Red River College’s commitment to social development was recognized today with an International Award of Excellence from the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP).

The bronze award, presented at the WFCP’s World Congress in Beijing, China, recognizes colleges and polytechnics from around the world for their commitment to community engagement, diversity and sustainability — with an emphasis on international campus collaboration, best practices and technologies, and advancing institutional diversity.

“This is another outstanding achievement for the College,” says David Rew, RRC’s interim President and CEO. “Sustainability, international collaboration and diversity are  key focus areas for the College. Our staff and students make substantial investments in these areas, so it is very satisfying to receive this type of recognition.”

The College’s award application focused on international applied research collaborations relating to the Zero Emissions Transit Bus, the Science of Early Child Development (pictured above), sustainable infrastructure, and clean water technologies.

In 2013, RRC marked a decade of applied research, and in recent weeks was ranked one of the Top 10 Canadian Research Colleges for the second year in a row.

“From day one, we have been very engaged in sustainable infrastructure research in response to local industry demand and community needs,” says Ray Hoemsen, Director of Applied Research & Commercialization at RRC. “Social development is a key strategic heme for the College and related research initiatives have been advancing rapidly. We are also seeing the results of our relationship-building efforts with international partners.”

For the second year in a row, Red River College has ranked among the top Canadian research colleges and polytechnics, climbing to sixth place on the list of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges, released this month by Research Infosource Inc.

The College posted $5.82 million in research income during the 2013 fiscal year, an increase over the previous year, when it ranked seventh with $4.37 million.

“Red River College has been a leader in applied research over the last decade, and we’ve seen a steady increase in research income each year,” says David Rew, Interim President at RRC. “Applied research is an integral part of our overall strategy — it contributes in a very productive way to our communities and the experience of our students.”

RRC remains best known for applied research capabilities relating to extreme climate and cold weather technologies and applications, but a number of other research thrusts are rapidly emerging.

“We have built our applied research enterprise in response to community needs, especially our partners in industry.” says Ray Hoemsen, RRC’s Director of Applied Research & Commercialization. “With the support of both the federal and provincial governments we’ve been further developing capacity based upon our core capabilities within the schools and their respective faculty, staff and students.” Read More →

This week, Red River College joins the growing number of individuals and organizations across Canada taking steps to cut waste and improve the environment.

From Oct. 20-24, RRC will mark Waste Reduction Week with a series of initiatives aimed at encouraging the College community to rethink, reduce, reuse and recycle — whether on campus or at home.

Waste reduction is a year-round effort at RRC, where each month we collect and recycle over nine tonnes of paper, food and beverage containers and cardboard. The diversion rate at RRC is over 50% — an impressive figure, considering Winnipeg’s residential diversion rate is only about 28%.

Here are three ways you can get involved: Read More →

A recent addition to the College’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program has been honoured by Travel Manitoba for her contributions to the provincial tourism industry.

Laura Wiebe, RRC Hospitality instructor and former head of marketing for The Fort Garry Hotel, received the Aspiring Youth award at the 16th Manitoba Tourism Awards, co-presented by the province and Travel Manitoba.

Held Sept. 26 as part of the latter’s annual tourism conference in Winnipeg, the awards recognize outstanding contributions to the industry. The Aspiring Youth honour goes to an individual under the age of 29 who’s made a significant impact.

“Manitoba’s success as a tourism destination is linked directly to the achievements of [these] business and individuals,” Travel Manitoba President Colin Ferguson said of this year’s honourees.“What all of the nominees, finalists and winners have in common is the ability to offer exceptional service and engaging and distinctive experiences that are the core of our province’s tourism industry.”

Wiebe, who joined the RRC team in June, spent 12 years at The Fort Garry Hotel, starting when she was 15 — as a table-busser during the famed Sunday brunches — and working her way up to the position of sales/catering administrator, and later, director of marketing.

While there, she designed and implemented the hotel’s frequent guest program, organized a year-long trivia hunt to help celebrate its 100th anniversary, and marketed the launch of downtown spinoff Yoga Public, which opened to great fanfare in 2012. Read More →

The Creative Communications grad behind the College’s new mental health website will receive a hero’s welcome from the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) this week.

Red River College alum Meghan Franklin (CreComm, 2014) has been nominated for a Heroes of Mental Health Award by CMHA Winnipeg. Her newly-launched Mind it! website — which arrives just in time for Mental Health Awareness Week at RRC (Oct. 14-17) — is designed to help RRC students take better care of their mental health, by providing a range of online resources on everything from test anxiety and financial stress to sleep deprivation and seasonal affective disorder.

“Every student experiences challenges while balancing school, work, friends and other commitments,” says Franklin. “When we’re aware of our emotions and the state of our mental health, we’re better equipped to deal with difficult situations, to work toward our goals, and to recognize when to take a breather or ask for help.”

By the time she began the CreComm program in 2012, Franklin already completed treatment for an eating disorder, which she’d struggled with throughout high school and university. Her recovery process triggered a passion for progressing the mental health conversation, and a commitment to providing all students with a range of related supports.

As part of her second-year independent professional project (IPP), Franklin engaged fellow students about their emotional and mental health and wellbeing, creating a student club and initiative called Mind it!, which held a number of mental health awareness events on campus. By hosting art expos, dog therapy events (shown above) and stand-up comedy performances, Franklin and her team of student volunteers helped spread the word about the importance of mental health. Read More →

Photo courtesy of Imagination Foundation

Now that’s what we call thinking outside the box!

Red River College’s Early Childhood Education department, in partnership with IKEA Winnipeg, will join with children’s organizations around the world this week for the 2014 Global Cardboard Challenge — an event that encourages kids to harness their imagination and creativity while turning everyday household items into treasures.

Inspired by Caine’s Arcade — a short film about a young boy (shown above) whose cardboard creations triggered a worldwide movement celebrating the “power of play” — the event is organized globally by the Imagination Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to raising the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.

On Friday, Oct. 10, the College will play host to 60 children from four local child care centres, one Aboriginal Head Start program, and one Winnipeg school. Each group of kids will be paired with a team of adults, comprised of one IKEA staff member and two second-year ECE students.

“The idea to plan a Global Cardboard Challenge event was conceived in the classroom after ECE students viewed Caine’s Arcade,” says ECE instructor Karen Riediger. “Over the last few weeks, participating preschool and grade 5 children have already been busy discussing, imagining, sketching, measuring and experimenting with tape and cardboard. When they arrive at RRC they will be able to put all of that effort and imagination into action right away!”

The event is a perfect fit for corporate sponsor IKEA, Riediger notes, given the company’s belief that children are the most important people in the world.

To help ensure the Cardboard Challenge is a success, organizers are accepting donations of the following supplies:

• Wrapping paper and paper towel tubes (no toilet paper tubes, please)
• Rulers, tape measures and yard sticks
• Tape of all kinds (electrical, packing, Scotch, masking, painters, hockey, etc.); partially-used rolls of tape are also welcome
• Tarps and/or drop cloths

Donations can be made to Mary in Room A109, anytime before Oct. 10. For more information, contact Karen Riediger by email or at 204.632.2962.

Congratulations to Red River College’s Chef Luc Jean, who took top honours at this week’s Gold Medal Plates competition, an exclusive culinary contest in which the city’s best chefs go head to head in support of Olympic athletes.

An instructor with RRC’s Culinary Arts program, Jean represented Jane’s — the College’s exclusive restaurant and training kitchen — at the event, which also drew competitors from some of Winnipeg’s most popular kitchens.

Held last night at the RBC Convention Centre, the event celebrated the best in local cuisine, pitting the city’s premiere chefs against each other in a bid for a spot at the championships, which take place next February in Kelowna.

Jean won the top spot on the podium thanks to his mouthwatering entry — a sous-vide of Manitoba pork tenderloin served with butternut squash, carrot and ginger puree, candied oranges, pork crackling and lime honey sauce.

He was joined at the event by 25 students from RRC’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts programs — seven of whom helped him prepare and serve his dish (plus 570 appetizers), and 13 of whom assisted the other competing chefs. Read More →

Interim RRC President David Rew and wife Joan, at the unveiling of the brick pathway outside the Roblin Centre downtown.

Friends and supporters of Red River College gathered to see their memories set in stone over the weekend, at the unveiling of two new pathways comprised of commemorative engraved bricks.

In celebration of the first phase of RRC’s Build Our Future — Buy a Brick campaign, College alumni, donors, dignitaries and friends turned out for twin unveiling ceremonies, one at the Notre Dame Campus, one at the Roblin Centre downtown.

The campaign encouraged supporters to leave a lasting mark at the College, by purchasing engraved bricks in support of friends and loved ones, or to celebrate special occasions or cherished memories of their time at RRC.

Among those in attendance at the ceremonies: current and retired RRC employees, corporate partners and College alumni. (RRC’s Alumni Relations board honoured all past recipients of the College’s Distinguished Alumni award with individualized bricks.)

The campaign’s first phase raised nearly $22,000; installation of the pathways was made possible by students and staff from RRC’s Greenspace Management program.

As part of Phase Two, RRC employees will have the opportunity to purchase bricks through the College’s annual All Charities Campaign. Proceeds raised go to RRC’s 75th Anniversary Endowment Fun, which provides funding for future institutional needs and priorities, including state-of-the-art equipment for learning applications and research, innovative learning techniques, and supports to ensure equal access to education.

Click here to learn more about RRC’s Build our Future — Buy a Brick campaign.

Best of luck to Red River College instructor Luc Jean, who’ll square off against some of the city’s best chefs at an exclusive culinary competition benefiting Canada’s Olympic athletes this week.

Jean, an instructor with RRC’s Culinary Arts program, has been selected as one of the top chefs in Winnipeg, and as such will compete in the 2014 Gold Medal Plates competition, a precursor to the Canadian Culinary Championships.

Jean will represent Jane’s — RRC’s exclusive restaurant and training kitchen — at the event, which takes place Thu., Oct. 2 at the RBC Convention Centre. As it does every year, the event celebrates the best in local cuisine, pitting the city’s premiere chefs against each other in a bid for a spot at the championships, which take place next February in Kelowna.

Jean will face some formidable competition at the event, including a number of RRC grads, among them Adam Donnelly (Segovia), Michael Dacquisto (Food Evolution), and Norm Pastorin (The Grove).

Other competitors include Michael Schafer (Sydney’s at The Forks). Barry Saunders (Inn at The Forks), Edward Lam (Yujio) and Eric Lee (Pizzeria Gusto).

Net proceeds from the Gold Medal Plates go to the Canadian Olympic Foundation, which supports Canada’s Own the Podium program. To date, over $8.2 million has been raised.

A group of Red River College employees are taking back-to-school season quite literally this year — having returned to the classroom to take part in a new degree program for staff.

The College recently entered into a memorandum of understanding with the University of Winnipeg, to offer RRC employees a Bachelor of Arts degree in Indigenous Studies.

The program is being delivered through a part-time cohort model over six years, making it perfect for employees seeking a meaningful degree with a flexible delivery schedule. Content was developed and is currently being delivered by Dr. Julie Pelletier, Chair of Indigenous Studies at UWinnipeg.

“If it weren’t for flexible scheduling during my own studies, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue higher education,” says Pelletier. “UWinnipeg and the Department of Indigenous Studies so value our relationship with RRC, and this approach gives us another opportunity to work together.”

The degree will provide students with a holistic background in the field of Indigenous Studies, with a particular focus on Canadian contexts, as examined through multi-disciplinary coursework.

“We can all benefit from exploring indigenous ways of knowing,” says April Krahn, Director of Aboriginal Student Support & Community Relations at RRC. “As members of the RRC community, our enhanced knowledge and cultural competence informs how we view ourselves and others. In our work, it impacts how we develop and deliver services, programs and educational instruction, and how we form and maintain our working relationships with colleagues and with students.”

The program’s first cohort comprises 25 students — 22 from RRC and three from the community. Of those, 13 are self-declared Aboriginal students.

“This is an important number to celebrate, as we collectively search for new initiatives by which to increase Aboriginal advancement through education and inclusion,” says Krahn.