It could be a while before it’s warm enough for tents and trailers, but here at Red River College, camp season is already in full swing.

In the coming weeks and months, we’ll host a number of specialized camps and workshops designed specifically for younger students interested in exploring the following areas:

Electronic/Electrical Engineering Technology

First up are the Saturday Kids Kamps offered by RRC’s Electronic and Electrical Engineering Technology programs. From now until April 4, students in Grades 7 and 8 can take part in day-long sessions that introduce them to basic concepts and theory, while also giving them the chance to put their new knowledge into practice through fun activities and assignments.

In the Electronic Technology camps (9 a.m.-noon at the Roblin Centre), kids learn about basic electrical concepts such as voltage, current and resistance; work with lab instruments like digital multimeters and oscilloscopes; and study pitch, volume and timbre by observing sounds created by guitars and amplifiers.

In the Electrical Engineering Technology camps (1-4 p.m. at Notre Dame Campus), kids are introduced to robotics and robotic programming via the Lego NXT-G system. After learning about sensors and actuator functions, they’ll work in groups to program solutions to increasingly difficult problems, before building their own robots using a selection of available materials.

Both camps are free of charge; click here for more information or to register. Read More →

Following a comprehensive search, Red River College is pleased to announce Debbie Frankel will take over the role of Vice-President, Finance and Administration, commencing May 19, 2015.

A Certified General Accountant, Frankel joins RRC from the Misericordia Health Centre, where she served as chief financial officer for the past three years, managing a large operating budget with a diverse area of responsibility that included finance, supply chain management, food services, plant services, security and parking and project coordination.

Frankel has an extensive financial background serving Manitoba’s healthcare industry. Her roles have included administrative director, director of finance, and chief administrative officer at the Grace Hospital, as well as director of finance for CancerCare Manitoba.

At RRC, she will serve as chief financial officer and treasurer for the Board of Governors. In her role, she will oversee all aspects of the current Finance and Administration portfolio.

“We are pleased to welcome Ms. Frankel to Red River College’s executive team,” said David Rew, Interim President and CEO. “Her skills and experience will be a tremendous asset to our organization. She brings the necessary expertise and leadership to the College in the areas of finance and administration and we are pleased to welcome such an accomplished and qualified individual to our team.”

Red River College will soon begin providing hope and educational opportunities to student refugees in Winnipeg, thanks to a new humanitarian aid initiative launched in partnership with World University Services of Canada (WUSC).

The College’s newly announced Student Refugee Program will allow the RRC community to support one passionate and dedicated student per year, as they arrive in Canada as permanent residents to pursue post-secondary education.

Each year in Canada, similar Student Refugee Programs allow more than 55 student refugees to enter the country and begin their studies.

The program’s success is ensured by WUSC, whose members facilitate the overseas selection of the student refugees, place them at Canadian universities and colleges, and provide training and guidance to local WUSC committees. Each refugee is sponsored by a campus-based Local committee, whose members raise any necessary funds ahead of time, and provide students with at least 12 months of financial, social and academic support.

“In addition to the compelling nature of the program on humanitarian grounds alone, the Student Refugee Program is an extremely valuable way of promoting peace and social justice, facilitating learning and understanding, and establishing on-campus opportunities for all staff and students to become involved through volunteerism,” says Lauren Konrad, Student Integration Coordinator with RRC’s Diversity and Intercultural Services office.

The College’s first student refugee will arrive in Canada in August 2015. The student will be enrolled in RRC’s Applied Accounting program, and will live on-campus at the College’s student residence downtown. Read More →

Don LaFrenais’ meals will soon be warming up Winnipeggers in the coolest of locations.

The 2007 Culinary Arts grad is one of 31 chefs taking part in this year’s RAW: almond, a pop-up restaurant situated on the frozen junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers.

Now in its third year, RAW: almond has earned praise from architects and food critics alike for its nature-inspired design — complete with tree-stump seating — and gourmet dishes. The recognition has begun to spread internationally, even recently catching the attention of the New York Times.

“It’s all just been incredible reception,” says LaFrenais, the 30-year-old sous chef at the Exchange District’s Deer + Almond. “I definitely have met a lot of chefs from some crazy places — chefs that have been really interested in what we’re doing. It’s been an incredible journey.”

The journey has indeed been a long one from LaFrenais’ first kitchen job — washing dishes and flipping pancakes at Perkins. After working in several restaurants around Winnipeg, he decided to turn a lifelong passion into a career and apply to the Culinary Arts program at Red River College. Read More →

Looking for a way to stay active, relieve stress and make new friends?

Sign up for one of the following intramural events hosted by Rebels Athletics and Recreation Services, in conjunction with the Red River College Students’ Association.

Each event costs just $10, and is open to all RRC staff and students.

To participate, print and fill out the 2015 Winter Intramurals Registration Form, then take it to either The Ox (Notre Dame Campus) or The Mercantile (Exchange Campus). Deadline for registration is the Wednesday prior to each event.

Rebels Badminton Classic
When: Sat., Jan. 24, 8am-4pm
Where: North Gym, Notre Dame Campus
Categories: Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles; Mixed Doubles
Cost: $10 per person, enter as many categories as you wish

Rebels Floor Hockey
When: Sat., Feb. 7, 8am-4pm
Where: North and South Gyms
, Notre Dame Campus
Categories: Register as a team or a free agent. Five players to a team, including goalie.
Cost: $10 per person

March Madness 3-vs-3 Basketball
When: Sat., March 21, 8am-4pm
Where: North
 Gym, Notre Dame Campus
Categories: Register as a team or a free agent. Men’s and Women’s divisions. Maximum of five players per team, three on the court at one time.
Cost: $10 per person

For additional info, contact Cole Skinner, Athletics and Recreation Coordinator, at 204.632.2397 or coskinner@rrc.ca.

They like her — they really like her!

Former journalist Joanne Kelly needn’t worry about her Q-rating having slipped since she traded her on-camera gig for the classroom a few years back.

The Red River College instructor was recently named “Favourite Prof” in the 2015 edition of The Uniter 30, an annual issue of the University of Winnipeg’s student newspaper determined entirely by reader votes.

Kelly — who actually beat a pair of UWinnipeg profs for the survey’s top spot — has a reputation for encouraging students to work outside of their comfort zones, one she first earned while serving as a frequent industry mentor at Shaw TV, and later cemented after joining RRC’s Creative Communications staff in 2011.

Kelly spent 15 years — at Shaw, CTV Winnipeg, and BCTV — showcasing everyday people and their stories, an approach she continues to adopt with first-year journalism students and those taking second-year broadcast and live TV courses.

Most notably, she’s been able to transform one of her passion projects at Shaw — a live telethon benefitting the Winnipeg Humane Society — into a successful enterprise for CreComm students, who now host, produce, script and shoot the entire event. (Last year, the telethon raised $72,000 and was named Best Remote – Special by the Broadcast Educators Association of Canada.)

In addition, the Live at Five broadcast led by Kelly and her teaching partner Forde Oliver has twice been named Best Student Broadcast by the BEAC, once in 2013 and again 2014.

An eye-opening new video project inspired by a pair of Red River College researchers is giving child and youth care professionals valuable insight into the experiences of at-risk children and teens.

Live My Life: See what it’s like is a raw, honest and thought-provoking documentary short focusing on the perspectives of four Manitoba youth who’ve lived the out-of-home group care experience.

The video places the voices of these youth at the core of the care experience, offering a unique look at what they value in caregivers, and their perspectives on best practices. It also challenges viewers to rethink current child welfare strategies, and to incorporate similar voices more readily into practice.

The project was inspired by the experiences and research of Dawne MacKay-Chiddenton and Diane Parris, both faculty members in RRC’s Child and Youth Care (CYC) program. As Mackay-Chiddenton explains, she and Parris have long understood the importance of listening to what youth in care have to say, but felt there was little opportunity for such voices to be heard in the existing child welfare system.

To help rectify the situation, they partnered with Just TV, a local organization that works with at-risk youth through the West Broadway Community Centre.

Based on data collected in focus groups and individual interviews, the partners produced the Live My Life video, giving those profiled a chance to comment on the skills, qualities and attributes that make child and youth care professionals effective.

Their stories — which involve heartbreaking accounts of broken homes, separated siblings, and unqualified foster parents — speak to a broader youth experience that’s often omitted from child welfare programming and delivery methods, say the pair. Read More →

Students from Red River College’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts served up a pre-holiday feast to guests at Siloam Mission today, preparing hundreds of turkey dinners donated by the Manitoba Turkey Producers and Granny’s Poultry Cooperative Ltd.

Under the guidance of Culinary Arts instructors Chef Scott Ball and Chef Gordon Bailey, students cooked and served approximately 18 turkeys (more than 400 pounds worth), along with traditional vegetable side dishes, sauces, gravy and dessert.

The students prepared the meals for approximately 600 Siloam guests, then served them alongside a host of local dignitaries, including Kevin Chief, Minister of Jobs and Economy, Mayor Brian Bowman (above, far right) and David Rew, Interim RRC President (above, second from right)

“The holiday season can be particularly hard on those in our community experiencing homelessness and poverty. They do not have the resources to enjoy a Christmas feast,” says Floyd Perras, Executive Director of Siloam Mission. “We are grateful to have these students share their skills and passion. Red River College, the Manitoba Turkey Producers, and Grannies are bridging the gap to build a stronger, more compassionate community here in Winnipeg’s inner city.” Read More →

Red River College’s Disability and Community Support program and its Diversity and Intercultural Services department came together this week to raise awareness of the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

On Wed., Dec 3, students and staff gathered in the Library hallway at the Notre Dame Campus, where they offered passers-by holiday baking. Others fanned out across campus, distributing stickers and bookmarks with powerful messages.

The bookmarks were made to address how societal attitudes can present a barrier to those faced by people with disabilities in achieving full acceptance and integration in society. They offered ideas for appropriate and respectful language related to disabilities, while also addressing less respectful terminology.

“The goal of the event was to raise awareness about local issues such as Manitoba’s Accessibility legislation,” says Cheryl Martens, lead instructor of Disability and Community Support. “By connecting with the RRC community face-to-face, we hoped to focus on awareness on a local, global and personal level.” Read More →

If a picture really is worth a thousand words, then Red River College instructor Rodney Braun has a lot to say.

A Professional Photography instructor at the College for nearly four years, Braun was recently named Manitoba’s Photographer of the Year by the Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC).

The award was based on a sampling of four photos submitted to a panel of industry peers from across Canada. The submissions (see above example) showcase Braun’s talents as a portrait photographer; together with his wife, he runs Eve Studios, where he specializes in beauty and nude art photography for women.

“You always kind of hope you’re the best — but rarely do you find out you are,” quips Braun, who’s originally from Saskatoon but moved to Winnipeg with his family in 2000.

“It’s always good to hear that your peers consider you in that position!”

Before moving to Winnipeg, Braun (shown at left) worked with youth and as a paramedic, so he was well-prepared for the daily pressures that came with his job as an instructor.

He teaches a mix of disciplines — everything from portraiture to smartphone photography to marketing and project management — and says he’s happiest when he sees light bulbs (or should that be flashbulbs?) going off over his students’ heads.

“The most rewarding thing is seeing how excited students get when they learn a new skill,” he explains, “and then seeing them take that to the next level, where they can actually make money through that skill.”

RRC’s Professional Photography program is delivered through the School of Continuing Education. Click here for more information.