Anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and healing through art; the focus for Mental Illness Awareness Week  

Winnipeg, MB – As the saying goes, “art is not what you see, but what you make others see,” and this week, Red River College (RRC) will invite artists from Artbeat Studio to exhibit their work and provide staff and students with opportunities to see and understand the realities of mental illness on campus during Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW).

Through the College’s Healthy Minds Healthy College initiative many different educational events, in addition to ArtBeat Studio exhibits, have been sketched out to help raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.

Sessions taking place this week include learning to cope with student anxiety offered by the Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba, and a presentation from the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society focused on increasing knowledge about schizophrenia and psychosis.

“As a post-secondary institution focused on the health and well-being of staff and students, Mental Illness Awareness Week is an important initiative for the College to be engaged in,” said RRC’s Mental Health Coordinator, Breanna Sawatzky. “Our priority is to create opportunities for the entire college community to learn more about mental health through education, and foster a safe, responsive and supporting environment to talk about mental illness and how it impacts those who we study and work with.”

This year’s program will also expand on previous initiatives to continue to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and promote and create more awareness around the many community supports and programs that are also available to staff and students.

“We are pleased to join Red River College this year for Mental Illness Awareness Week, and offer opportunities for students to speak to our alumni about how art can save lives,” said Christine Strike, Community Projects Coordinator at Artbeat Studio. “Our vision is to talk to those experiencing mental illness and say it’s okay to take a pause in life and go through a program like Artbeat Studio, and engage in artistic expression, which we believe promotes recovery, empowerment and community.”

“It’s imperative to create a dialogue around mental illness to reduce the stigma and show people they are not alone,” said Strike. “We commend Red River College for their continued work to foster a community of understanding and support around mental health, and we look forward to sharing our stories and art with staff and students this week.”

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is a weeklong public education campaign running from October 1 – 7, and was designed to help open the eyes of Canadians to the reality of mental illness – which according to reports from the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, in any given year 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental health problem or illness.

Red River College’s Healthy Minds Healthy College Initiative aims to develop an environment of support and provide a sense of well-being, belonging, connectedness, and positive mental health for all students, faculty and staff to elevate their potential. Learn more at http://www.rrc.ca/mindit

-30-

Red River College MIAW events include:

Tuesday October 3:

• Artbeat Exhibit — Notre Dame Campus (NDC) 12-2pm, Library Hallway

Wednesday October 4:

• Coping with Anxiety – Notre Dame Campus 12-1pm, Orange Lecture Theatre
• Coping with Anxiety – Exchange District Campus (EDC) 12-1pm, P107, Roblin Centre

Thursday October 5:

• ArtBeat Exhibit — EDC 12-2pm, Roblin Centre Atrium
• All About Schizophrenia — NDC 11am-12pm, White Lecture Theatre

New Nurse Prescriber Program now Accepting Registrations at Red River College 

For immediate release: September 28, 2017

Red River College is now accepting applications for its new Nurse Prescriber Program, which will train nurses for advanced career opportunities in health care while assisting practicing registered nurses to meet the new requirements mandated by provincial legislation.

The Manitoba government announced last month that it would be bringing the registered nursing profession into the Regulated Health Profession Act (RHPA), effective May 31, 2018, and creating a new designation – the Registered Nurse Authorized Prescriber or RN (AP). The goal is to increase access to safe and effective health care in Manitoba.

RRC’s new advanced certificate program meets the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba educational requirement for the new role of RN (AP) as set out in legislation. An RN (AP) will have the competencies and authority to prescribe certain medications and order screening and diagnostic tests in a defined area of practice.

“Red River College had to move quickly to help nurses and their employers adapt to the new requirements of provincial legislation – particularly those RNs who are currently working as prescribers and will now need to meet the new requirements,” said Christine Watson, vice president Academic, RRC.

“Our nursing department worked closely with the province, Manitoba nurses, the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba, and health care facilities in order to have this new program in place for the current academic year – and well in advance of the changes coming into effect. I want to commend our nursing department for its responsiveness and for its leadership in ensuring Manitoba nurses have the training options they need in order to meet the new requirements.”

RRC is currently offering two pre-requisites to this program – Pharmacology for Nurses and Health Assessment/Prescriber, and these two courses will be offered three times per year going forward in order to provide Manitoba nurses and students with flexible training options.

The Nurse Prescriber Program is available to any current registered nurse practicing across the province and its theory sections are completed primarily through distance training. Theory components are complemented by 160 hours of supervised clinical practicum.

Additionally, nurses have the option to specialize in one of two streams:

Travel Health: Nurses who specialize in this stream will gain knowledge specific to how diseases are developed, the concepts of immunology and medications used to prevent and treat travel health diseases and conditions. Students will also learn how their foundational knowledge can be applied to the components of the nursing process including assessment of travel health.

Reproductive Health/Sexually Transmitted or Blood-Born Infections: Nurses who specialize in this stream will gain knowledge specific to how diseases are developed, concepts of immunology and the safe assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of specific reproductive and STBBI conditions. In addition, students will learn preventative practice measures and best practices in ongoing monitoring of clients.

For more information about the program click here.

RRC’s Culinary Institute Now LEED Gold Certified

WINNIPEG, MB – Mayor Brian Bowman and Red River College (RRC) President and CEO Paul Vogt traded their suits and ties for aprons and baker’s hats – joining RRC’s Professional Baking and Patisserie students in the kitchen to twist, shape and celebrate the five-year anniversary of the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute with a friendly pretzel-making bake-off.

The duo were joined by Suzanne Gessler, a proud alumni and owner of The Pennyloaf Bakery, a small-batch artisan bakery on Corydon. Gessler coached Bowman and Vogt as they artfully created their own take on a pretzel, while sharing her experiences as a baker and business owner after changing course in her career as a social worker and attending Red River College’s successful culinary institute.

Gessler, who graduated from the Professional Baking and Patisserie program in 2014, is one of 618 graduates who have walked through the doors of PGI since it became the new home to RRC’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts in Winnipeg’s Exchange District during the 2012/13 academic year.

“Today we celebrate not only the tremendous impact the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute has had on education in our city, but also the positive impact of the College’s expansion into the Exchange District,” said Paul Vogt, RRC’s president and CEO. “Restoring heritage buildings and bringing thousands of students and staff to the area has sparked new economic activity and helped revitalize this iconic community.”

Before it was restored by Red River College, PGI was home to the Union Bank Tower, Winnipeg’s first and oldest skyscraper – and at one time, the tallest building in the Dominion of Canada. Today, this newly-certified LEED Gold building houses RRC’s culinary, hospitality and baking programs and serves as a home away from home to many students. PGI contains the the College’s first-ever student residence, which is operating at full capacity this year.

PGI is a key part of RRC’s Exchange District Campus (EDC), which also includes the Roblin Centre on Princess Street. This campus will undergo a massive expansion in the coming years with the construction of a new 100,000-square foot Innovation Centre. Fundraising efforts to build the new state-of-the-art facility are now underway.

“Red River College continues to be a strong anchor and foundation supporting growth and revitalization of our downtown and the Exchange District,” said Mayor Brian Bowman. “It’s great to celebrate the five year anniversary of the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute, a building that continues to help to foster round-the-clock activity, and it’s great to see people increasingly recognizing the Exchange as a place to visit, live, and spend money.”

Since moving to the Exchange District, the number of graduates from RRC’s culinary and hospitality programs has increased by almost 30 per cent, and 92-100 per cent of students who pursue careers in these industries find employment in the first six-months after graduation. The Exchange District area continues to be home to new restaurants – many opened by RRC grads.

PGI is also home to RRC’s growing Culinary Research & Innovation (CRI) program, which offers product development services to industry and researchers, along with testing and demonstration platforms. One important goal is to help develop new innovative uses for locally grown food and support Manitoba’s agricultural and food industry.

Today, the CRI team talked to students about working with local business The Pretzel Place, and showcased the research they have done to find innovative ways to improve the browning of pretzels and develop new seasoning blends. This creates a link for students to see firsthand how the skills and knowledge they are learning in the lab today can be applied later on when working within the food research industry, and helping local food service companies.

Demand for culinary research and innovation is increasing – the program has been involved in about 40 industry projects over the last few years with organizations such as the Manitoba Pulse and Soy Growers, Granny’s Poultry, Food Development Centre, and MSPrebiotic Inc.

Recently, Culinary Research & Innovation worked with Piccola Cucina on the development of a Hemp Macaroon, which won the silver medal for best new food product earlier this week at the Great Manitoba Food Fight 2017.

“It’s an exciting time to be a part of the culinary community in Winnipeg – thanks in large part to the role RRC’s Paterson GlobalFoods Institute has played in training and inspiring many of our city’s finest culinary minds,” said Vogt. “I am honoured to be here today, celebrating with our distinguished guests, instructors, faculty members, and Manitoba’s up-and-coming chefs and bakers in this building who will continue to innovate, create, and change the world of food for generations to come.”

What started as an English language training partnership 30 years ago has grown into an opportunity for students in Northern China’s largest city to harness advanced skills in three top industries.

This week six delegates from the Shenyang Institute of Engineering (SIE) are visiting Red River College (RRC) to continue growing that relationship and receive a tour of RRC’s Exchange District Campus and Paterson GlobalFoods Institute. The delegates were greeted by RRC President and CEO Paul Vogt at the college’s Notre Dame Campus Monday morning.

The relationship began in 1987 when RRC and SIE exchanged staff and faculty to offer English language training at the SIE campus in Northern China.

Since 2010, students in Shenyang have been able to enroll in a joint degree program for Electrical Engineering Technology, Power Engineering Technology or Hospitality and Tourism Management. These students have the option of completing the entire program in Shenyang, over a period of three years, with curriculum provided by RRC. Another option is to complete their first two-years of study in China and travel to Winnipeg for the final year of their program.

The partnership has grown steadily and now more than 1,000 Chinese students are enrolled in the joint program between RRC and SIE for the 2017/2018 academic year.

“It’s connections like this that really put Red River College, and Winnipeg, on the map as a hub for the engineering and hospitality industries,” said Paul Vogt, president and CEO of Red River College. “The hands-on learning students receive on campus is crucial to their success and we’re happy to be able share that with our partners in Shenyang.”

One of China’s primary industrial centers, Shenyang (population: 8.1 million) is home to some of the country’s leading firms in the aerospace, heavy machinery, defense, automotive, electronics, and software sectors. It is an industrial center and transportation hub for Northeast China, and also the largest political, economic, and cultural center of the region.

“This 30-year joint partnership records the generational dedication to international education,” said Professor Song Huanbin, Chancellor of the Shenyang Institute of Engineering. “Two years ago we made the decision to extend this partnership for another 10 years, and last year our application received the approval from the Ministry of Education (in China). We are confident in expanding and upgrading the cooperation to a new level, which creates a strong model for China-Canada joint partnerships.”

While in Winnipeg the delegates will also visit Assiniboine Park and Zoo and receive a tour of the city’s cultural landmarks. The visit will culminate with a 30th Anniversary Celebration dinner at Jane’s Restaurant, featuring a menu prepared by RRC students.

Red River College currently has international partnerships with institutions in China, Japan and India. These partnerships allow highly qualified international students to fill available seats in full-time, ESL and continuing education programs and brings opportunities to academic departments for faculty exchanges, sharing of academic expertise and practices.

For immediate release: September 11, 2017

WINNIPEG, MB – Due to a Manitoba Hydro power outage, Red River College’s Notre Dame Campus is closed and all daytime and evening classes at the Notre Dame Campus will be cancelled.

Regular operations are expected to resume on Tuesday, September 12, 2017. All other campuses remain open today.

-30-

New scholarship to provide support for Red River College students living with schizophrenia

For immediate release: August 9, 2017

Seventy per cent of people living with schizophrenia wish to pursue post-secondary education and gain employment, but only 30 per cent are in the workforce due to lack of opportunity and stigma. Research suggests that creating pathways to post-secondary education can result in many positive outcomes and bridge that gap.

Beginning this year, Red River College students living with schizophrenia will have the chance to apply for a new scholarship that is available to Manitoba students currently pursuing post-secondary education. This new scholarship will provide some financial relief in the form of $1,000.

Through Red River College’s Healthy Minds Healthy College Initiative, RRC is encouraging its students enrolled in programs at any of its nine campuses across the province to apply for this opportunity.

“A large part of the recovery process for a person living with schizophrenia, or any mental illness, is being able to access post-secondary education, said Chris Summerville, executive director of the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society (MSS).  “There are barriers that can stand in the way. This can include stigma, financial burden, lack of accommodation and other issues. The importance of post-secondary education is perhaps even greater for students with a mental illness.”

Summerville added that in most jurisdictions, employment rates for people with disabilities, including mental illness, are lower than those of the general population, but research suggests the disparity can be reduced by education.

This new scholarship was developed in partnership with The Otsuka-Lundbeck Alliance and Manitoba Schizophrenia Society (MSS). The Yes 2 Me program is designed to reward those young people who are pursuing their educational goals, confidently building a better self and working towards a bright future.

“Red River College and our Healthy Minds Healthy College Strategy seeks to promote wellness, recovery and resilience while inclusively meeting needs of students, faculty and staff living with mental illness,” said Laureen Janzen, manager of Counselling and Accessibility Services at RRC. “As well, individuals living with schizophrenia, with supports and accommodations offered through our services, have the opportunity to pursue their post-secondary academic and career goals, achieve success and contribute to the community at large.”

MSS and Otsuka-Lundbeck Alliance are also providing two additional $1,000 scholarships to Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) First Nations and Inuit peoples who are pursuing post-secondary education while living with schizophrenia.

“At Lundbeck and Ostuka, we believe that students living with schizophrenia should not have to worry about access to higher education and we hope that the Yes 2 Mescholarship program will allow them to pursue their dreams,” said Maxime Rouleau, Stakeholder Manager, Otsuka Canada Pharmaceutical Inc.

Eligible students are encouraged to apply before August 31, 2017 using this application form.

-30-

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must:
· be a resident of Manitoba
· be diagnosed with schizophrenia
· complete a Scholarship Application package

And be enrolled in:
· High School equivalency programs
· College, trade or vocational programs
· Bachelor or Graduate degrees

Schizophrenia Facts:
· Schizophrenia is a form of psychosis and typically begins between the ages of 15 and 25.
· While the biggest myth, violence is not a symptom of schizophrenia. People with schizophrenia are far more likely to harm themselves than to be violent toward the public.
· Four out of ten people with schizophrenia attempt suicide with 10% dying by suicide due to the losses associated with and the impact of mental illness.
· Schizophrenia is treatable and recovery possible! Many people with schizophrenia can lead rewarding and meaningful lives in their communities.

For More information contact:
Sangeetha Nair
Manitoba Schizophrenia Society
204-588-8310
sangeethanair.b@gmail.com

Red River College’s Language Training Centre Summer Institute celebrates five years of providing cultural and educational experience for international students.

For immediate release: August 8, 2017

Today, more than 30 international students attending Red River College’s (RRC) Language Training Centre’s Summer Institute put their language training into practice, and got a taste of Manitoba’s passion for sport at the 2017 Canada Summer Games women’s volleyball prairie match between Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The students and instructors are visiting Winnipeg between July 31 – August 11 from the Shenyang Institute of Engineering in Liaoning, China, and the Shaanxi Polytechnic Institute in Shaanxi, China to enhance and gain confidence using their English language skills.

“We are pleased to once again welcome international students and instructors to Red River College’s Summer Institute for the fifth year – most of whom are visiting Canada for the first time,” said Paul Vogt, President and CEO of RRC and member of the 2017 Canada Summer Games Board of Directors. “This program is essential to our continued work building relationships with educational institutions overseas and showcasing the bright future Red River College and the province of Manitoba can offer future international students.”

The focus of the Summer Institute is to balance fun and interactive classroom sessions at RRC with outings to some of the city’s most popular attractions, while helping students build confidence by using English in the classroom and in everyday situations. Since arriving in Winnipeg, students have enjoyed site visits to RRC’s three campuses in Winnipeg, and enjoyed learning excursions to CF Polo Park, Assiniboine Park, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Canada Summer Games, and Winnipeg’s Folklorama.

The Shenyang Institute of Engineering is one of RRC’s longest standing partnerships – dating back 30 years. Nearly a decade ago, the two institutions signed a cooperative agreement to establish a joint-diploma program, where students pursuing careers in the fields of electrical engineering, power engineering or hospitality management are given the opportunity to complete the final year of their studies at Red River College. The Summer Institute came to fruition to allow students to experience and familiarize themselves with the language and culture before moving to Manitoba to pursue their studies.

“We are proud to celebrate five successful years of the Summer Institute, and to promote the Language Training Centre as one of the premier language training facilities in Canada,” said Vogt. “Each year we hear students return home and share their positive experience with classmates and instructors, and this encourages even more participation. We will continue to work with our international academic partners around the world to welcome prospective students to Red River College.”

-30-

New technology, training and research spaces will help strengthen partnerships and create more opportunities in aerospace and advanced manufacturing: Vogt 

For immediate release: August 2, 2017

Red River College will be home to a new Smart Factory and will be expanding its Centre for Aerospace Technology and Training (CATT) as part of a $10 million investment over five years by Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD).

“These new facilities will ensure our students and industry partners in aerospace and manufacturing remain at the forefront of research and training,” said Paul Vogt, president and CEO of Red River College. “This is a very strategic investment on the part of the Government of Canada that will help Red River College to continue to develop Manitoba-grown industry leaders and innovations.

“This expansion is going to have far-reaching impacts across the province and will be able to serve both the aerospace and non-aerospace industries through direct access to the College’s equipment, facilities, and expertise.”

The Smart Factory will be located at RRC’s new Skilled Trades Technology Centre – currently under construction and expected to open in 2018 – and will be an applied research space, experiential learning facility, and technology demonstration site. It will combine emerging technology including robotics, automation, additive manufacturing, high-speed robotic inspection and industrial networking.

The Smart Factory will enhance learning at Red River College by allowing students to experience and work in factory settings, while also providing Manitoba companies with access to state-of-the-art equipment, instructors, researchers and students in order to test and prepare their technologies for incorporation into their own operations.

The CATT was established in 2009 as a strategic partnership between Red River College, StandardAero and federal and provincial governments. This centre, the first Industrial campus at RRC, is co-located at StandardAero’s Plant 5 facility. In addition to the federal funds announced today, both StandardAero and RRC committed to in-kind contributions of $4.5 million and $1.2 million respectively.

“We continue to be proud to partner with Red River College on initiatives that build upon the strengths of our industry,” said Russell Ford, CEO of StandardAero. “Having access to this kind of space and technology helps us to consistently be trailblazers in innovation.”

These enhancements mark the third expansion of the CATT, which will include cold spray technology, non-contact inspection and high-speed laser scanning systems, robotic welding seam tracking, a compressor blade profiling system and upgrades of existing digital X-ray, lasers systems and induction heating.

Manitoba is leader in aerospace and manufacturing, with the province boasting the largest aerospace sector in Western Canada. These projects will ensure that RRC remains on the leading edge in providing highly-skilled students and industry professionals to key areas of the economy, including advanced materials processing, robotics and automation, industrial networking and data analytics.

These projects also complement the College’s existing Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing (TACAM) that provide ongoing research, innovation and customized training support to the aerospace and manufacturing sectors in Manitoba.

-30- 

Red River College presents repaired hockey sticks to Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre

For immediate release: July 27, 2017

WINNIPEG, MB – Eighteen NHL quality game-used hockey sticks have been given a new life at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre (WASAC), where they will be used by Winnipeg youth dreaming of becoming the next Mark Scheifele or Jocelyne Larocque.

The sticks, which were damaged or broken during last season’s Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose games, were repaired to like-new quality by Red River College students using composite materials and innovative programming.

“The kids and staff at WASAC really represent the spirit of community and we are thrilled to provide them with this new equipment,” Vogt said. “This project is a fantastic training opportunity for our students who are learning to work with different composite materials, and as a bonus we are able to provide the younger generation of Winnipeg’s youth with opportunities to grow through sport.”
Read More →

New Leadership will Enhance Indigenous Education and Student Support at Red River College

Red River College today announced the appointment of Rebecca Chartrand as the College’s new Executive Director, Indigenous Strategy, to lead in the enhancement of Indigenous education. She will oversee a planned expansion of student supports, the creation of new academic programming, and the expansion and deepening of partnerships between Red River and Indigenous communities.

“We are thrilled to add Rebecca to our senior leadership team at the College,” said Paul Vogt, president and CEO, RRC. “Red River is moving forward with a plan to add transition and mentoring services to support the success of Indigenous students across the College, and new programs designed to provide the skills needed in Indigenous communities.  Rebecca will lead the process in consultation with our elders and our dedicated and experienced faculty and staff.”

Chartrand, who will start in August, comes to the College from Seven Oaks School Division, where she has spent the past seven years as Division Lead Aboriginal Education. Chartrand is also a sessional instructor at the University of Manitoba; the president of The Indigenous Peoples Commission for Manitoba; the founder and professional development chair of the Council for Aboriginal Education in Manitoba; and an education advisor for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

“Education is the key to improving the lives of Indigenous peoples and to improving Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations across Canada,” Chartrand said. “We need to create the programs, supports and opportunities that allow Indigenous peoples to demonstrate their leadership and innovation in all facets of our society. I am excited to be joining a strong Indigenous education program at RRC and a College that is committed to doing even more for Indigenous students.”

Read More →