Academic News

Each spring, RRC’s Applied Computer Education Department runs Technology Camps for high-school students of all genders and to middle-school girls out of the Exchange District Campus. The camps allow young people to explore different technologies through diverse hands-on activities.

Building connections and bringing learning opportunities

In spring 2019, Red River College staff members, Stephen Jay, Cristy Kubara and Marnie-Leigh Boulet, brought the highly successful Technology Camps to three different schools in Brazil.

This unique opportunity came about after the Chair of ACE, Haider Al-Saidi, went with a delegation to Brazil in the fall of 2018. While there, he made connections with several schools that were interested in bringing the RRC Technology Camps to their students. After some follow-up communication, the camps were scheduled at the Pan American Christian Academy, Metodista Bertioga school and the Metodista school in Sao Paulo.

Similar to the Technology Camps in Winnipeg, the objective of the camps in Brazil was to show students what the Information Technology industry is all about and to potentially get them interested in a career in I.T. The camps also provided students with new material and experiences they may not have otherwise encountered.

The students who attended were a mix of male and female high school students (grade 10-12) and each camp had approximately 25 attendees. The day involved four different sessions that were one hour each, topics included, web development, database development, networking and web security. Stephen Jay taught each camp, while Cristy Kubara and Marnie-Leigh Boulet acted as E.A.’s.

A positive experience for the students

Not only were the camps a positive experience for the students, but the instructors also came away with success stories that made it all worth it for everyone involved. “One of the schools we went to didn’t have a data projector, which meant we had to improvise. I was writing security injections on a whiteboard. Even though the technology was sub-par, the students were helping each other, they were learning and getting it,” recalls Jay. “At another school, there were a group of kids in the back row that were ‘too cool’ to engage. As the day went on, we were able to get their attention through technology.”

“Going to Brazil and meeting all the people was such a wonderful experience,” adds Kubara. “They are so warm and welcoming. The students were so excited and willing to learn. The first thing they would talk about was wondering about how cold it is in Canada, and ‘is it really cold?’ We showed them pictures of the snow and told them how we embrace the winters rather than hide away from it. Most of them said they weren’t afraid of the cold, because it would be a better life for them in Canada.”

At the moment there are no set dates for another round of Technology Camps in Brazil, but the schools and RRC instructors are both hoping to organize something as soon as next spring.

View photos of the Brazil Technology Camps

Three representatives from the Applied Computer Education (ACE) department made the journey to Brazil this spring to participate in a series of meetings and events. The trip comes after a successful visit from the ACE department along with RRC’s International Education office in September 2018.

Stops in Fortaleza, Brasília, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro

Cristy Kubara, Marnie-Leigh Boulet and Stephen Jay went on the follow-up trip in March 2019, stopping in Fortaleza (Northeast), Brasília (Brazil’s capital city, Centre-West), São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (Southeast).

The goal for the ACE department during their trips was to position RRC as the institution of choice for Brazilian students who want to further their studies, specifically in the Information Technology (IT) sector in Winnipeg. On the most recent trip; RRC ACE staff visited four post-secondary institutions, presented their custom designed technology camps to high school students and participated in one of the most popular educational trade shows in Brazil.

They visited the Higher Education Institute of Brasília, the Pan American Christian Academy, Metodista and the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology in Ceará. They explored various collaboration ideas, including joint programs, partnership on applied research activities, academic exchanges, along with special projects and internships for Canadian students.

Another important aspect of the trip was meeting with the Canadian Trade Commissioners to first thank them for the great job they are doing representing Canada in Brazil, and to also learn more about how RRC can enhance the ACE department’s brand in Brazil.

“As this was my first time in Brazil, it was imperative for me to understand what Brazilians want to know when it comes to choosing Canadian institutions for their higher education” said Marnie-Leigh Boulet. “We discovered that the main reason why international students from Brazil choose Canada for higher education is to increase chances of receiving gainful employment upon graduation.”

Raising awareness about ACE programs in Winnipeg

International recruitment fairs in Brazil tend to be very well attended, but most potential students are only familiar with the major cities in Canada, specifically Vancouver and Toronto. “One thing we did find was that while we were promoting our programs and the college, we also had to promote Winnipeg and Manitoba,” said Boulet.

“One of the first things they asked was how cold it was,” added Kubara. Winnipeg is much smaller in comparison to Sao Paulo (population of 19 million people), so many of them liked the idea of Winnipeg.”

The recruitment fairs ended up being a great success, with over 350 connections made with people who are interested in Red River College programs.

Although the trip is over, the work isn’t finished, RRC is currently focused on formalizing a partnership with several Brazilian post-secondary institutions.

Did you know that high blood pressure is the number one risk factor for stroke and a major risk factor for heart disease?

Well on May 15, 2019 our 1st year RRC nursing students sure knew this and wanted to help out their fellow community members here at RRC by hosting a walk-in blood pressure (BP) and pulse (P) checks service. The nursing students did an excellent job, under the supervision of an R.N., of obtaining blood pressure results.

It was wonderful to see that so many people here at RRC took the opportunity and came out to find out what their BP & P readings were. High blood pressure is another name for Hypertension. People often refer to it as the silent killer as someone can have high blood pressure and be asymptomatic.

According to the heart and stroke foundation of Canada (2018):

• High blood pressure is when the blood pressure in your arteries is elevated and your heart has to work harder than normal to pump blood through the blood vessels.

• Blood pressure is a measure of the pressure or force of blood against the walls of your blood vessels (known as arteries). Your blood pressure reading is based on two measures called systolic and diastolic. The systolic (top) number is the measure of the pressure force when your heart contracts and pushes out the blood. The diastolic (bottom) number is the measure of when your heart relaxes between beats.

The table below defines varying blood pressure categories: low risk, medium risk, high risk. See your doctor, healthcare provider, or the 1st year RRC nursing students to get a proper blood pressure measurement.

BLOOD PRESSURE CATEGORIES

Category: Systolic/Diastolic (top number/bottom number)
Low risk: 120 / 80
Medium risk: 121-139 / 80 – 89
High risk: 140+ / 90

Are you at risk of having a heart attack or stroke?

Over one million Canadians have taken the Heart & Stroke’s Risk Assessment. What are you waiting for?

In just 7 minutes you can gain valuable insight, learn your risks, set and track your own personal goals, and add years on your life.

You can start your risk assessment now at: https://ehealth.heartandstroke.ca/?_ga=2.71065168.155464720.1559760799-1620568007.1559011021

Blog written by Stacy Kutcher with information taken from the Heart and Stroke foundation of Canada (2018) website.

Pictures taken by Stacy Kutcher.

I have to say, unlike many graduates, I had a great job before becoming a nurse. I was a mailman. BEST. JOB. EVER. But I wasn’t exactly challenged (dogs notwithstanding) and winters are long. So at 38 I went part time at the post office and started at RRC full time. I graduated in three years after doing my practicum in the ER at St. Boniface. Very cool, very intense. Not for me. I took every instructors’ advice ever and took a position in medicine as a float. I was told I would “build up a good base” and I was told true. In acute medicine you learn ALL the things, I kid you not. But I missed being a mailman and the heart wants what it wants. So when I learned about a nursing job where I get to go outside and wear a bag on my shoulder I jumped to it.

Homecare nurse for the WRHA. Your patients aren’t acutely ill enough for hospital care but need a nurse nonetheless. I got a position in the downtown core and was told/warned that there is “no life like it” (or maybe that was when I joined the army?) and that was accurate. Meeting patients and really getting to know them over the year and a half I worked in the core was memorable to say the least. Most often you do wound care or chronic illness management, but it’s a real mixed bag.

When I started, my new boss said “It’s less technical than the hospital but I swear it’s one of the only nursing jobs you work to the full scope of your practice.” He did not exaggerate. Psych, social, physical, spiritual and on and on. You can’t just poke your head out into the hall and ask “Doc, wanna take a look at this?” You’re the guy (or gal) getting stuff done all by your lonesome and the patient sometimes only has the homecare nurse to rely on. No family, no GP, no nothing.

I most recently switched to the community IV program. It’s part of the same WRHA program but specializes in people who need IV care/medications and wound care. I spend some shifts in the clinic and some in the community, nice balance and I can stay indoors when it’s -30.

What I’d like to say to students that might be helpful is that waaay to often you will see nurses who stay in a job long after they have decided they hate it. Bad for mental health, bad for patients. Find a better fit! Start today! Some nurses LOVE jobs that won’t be for you and you may love a job that other nurses think you’re crazy to love. One of the best things about your new career is that you can do anything you want in virtually any place on Earth, why settle?!

Post written by Derek – CIVP RN – RRC Graduate 2016

Red River College Teacher Education Department hosted the annual Co-op Appreciation Dinner on April 30, 2019 in the Voyager Dinning Room on the Notre Dame Campus. We welcomed teachers and administrators from 52 schools along with the student teachers from Industrial Arts, Technical Vocational and Business Technology programs.

2019 Award Recipients :

Manitoba Teachers’ Society Award – Jule Woitowicz
Business Technology Program Award – Brendan Cwik
Industrial Arts Technology Program Award – Dan Ranson

Arnold Boldt, Bernie Taronno, Kerri Korabelnikov, Dan Ranson, Jule Woitowicz, Justin Pasosky, Brendan Cwik, Kurt Proctor, Daryl McRae

Red River College Teacher Education, Appreciation Dinner

Find out how education and innovation collide

Members of the community are invited for a tour of Red River College’s ACE Project Space on Wednesday, June 12 at 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM.

What can you do on the tour?

• Meet our students, faculty, and staff
• Learn about our Entrepreneur-in-Residence opportunities
• See how our facility can accommodate your projects, workshops, and events
• Investigate opportunities to become an ACE Project Space partner

Register on Eventbrite

Thank you for coming out and learning from our 3rd year nursing students at their annual Health Fair: playing games, learning lots, and taking away treats!

This year’s topics included Lyme Disease, Prostate Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Heart Attack, West Nile Virus, Drowning, and Hepatitis B………Great Job Everyone!

Design student Ayla Manning spent her three week work placement at IKEA in their communication and design department. She was tasked with designing a sustainability mural for their customer recycling area.

“I love Winnipeg, and I love telling stories about Winnipeg. This project was a dream come true – a chance to illustrate all the things I love about Winnipeg plus sustainability for a brand that’s been part of my life since before I could walk.”

“It was daunting, at first, to even think of illustrating on such a large scale. I got a lot of support from the IKEA team who helped me figure out how to think big. They showed me how to work my way up from small sketches to full-sized prints to create the full story.

-Ayla Manning

Stop by the store and see her work near the main entrance. #IKEAWinnipegCoCreate

Sherpa Marketing is one of Canada’s leading technology driven marketing services companies. Our full-service approach allows our experienced guides to lead Sherpa’s customers through needs analysis to strategy development and to the execution of tactics that drive client success.

Your gregarious nature means you are the type of person that people want to be around. Your love of pop-culture and design in general will make a great fit with Sherpa’s culture. You have a keen understanding of the use and application of technology as it pertains to delivering high quality design.

We offer a collaborative, open-concept work environment – sorry, no hiding in a cubicle here. We have a team of designers and staff that are both eager to share their knowledge and learn new skills from you, with projects ranging from small-scale “quickies” to large-scale branding and rollout.

A burning desire to do the best you can within established parameters is a key attribute of all successful Sherpas.

Job Summary & Scope

Reporting to the Art Director, you will work collaboratively with other members of the Sherpa team to create and deliver high quality brand/print/web/mobile/video and application user experiences.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

• Designing, testing, documenting and deploying high performance creative that drives ROI for Sherpa’s clients using a variety of tools and techniques
• Working independently
• Ensuring projects meets company standards
• Deliver tasks within given deadlines and budgets

Required Competencies

• Execute graphic design and production responsibilities in a matter that is both professional and accurate, while adhering to the graphic standards of our clients.
• Work directly on design projects through conception, creation and production creating print and online marketing materials.
• Work on projects that require advanced layout skills and file preparation with a very high degree of accuracy.
• Provide support to other graphic designers on collaborative projects.
• Great portfolio of work
• Creativity
• Excellent communication, time management, troubleshooting, analytical, and interpersonal skills
• Diligence and commitment to Quality Assurance and self-assessment of your own work
• User Experience/User Interface Design for Web/Apps
• Strong typography skills
• A conscientious, hard-working, team-oriented player – we’re a very collaborative
  environment, and there’s no room for big egos or showboats.
• A detail oriented multi-tasker with the ability to switch hats as required
• A problem solver, with the initiative to find new solutions without being asked
• A level-headed approach to work that can operate under pressure and meet deadlines

Technical Requirements

• Adobe Creative Suite – InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator
• Windows
• MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook

Bonus Skills

• Adobe Premiere, After Effects
• Lightroom
• Cinema 4D
• HTML, CSS, WordPress

Other Duties as Required

• Employees are expected to help fill any gaps in work as each person’s capabilities allow.
• Occasional travel may be required

Job Qualifications
Education, Skills and Experience

• Post-secondary diploma/degree in graphic design/digital media
• Flexibility to adapt to a fast-paced, deadline oriented work environment
• Ability to work under pressure, and quickly assimilate large quantities of information
• Detail-oriented
• An optimistic attitude and a willingness to learn
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal and team skills
• A thorough understanding of the creative process

Please submit your CV and portfolio to jcampbell@sherpamarketing.ca​

Imagine finding out you must leave home for weeks or even months to receive essential medical treatment. What do you do? Every year, hundreds of rural and northern Manitobans and Northwest Ontarians learn that their necessary medical treatment for cancer or other life altering conditions are only available in Winnipeg – perhaps hundreds or thousands of kilometres from home.

A Port in the Storm was co-founded by RRC nursing instructor Joanne Loughery and was created so that people needing treatment in Winnipeg do not have to worry about managing an extended stay in costly impersonal accommodations. Rates on furnished suites are kept very low, so guests and family can afford to stay together in a comfortable environment. Home-like affordable settings and a supportive community atmosphere are core values of the organization. Therefore, to provide a restful home for someone pulled away from theirs by illness is an essential activity of the organization.

Joanne Loughery and Anne-Marie Kowatsch

RRC instructor Anne-Marie Kowatsch has recognized the importance of the core values of this organization. Anne-Marie is a member of the River Crazy Quilters. As 2018 approached, this group was looking for a 25th anniversary project, and once a bit of background was presented, A Port in the Storm was chosen unanimously. Some members already had quilts in varying stages of completion; others set to work to complete one or more quilts. The goal was to have a quilt for every suite. One of the Riverview members suggested that the Crescent Fort Rouge church quilting group would be willing to contribute quilts. Carellan Sewing Centre graciously donated their time to machine quilt several of the blankets. A true community spirit for an incredible cause.

This donation illustrates a labour of love and compassion for those who need additional support and the added comforts of home at times of need. A Port in the Storm would like to extend their extreme gratitude for this very special and thoughtful gift.

For additional information on the organization, please visit www.aportinthestorm.ca

Post written by Joanne Loughery and Anne-Marie Kowatsch – Nursing Instructors

Photos by Meagen Chorney – Nursing Instructor