K’nmaĺka? Sənqâĺtən garden
June 1, 2020
Stepping along the bark mulch path of K'nmaĺka? Sənqâĺtən, navigating through the dense brush of salmon berry and olive trees, visitors get a rare opportunity to step into a space filled with traditional plants significant to Syilx Okanagan people.K'nmaĺka? Sənqâĺtən (Kalamalka Garden) is an Indigenous garden created in 2017 through a unique collaboration among the Okanagan Indian Band (Elders and community members), Okanagan College and the Food Action Society of the North...
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Kelowna Mayor, WFN Chief shave their heads for health care
May 29, 2020
With their wives wielding clippers, Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran and Westbank First Nation Chief Christopher Derickson expressed a hint of apprehension for the looming buzz cuts they’d committed to, but not an ounce of regret for the profile they’ve been able to raise for a cause near and dear to their hearts. Both leaders were able to raise more than $10,000 each for Okanagan College’s Haircuts for Health Care campaign and, having met their fundraising goals, met up in the College’s courtyard recently for a physically-distanced buzz...
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Kelowna Chevrolet invests in health professionals
May 28, 2020
Kelowna Chevrolet is investing in future health care professionals, with a $50,000 donation to the Our Students, Your Health campaign for a new Health Sciences Centre at Â黨´«Ă˝ Kelowna Chevrolet Dealer Partner Ian Speckman says he felt a responsibility to support the state-of-the-art Health Sciences Centre that will train health care professionals for the region. “As we’re all realizing, health care professionals are essential for our community,” says Speckman. “This is about supporting students so they can get the rig...
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Contest winner inspired to help others
May 26, 2020
When Brittani Sali answered the phone and learned she was the winner of a $5,000 tuition giveaway contest, she thought she might be dreaming. The 22-year old was just waking up, and she hadn’t been expecting the call from local radio announcer B Mack. Lucky for Sali, winning the tuition giveaway towards any health program at Okanagan College wasn’t a dream. The 22-year old was among one of 80 people who entered the contest, which was sponsored by the Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Fund, in partnership with Virgin Radio and the Ok...
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College’s Camp Â黨´«Ă˝cancelled for 2020
May 25, 2020
COVID-19 concerns are leading Okanagan College to cancel its Camp Â黨´«Ă˝summer camp offerings for 2020. “We have been closely monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation,” said Dr. Dennis Silvestrone, director of Continuing Studies and Corporate Training for Â黨´«Ă˝ “And given what we understand about safety and limitations, we have made the decision to cancel Camp Â黨´«Ă˝this summer.” “It is a very difficult decision for us, and one made with the best interests of all our campers, students, staff and our surrounding communities...
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Okanagan College hosts virtual info session on Tourism Management diploma program
May 25, 2020
Set at the foot of the picturesque Columbia Mountains and home to a growing array of four-season tourism operators and activities, where better to advance your career in the tourism industry than Revelstoke? On May 27, prospective students can attend a virtual information session to learn more about Okanagan College’s Tourism Management diploma. The program, which debuted last year, is set for a September start at the College’s Revelstoke Centre and combines hands-on learning in the tourism sector with applied business courses. ...
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College’s Therapist Assistant program earns new national accreditation
May 22, 2020
As career goals go, what could be more meaningful than improving someone’s quality of life? For therapist assistants, it’s more than a goal, it’s a daily reality – and you’ll find these in-demand health professionals supporting people’s rehabilitation in a vast array of settings. This spring, Okanagan College’s Therapist Assistant Diploma (TAD) program – which has been educating Physical therapist assistants (PTA), Occupational therapist assistants (OTA) and Recreation therapist assistants (RTA) for almost 30 years – has earned a...
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Drawing together: College and industry gather virtually to celebrate animation students
May 21, 2020
If there was ever a time to get animated, this was it – albeit with a virtual twist.While COVID-19 may have altered the format for the ceremony, it couldn’t dampen the excitement as studios from across the valley joined Okanagan College this week in recognizing the newest soon-to-be grads from its Animation diploma program.At the Â黨´«Ă˝Animation department’s second-annual Industry Night on May 13, a group of second-year students on their way to graduation and first-year students who have now crossed the half-way mark of their program w...
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Meet Justina LeeStolz
May 15, 2020
Justina LeeStolz is a real estate professional in the Okanagan and also runs several passion projects. One of those projects is the 100AwesomePeople project that LeeStolz launched to celebrate the many awesome people in the community. The project, podcast and YouTube channel highlight the businesses and side hustles that have gone to great lengths to make a social impact in the Okanagan. Many of the awesome people that LeeStolz has highlighted are fellow Â黨´«Ă˝alums, and staf...
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Haircuts fundraiser grows new support
May 12, 2020
Kelowna Mayor and WFN Chief shaving their heads for a cause In dire need of a haircut and wanting to support the training of future health care professionals, some big names are joining the Okanagan College Foundation’s Haircuts for Health Care initiative. Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran and Westbank First Nation Chief Christopher Derickson are committing to dealing with their unruly self-isolation hair by shaving their heads, and in doing so, raising vital funds to help open the doors to a state-of-the-art new Health Sciences Centre a...
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