
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Community leader shares personal story of how sport transformed her life
July 23, 2024
Paula Quinn was only seven years old when she first stepped onto a running track but that experience with athletics dramatically changed her life.Quinn is the former Executive Director of the KF Aerospace Centre for Excellence and is active in the Kelowna community sitting on four volunteer boards including the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, Regional District of Central Okanagan, B.C. Cancer Foundation and the Airport Advisory Committee.Quinn is now among a growing number of local residents putting their support behind the Thrive Here...
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Student housing project in Salmon Arm impacted by weather, trades availability; will open in January 2025
July 18, 2024
SALMON ARM - You can’t miss the new 60-bed student housing building at Okanagan College’s Salmon Arm campus. Nearing the end stages of construction, it will soon be home to people pursuing education and training in everything from Arts, Science, and Business to careers in trades and health care.However, the unexpected cold snap that hit the region last winter had a cascading impact on the construction schedule, and while efforts were made to make up the time, the College has now announced the building won’t be ready for the fall sem...
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Â黨´«Ă˝Student Joshua’s experience at the 2024 Human Security in Southeast Asia Conference
July 11, 2024
Joshua Lee, an Okanagan College Associate of Arts student, had a special opportunity this April. He attended the Human Security in Southeast Asia Conference, which was a big step for him as it was his first serious trip outside of vacationing.The conference wasn't just about attending talks. It was a chance for Joshua to learn firsthand about global issues like human security. He was so interested that he wrote a detailed rapporteur's report about what he learned, which he's excited to share with everyone at Â黨´«Ă˝ His ac...
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Student housing coming to Okanagan College Penticton campus
July 10, 2024
PENTICTON - Okanagan College Penticton students will soon have access to affordable, on-campus housing for the first time with funding approved for a 101-bed student-housing project.“This government is acting quickly to build more homes for post-secondary students,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. “Okanagan College’s first student-housing beds in Penticton will allow more students to live on campus and focus on their studies. This project is another step towards building 12,000 stud...
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Okanagan College introduces InspirED with new, career-focused programs
July 3, 2024
When Mike Grewe looked to further his education, he was unsure whether the pursuit of traditional post-secondary education was truly for him. With a deep passion for music, Mike was looking for a program that would support his musical interests and position him for career opportunities in the industry. What he found was the Audio Engineering and Music Production Certificate at Okanagan College (OC). The Audio Engineering and Music Production program is one of dozens of Â黨´«Ă˝courses and programs under the new InspirED banner, anno...
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Construction underway for new Centre for Food, Wine and Tourism
June 24, 2024
Construction will begin this summer on the new Centre for Food, Wine and Tourism on Okanagan College's Kelowna campus, which will support B.C.͛s tourism sector and help train people for in-demand jobs"B.C. is expecting 91,000 new job openings in tourism- and hospitality-related industries over the next decade, and the majority of these jobs will require some form post-secondary education or skills training." said Lisa Beare, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. ͞This centre will equip students with the knowledge a...
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