Wider Horizons

Even in the midst of the pandemic, there was no shortage of news happening on campus this fall. For all the details, check out lethbridgecollege.ca/news. In the meantime, these headlines hint at some of the innovations, adaptations and successes the campus experienced these past four months.

AG SCIENCES PROGRAM HAS NEW OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS

The Agriculture Sciences program now includes a common first year that will introduce students to the basics of agriculture, such as botany, animal science, commodity marketing, soils, sustainable agriculture and communications. Students will then select from one of three majors in their second year – agronomy, animal science or a recently introduced agriculture business option. Previously, students had to choose a major prior to their first year of study.

VXR PROGRAM PROVIDES SOLUTION  FOR NATIONAL EVENT

Leaders in supply chain technology from across Canada came together in September  to discuss innovations – in a virtual experience created by Lethbridge College students and faculty.

NEW NESA CURRICULUM IS RESULT OF COLLABORATION AND CONSULTATION

Lethbridge College’s innovative and collaborative four-year Nursing Education in Southwestern Alberta (NESA) program has undergone a thorough review and overhaul of its curriculum to ensure it is best meeting the contemporary needs of Canadians. The new curriculum, introduced this fall, is the first major redevelopment of the NESA curriculum since the program launched in 2002, and all  25 courses in the NESA BN program are new.

NEW TOOL TURNS STUDENTS’ WORK INTO REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE

The college has signed a partnership agreement with Riipen, a Canadian technology platform that facilitates micro-experiential learning opportunities by connecting students to industry partners. Students can work directly with an industry partner to complete work that benefits the partner, while also tying into the program curriculum, counting towards their classwork and academic outcomes.

CORE COMPETENCIES HELP PREPARE STUDENTS TO BE EMPLOYMENT-READY

Lethbridge College has developed a set of Student Core Competencies to help prepare students to be ready to enter today’s workforce – one that demands they are not just technically skilled but are also flexible, innovative and strong team players. Proficiency in each core competency will be recognized with a digital badge from Lethbridge College that can be added to resumes, portfolios or social media sites,  such as LinkedIn.

 

Out in the Field

Lethbridge College first-year Natural Resource Compliance students recently took part in a small-scale bioengineering project with the City of Lethbridge and Oldman Watershed Council. The students got hands-on experience performing active willow and cottonwood restoration, taking plants harvested from Botterill Bottom Park and moving them into Alexander Wilderness Park.

 

 

 

Student snapshot receives international recognition

This majestic moose was captured on camera by Natural Resource Compliance student Matthew Henry. The photo, entitled “Snow Moose,” was selected from more than 50,000 entries to be part of the “highly commended” category for the ages 15 to 17 category of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year event hosted by the Natural History Museum in London, England. Henry says he took the photo when he and his parents were on a drive on Thanksgiving weekend in 2018. While waiting in the car, he spotted the moose in the snow as it drank from a puddle. Every few seconds, the animal looked around, its head contrasted against its dark, wet fur. Henry experimented with shutter speeds to capture both the snowfall and the details of the moose’s face. “The instant I pressed the shutter,” he recalled, “I knew that I had captured something special.” Henry says it was an “incredible honour” to receive this recognition. “I have always admired the amazing photographers featured by this competition each year, and now to be among their ranks is an unbelievable feeling,” he says. “I am so thrilled that my image will travel the world, being displayed in the most notable museums and galleries on every continent other than Antarctica. I have always wanted my photography to inspire people to develop their own passion for nature and get outdoors.”

 

College mourns passing of foundational faculty members

Wider Horizons learned of the passing of two instructors who played significant roles in helping build programs that are still thriving today.

Chris Crosthwaite, who helped build the Culinary program in the early 1990s along with Chef Charles Parker, passed away in November at the age 60, “after an unrelentingly optimistic journey with cancer,” according to his obituary. “His family was with him throughout and at the end — embracing him with their own unconditional love.” Chef Doug Overes, chair of Culinary Careers, said he considered Chef Chris a mentor and a friend. Special thanks go out to graduate Dayna Tilleman for letting the college community know of his passing.

 

Albert (Al) Laplante, a key figure in Lethbridge College’s Civil Engineering Technology program, passed away in October at age 82. Described by a former colleague as the godfather of Civil Engineering at the college, Laplante came to the college in 1983 and was the founding chair of the Civil Engineering program when it opened that fall. His devotion to Lethbridge College students never waned. At retirement in 2000, he established the Al Laplante Scholarship for Civil Engineering Technology students, recognizing academic excellence in a student’s first year of the program. His family invites anyone wishing to honour his memory to make a donation to this scholarship fund.

 

Indigenous Coding Camp

A training opportunity that happened on the  campus over the summer involved teens who  came from the Blood Reserve to take a  computer coding camp through Corporate and Continuing Education (CCE). The students trained for a full week in  the college’s computer lab. At the end of the  program, they received iPads given by an anonymous donor to Lethbridge College’s CCE specifically to inspire lifelong learning and provide skills for the jobs of the future. “The computer coding camp was a beneficial career exposure camp for the Blood Tribe youth,” says Levi Little Mustache, youth programs officer with Blood Tribe Employment and Skills Training. “It opened their eyes to the potential opportunities of a career within computer coding, while giving them new valuable technical skills.”

 

Campus Kudos

Congratulations to the following Lethbridge College  community members for going above and beyond in their life, work and community. Here are some highlights of  their successes these past four months:

  • Dr. Paula Burns, Lethbridge College’s President and CEO, was appointed chair of Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) in October for a two-year term. In this new position, she will continue advocating on behalf of Canada’s publicly supported colleges, institutes, cegeps and polytechnics.
  • Tannis Chartier, a Therapeutic Recreation – Gerontology student, created a program called Resilient Art YQL, which gives users of the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen a meaningful leisure activity that also raises money for basic needs such as food.
  • Tannis Chartier, a Therapeutic Recreation – Gerontology student, created a program called Resilient Art YQL, which gives users of the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen a meaningful leisure activity that also raises money for basic needs such as food.
  • Erin Olsen, who was an instructor at Lethbridge College,  was named a judge for the Provincial Court of Alberta, south region in November. Photo courtesy The Lethbridge Herald

 

Did you know...

…that Lethbridge College’s Conservation Connection segment, which is a cornerstone of the Trigger Effect TV show, is now also being featured weekly on the Safari Club website? Check out the first episode with Everett Hanna at learn.lc/conservation. The Conservation Connection segment features updates from researchers, biologists, and other wildlife professionals as they connect the dots between hunting and conservation in an informative and entertaining way.

Wider Horizons
N/A
Original Publication Date:
Category