Red River College student Andrew McLean, a former soldier with a long history of philanthropy, will be honoured this month by Macdonald Youth Services for his commitment to making a difference in the lives of at-risk youth.

McLean, currently in his second year of RRC’s Disability and Community Support program, will be honoured with MYS’s prestigious Sir Hugh John Macdonald Memorial Award, which recognizes those who demonstrate values of respect and fairness towards youth, and practical assistance in helping them develop life skills for a better tomorrow.

In addition to fundraising for such charities as Children’s Hospital and The Terry Fox Foundation over the years, McLean is also the co-founder of Soldier On, a program that employs sports and athletic therapy to help rehabilitate Canadian soldiers suffering from physical and psychological injuries.

A former warrant officer who retired from the Canadian Forces after 22 years of service, McLean recently donated $25,000 of his own money to start the Canadian Torch Foundation, which provides annual scholarships and awards to students with physical or developmental disabilities across Canada.

McLean is well-known to MYS — for years, he’s been donating new winter clothing and backpacks filled with gifts for those staying at the organizations Youth Resource Centre/Shelter.

He’ll be honoured at MYS’s annual Spring Fling, taking place Thursday, March 20 at Paterson GlobalFoods Institute. The event raises money for MYS’s Education Trust Fund; tickets are $100 per person.

Visit the MYS website for more information, or to purchase a ticket or make a donation.

Red River College’s (RRC) 2014 winter convocation saw 107 students graduate from the inaugural Bachelor of Nursing (BN) degree program.

“Red River College is proud to offer this degree program, designed by us for the benefit of Manitoba students and the provincial health care system,” said Stephanie Forsyth, RRC’s President & CEO.

“I congratulate the staff in RRC’s Nursing Department and the leadership of Dean Louise Gordon and Program Chair Karen Wall for developing and implementing this innovative program.”

RRC first launched its Bachelor of Nursing program in 2010, in order to provide an accelerated alternative to the four-year programs offered at universities. RRC’s first class of graduates completed their studies in August 2013, and crossed the stage during winter convocation ceremonies held Tuesday, February 4, 2014.

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Festival du Voyageur celebrates the history and culture of our Franco-Manitoban community with an amazing two weeks of great food and some of the best music you can find. It’s a party you don’t want to miss, and this year RRC is getting into the Festival du Voyageur spirit!

Head down to the Voyageur Dining Room at lunch and make sure you’re hungry!

We’re featuring special Franco-Manitoban lunch items in the Voyageur Dining Room all week long. Everything from sugar pie to tourtière to pea soup will be offered, so come hungry. There might even be some live entertainment!

Show your Festival du Voyageur spirit to win free passes!

Wear red or get creative to show off your Festival du Voyageur spirit in the Voyageur Dining Room and you might be lucky enough to win a couple of passes to the event.

Make sure to follow RRC on Twitter for more updates.

Find out more about the Festival du Voyageur →

Tell us what you love about Red River College and you could win a $50 gift card for Jane’s and delicious handmade chocolates from RRC’s Culinary Arts students!

How to Play

Participating in this month’s Valentine’s Day contest is easy! All it requires is some creativity, a camera or smartphone, and a Twitter or Instagram account.

1. Follow RRC on Instagram (@RedRiverCollege) or on Twitter (@RRC).
2. Take a picture showing us what you love about RRC! Use your imagination, it can be anything.
3. Post it to your Instagram or Twitter account making sure you use the hashtag #iloveRRC and @redrivercollege (if you’re using Instagram) or @RRC (if you’re posting on Twitter).

So, how do you win?

The contest starts today and all posts need to be made before the end of the day on February 13, 2014. We’ll make the draw at noon on February 14 and announce the winner on Twitter and Instagram.

The contest is open to all staff, students and RRC alumni.

Good luck!

RRC grad Sandra Sukhan, who currently serves as a curriculum consultant and teacher-educator for the College, will be on campus this week reading from a newly-released book about her childhood experiences in Guyana, and her sometimes difficult transition to life in Canada in the 1970s.

In Search of the Blue Lotus tells Sukhan’s story of growing up in Guyana during the 1960s, a time of political upheaval and racial unrest resulting from British efforts to colonize the nation. It also documents her arrival in Canada in 1970, following her move here at the age of 16 for an arranged marriage.

From the official bio: “Through a first-person reflective narrative, Sandra takes you on her very personal journey of her arrival in Canada to complete high school, her work as a hairstylist, her efforts to challenge systemic injustices of schools, and in later years during her academic studies toward a doctoral degree, her growing awareness of some of the issues of her youth that affected and impacted her life.”

A professional hairstylist with a doctorate in Environmental Studies, Sukhan is also a graduate of RRC’s Teacher Education program. Her story will be of interest to anyone working in the field of technical and/or vocational education.

RRC’s Library is proud to host two readings from the book, both of which will include conversation and refreshments:

• Wednesday, Jan. 29: Notre Dame Campus Library 3-4pm
• Thursday, Jan. 30: Exchange District Campus Library, 3-4pm

Click here for more information on In Search of the Blue Lotus, and here to register for one of the readings.

Research shows the best way to convince kids to eat healthy food is by getting them involved in its preparation. That’s why Red River College is proud to support The Winnipeg Foundation’s Recipe for Success Video Cooking Contest, which aims to nourish the potential of Winnipeg kids by getting them talking about, preparing and eating healthy sandwiches.

The contest encourages kids in Grades 4-6 to create their most outrageous, nutritious and delicious sandwich and share it in a video entry to win.

Up for grabs is one of three $500 grants to support healthy food at a school or community organization, plus one of five Junior Master Chef Culinary Adventures at RRC’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts. As well, the winning sandwich recipe will be featured at RRC’s Culinary Exchange.

Winning teams will be determined by a panel of judges, including Keith Muller, dean of RRC’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts. (An additional People’s Choice winner will be determined by public votes.)

“We’re honoured to be partnering with The Winnipeg Foundation on such an important initiative,” says Müller. “It’s important to start talking about nutrition early but it’s also important to show kids how easy it is to make healthy choices using the right ingredients. I can’t wait to see what these students will come up with.”

Here’s how to enter the Recipe for Success Contest:

• Grab a group of two to four kids in Grades 4-6.
• Create the most outrageous, nutritious and delicious sandwich.
• Make a video – up to three minutes in length – demonstrating how to make the sandwich.
• Submit the video  by March 14, 2014.
• Visit wpgfdn.org/recipe-for-success for complete contest details. Read More →

Red River College plays a supporting role in the new Winnipeg comedy series debuting online tomorrow at winnipegfreepress.com/windcity

On January 7, the first Winnipeg-centric, locally-produced digital sitcom hits the airwaves. What started as one person’s idea to celebrate Winnipeg as a city and boost local pride has grown into something much bigger. Season 1 of WindCity finds a man embarking on a mission to reclaim his business and the love of his life — only to find inspiration in the most unlikely place.

Kyle Nobess plays “Sam” an RRC Student.

WindCity character Sam Fortier is a Red River College student interning at the RBC Convention Centre. Sam (played by Kyle Nobess) is a proud Métis and an energetic, passionate, ever-helpful goofball. He always speaks his mind and gets away with it because of his positive disposition. Sam is a leader on campus, and has made himself the unofficial welcoming committee to RRC’s international students. Sam loves Winnipeg, and is happy to show off his pride – as well as his famous jigging skills, which can be viewed here.

“Red River College is proud to be a partner in this innovative local project,” says Stephanie Forsyth, President & CEO of Red River College. “RRC’s character in the series is a fun representation of a student on campus and we believe our exposure in the show will showcase some of RRC’s best assets, such as our brand new student residences in the heart of the Exchange District.”

“This is truly Winnipeg’s series and we’re happy to have so many local stars supporting it, both on camera and behind the scenes,” says Creator and Producer Paul Vieira. “The excitement has been building during production and we look forward to the public’s reaction when it finally launches.”

WindCity’s cast includes: Adam Hurtig (as Dylan), Rebecca Gibson (as Kate), Sierra Noble (as Switch), Kyle Nobess (as Sam), Sarah Constible (as Julia), Trish Cooper (as Loni Chase), Ali Tataryn* (as Morgan), Karl Thordarson* (as Duke) and Abbey Thickson (as Olivia).

*RRC Grads

Take a minute and enjoy the trailer for Season 1 of WindCity.

Don Streuber, President Bison Transport and RRC President & CEO, Stephanie Forsyth

A plaque was unveiled at RRC’s Heavy Equipment Transportation Centre student lounge to recognize the partnership between the College and Bison Transport.

“The Bison Transport Student Lounge naming reflects the tremendous support of Bison Founder, Mr. Duncan Jessiman and President, Mr. Don Streuber,”said Stephanie Forsyth, President & CEO, Red River College. “Staff and students not only benefit from the generous gift of $100,000 but we are extremely grateful for the gift of service Don Streuber has afforded. He is an incredible ambassador for the College and a volunteer who champions for continued industry growth and development at HETC.”

“Bison Transport is known as North America’s Safest Fleet and our maintenance department plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of our equipment on the road,” said Bison President Don Streuber. “We are happy to play a role in the development of the next generation of technicians graduating from Red River College.”
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Today Red River College recognizes the work and contributions of volunteers and volunteer-involving organizations on International Volunteer Day.

“On this day, we take the opportunity to recognize volunteerism and the impact staff, students and faculty make,” said Stephanie Forsyth, President & CEO, Red River College. “Volunteer Management is not only programming offered at RRC but through College led initiatives, our team makes a difference by contributing to community through social and educational initiatives.”

RRC’s Volunteer Management Certificate program is the only one like it in Canada and follows the Canadian Administrators of Volunteer Resources (CAVR) guidelines.  The program trains students to manage and motivate groups of volunteers.  Core courses include; Recruitment and Marketing, Risk Management, Program Planning and Evaluation, Interpersonal Communication, and Working with Volunteers.  The Volunteer Management Certificate is available through distance learning, so students may enrol from anywhere in Canada to earn their certificate. It is offered through partnership with Volunteer Manitoba, Manitoba Association of Volunteer Administration (MAVA) and can be used towards a CAVR designation.  Graduates find rewarding and exciting careers in health-care, arts and culture, sports, tourism and much more

“The Volunteer Management program at Red River helped me focus on my management style and how I could apply it to organizing and maintaining a volunteer database of 250 participants,” said Kelly Seifert, Volunteer Coordinator & Facility Administration, Winnipeg Football Club. “Growing up, my parents taught me the value in helping others and I developed a passion early on for volunteering. RRC’s program allowed me to earn my certificate while working and now I enjoy a rewarding career committed to volunteerism.”

Red River College staff, students, and faculty regularly volunteer. From growing crops for the Students’ Association food bank and Winnipeg Harvest to leading the All Charities Campaign to special events for staff, students, faculty and their families, volunteers make a difference.

International Volunteer Day was established in 1985 by the UN General Assembly to be commemorated on December 5^th every year.  It is a day dedicated to celebrate volunteers and volunteer-involving organizations and what they achieve for peace and sustainable development.

For the first time ever, the students of Red River College’s Disability and Community Support program, together with the Diversity and Immigrant Student Support department, have joined forces to create awareness about the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

In 2010, Canada became a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Dec. 3 is a day of celebration where we acknowledge the ever-increasing recognition of the human rights of persons with disabilities.

The government of Manitoba is about to pass accessibility legislation (Bill 26), which is a significant step toward eliminating barriers, in terms of both physical access and economic opportunity. These decisions show real progress toward greater inclusion for people with disabilities.

This day, however, also reminds us there are still many barriers that need to be broken in terms of education, employment, healthcare, transportation, housing and social support systems. At present, many persons with disabilities in Manitoba still experience marginalization or exclusion from the activities of daily life. Read More →