Wider Horizons


After countless hours in the classroom, in the library, in front of a computer and in between, students at Lethbridge College get the chance and the challenge to put their newfound skills to the test in their final projects. These glimpses into some of the college’s capstone projects illustrate just how much and how quickly students here move from novice to know-it-all – whether they are studying interior design, environmental science or information technology.

FINAL PROJECTS: Research in Reality

Andrea Nelson and Tanna Ross stood in front of their classmates last spring to talk about a problem.

They focused on the 1995 flood that devastated Pincher Creek and discussed the history of flooding in the area. The two talked about what it meant to the residents and business people, to farmers and ranchers. They explained why flooding happened and how destructive water – in the wrong places – could be.

And then they started to talk about solutions.

Like their other classmates in their environmental science applied research class, Nelson and Ross not only saw the problems – but they used the knowledge they gained in their two years at the college to suggest ways of solving those problems. In this case, they talked about flooding prevention methods, levees and dykes, spillways, reservoirs, seasonal dams, retention ponds and more. They had studied how these solutions work and what their challenges are; seasonal dams, for example, affect fish migration.

In the end, Nelson and Ross said their research showed that gabion walls – rectangular containers or baskets made of thick galvanized wire filled with stone and stacked on one another – seemed to be the best option for continued flood control in Pincher Creek.

The two were among 21 environmental science students who presented their research to their classmates and instructors last spring. Many of the second-year students already had job offers, while others had already been accepted to continue their studies at four-year institutions. They spoke on topics including the best types of asphalt to use on roads, environmentally-friendly ways to retrofit a home, and the advantages and disadvantages of sawn lumber compared to engineered laminated lumber.

These kinds of projects – taking the theories and ideas discussed earlier in their Lethbridge College careers and applying them to real world problems – give students a taste of what’s to come in their professional life. As Nelson, Ross and their classmates can attest – that future looks fantastic.

FINAL PROJECTS: No Shortcuts Allowed

The clients were real for the second-year computer information technology students.

And so were the headaches.

“It was an eye-opening experience,” said Isaac Argueta, who grew up in Acadia Valley, AB, and worked on a program for the college’s Testing Services office. “We thought we had everything related to the site planned out. We thought that everything we discussed would be sufficient. We were wrong.”

So the team went back to work and corrected their errors. In the end, they and the two other groups – one who worked on a project for the Lethbridge Public Library and another who did a project for the college’s Be Fit For Life centre – presented their projects to industry leaders and were praised for their efforts.

The projects are an essential part of the educational experience for the students. The Computer Information Technology faculty instituted this capstone program to have a system in place for students to work with real-life clients. Faculty members remind the students that they can’t take shortcuts on these projects.

Instead, the students need to learn to meet the business needs of the client – and at the end of the day, the client will sign-off on the project.

The students spent the previous semesters learning about software development, networking and web development, e-commerce and information systems management.

They had to draw on all of these skills as they embarked on the assignments that taught them how to manage and build the complex systems the world relies on.

Peter Carpenter of Lethbridge, who worked as the project manager on the Testing Services project, described it as “a pretty amazing experience.” Carpenter, who said he received a job offer before graduation through his practicum experience, said he worked with driven and motivated classmates to produce “an outstanding program that could potentially be used by thousands of students and staff.”

As satisfying as the experience was, he recalled feeling a complete range of emotions during the project.

“There were many moments of frustration (why won’t this work?!),” he said, “and many of relief (ohhhh that’s why), many of confusion (this worked earlier), many of exhaustion (it’s 3 a.m., maybe we should go home), many of defiance (nah, let’s just grab a Monster and some A&W), many of danger (my girlfriend is gonna KILL me), and one of exhilaration... when we finished.”

FINAL PROJECTS: Your Style, Your Design

Armed with measuring tapes, pencils, paper and ideas, second-year interior design students visit Lethbridge Centre ready to tackle the major project assigned to them in Retail Design Studio, a practical hands-on course that focuses on how to plan and orchestrate innovative designs for retail stores.

Working in groups at the start, the students take note of elements such as size, wall space, flooring, lighting and more, and then break off to do individual design projects based on their findings. Each student creates a fictional retailer and goes through the entire design process for a retail space.

Instructor Leona Rousseau watches eagerly as her students measure the space, analyze limitations, produce drawings and create a retail design concept from scratch. She knows full well the value of simulating real-life projects in the classroom.

The benefits of practical experience are not lost on the students either. “I can do all the things I didn’t think I could do before,” says Mariah Duval. “I can draw. I can render. I can think in 3-D. I can do all these different things. I am way more visual now. It’s taught me a lot.”

Duval and her classmates Naama Messer and Jessica Johnson agree that projects like the one they completed in Retail Design Studio have equipped them with the skills and knowledge that will be required for the tasks ahead.

Recalling challenges such as measuring a space for the first time and learning about design limitations due to structural makeup, Messer says, “I feel very prepared to go out into the world now.” Messer and Johnson are both entering the commercial design field and Duval recently started working as an interior design assistant at Avonlea Homes.

The students in the Retail Design Studio display their final projects for the college community each April. This spring, Rousseau asked the General Manager at Park Place Mall, Kevin Brees, and General Manager of Lethbridge Centre, Grace Duff, to assist her as judges to select the top three retail projects. Duval, Messer and Johnson produced this year’s winning designs.

Brees and Duff were impressed with the projects and dedication shown by the students. “I noticed almost immediately the quality and detail of some of the work,” says Brees. “Clearly you could see the passion that some of the students have.”


Brees and Duff recognize the importance of hands-on projects and their ability to bridge the gap between theory and application. “It gives them the opportunity to grasp and understand the depth of detail required for such projects,” says Duff. “It allows them to experience it and determine what excites them about the project.”
Wider Horizons
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