Red River College alum Jim Van Dusen (Creative Communications, 1987) picked up a trio of honours at this year’s Radio and Production Awards, adding to an impressive list of industry accolades acquired during his 25 years in radio and TV.

Now the Creative/Production Director for Astral Radio in Winnipeg (home of Hot 103 and QX 104), Van Dusen picked up his first RAP trophy in the Medium Market Promos category, for “Jets Song Comin’ Home”, a collaboration with Hot 103 morning man Ace Burpee that celebrated the return of Winnipeg’s NHL team.

He was also named first runner-up in the same category, and first runner-up in the Medium Market Commercials category. In years past, Van Dusen — who taught a radio course for second-year CreComm students last year — has nabbed a number of runner-up spots at the RAP Awards, as well as honours at the Crystal Awards and the Signature Awards, and a Standard Radio Presidents Award in 1999. He also won an honorary gold medal at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, for his entry in the Literary Olympics’ Poetry Sweatshop.

Click here to learn more about RRC’s Creative Communications program.

(From left): Janet Jamieson, Chair of RRC's Community Services department; Eleanor Thompson, Urban Circle's Executive Director; RRC President Stephanie Forsyth; and Louise Gordon, Dean of RRC's School of Health Sciences and Community Services.

Last week marked the grand opening of another new addition to the Selkirk Avenue landscape — one that brings training and childcare opportunities to Winnipeg’s inner city, while celebrating the wisdom of the neighbourhood’s elders.

Launched through a partnership between the Urban Circle Training Centre, Red River Colllege, and the University of Manitoba’s Inner-city Campus, the newly-opened Makoonsag Intergenerational Children’s Centre serves as the College’s first demonstration childcare centre, and represents its commitment to providing community residents with increased access to programs promoting child and family supports.

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Students and staff from Red River College marched in the 2012 Pride Winnipeg Parade over the weekend, as a means of showing support for the local LGBTT* community and of celebrating diversity in all walks of life.

A contingent of more than 60 RRC representatives joined the throngs of supporters at the Legislature for an opening rally attended by Manitoba Justice Minister Andrew Swan and parade co-marshals (and longtime local activists) Chris Vogel and Richard North.

From there, they joined the thousands of parade participants — many of them sporting eye-popping costumes and rainbow flags of all sizes — as they made their way through the streets surrounding Memorial Park.

The College’s presence in the parade marked the first time RRC has taken part in Pride Winnipeg festivities. This year’s entry was an extension of RRC’s LGBTT* Initiative, which provides educational opportunities and resources to build communication, understanding and respect for diversity throughout the College.

“Red River College is committed to building a strong relationship with our community, and supports efforts that contribute to a more inclusive and respectful society,” says Nora Sobel, Diversity Initiatives Coordinator at RRC. “We were proud to be participating for the first time in the Pride Winnipeg Parade, where students, instructors, staff, family and friends showed our College’s support for the LGBTT* community!”

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Red River College is developing a Campus Master Plan to direct future planning and growth relating to sustainability, campus life, learning and relationships with the community.

We’re interested in hearing your ideas and encourage you to let us know what you think by commenting on posts on our Community Forum blog.

Whether you’re a current student, staff, faculty or alumni, we look forward to hearing from you soon!

Red River College’s acclaimed Science of Early Child Development project has contributed to a new video calling on global leaders to renew their commitment to ensuring quality care and education for children around the world.

Footage shot by the College’s eTV department as part of the Science of ECD — an online multimedia resource developed by RRC’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) program — was included in Rights from the Start: Early Childhood Care and Education, a five-minute video launched recently by the U.K.-based Global Campaign for Education.

Introduced by Graca Machel (wife of Nelson Mandela), the video includes an array of international footage, some of which was filmed in Egypt and Pakistan by RRC in partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation. As well, one of the men profiled in the video (Shafique Sekalala, who appears at 1:02) was part of a recent round of online Science of ECD training, and was also part of a group that worked with RRC in Istanbul last January.

The launch of the video coincides with the release of a new report — also entitled Rights from the Start — that highlights the disastrous impact of neglecting early years care and education. The report was written on behalf of the GCE by Vernon Munoz, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, with contributions from Emeritus Professor Peter Moss, of the University of London, and Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO.

Click here for more information on the Science of ECD.

Rob Neufeld, Executive Director, North End Community Renewal Corporation

Representatives from Red River College joined a host of North End advocates and community organizations in celebrating a newly-announced housing and retail development on Selkirk Avenue yesterday morning.

Following news the notorious Merchants Hotel is now being managed by a coalition comprised of 20 government and community agencies, RRC President Stephanie Forsyth commended those involved on their collaborative vision of renewal and revitalization.

“This is what Red River College is all about — meshing the needs of the community with the community’s educational goals, so that we can move forward,” said Forsyth. “That constant renewal is so critical to initiatives like the one announced today.”

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Students and staff at Red River College pledged to continue serving as sustainability leaders this week, during activities timed to coincide with Earth Day celebrations taking place the world over.

On Monday, April 23 (one day after the actual Earth Day), RRC held a “State of Sustainability” forum to inform the College community of the results of a recent environmental assessment.

Over the past year, RRC became the first Manitoba institution to take part in the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS), a comprehensive process to measure post-secondary sustainability performance — including operations, academics, social outreach and long term planning — and to benchmark those results against other post-secondary institutions.

College officials also launched Sustainability 365, a one-year work plan that outlines 42 specific and measurable targets to advance sustainability, including developing a Green Catering program, enhancing sustainability awareness through faculty development, and forming a Paper Reduction Task Force. Staff and students were invited to make their own sustainability pledges, by setting eco-friendly targets they plan to achieve within the coming year. Read More →

From left: Vida Reader (2012 Conference Committee Co-Chair, PMI Manitoba), Debbie Wilgosh (President, PMI Manitoba), Kirk Johnson (Program Manager, IT and Professional Studies, RRC), and RRC grad Scott Hinkson.

Red River College alum Scott Hinkson has been honoured by RRC and PMI Manitoba, having received a $1,000 student achievement award at the organization’s annual conference last week.

Hinkson, who earned his Project Management certificate through RRC’s School of Continuing and Distance Education in November 2011, works as a project manager for the Western Canada Lottery Corporation. But he’s also well-known in certain local circles as an acclaimed singer and songwriter.

“Every year, we ask all of the Project Management instructors to nominate a student for this award based on a combination of academics and attitude,” says Kirk Johnson, RRC’s Program Manager, I.T. and Professional Studies. “This year, the clear winner was more than just a good student — he’s actually an all-out rock star!” Read More →

Back Row (L to R): David Clarke, Michael Farris, Daryl Nielsen, Jason McMaster, Matt Miles, Christopher Bryan; Front Row (L to R):Pat Wherrett, Nancy Alexander, Faye Bychuk (holding award), Chris Kwasniowski, Jo-Anne Spencer, Mike Arsenault

Red River College’s Online Safety and Health Orientation program has earned an Excellence in Leadership Award from the Human Resource Management Association of Manitoba (HRMAM).

The College received the Organizational Health & Safety Award at the HRMAM’s 10th Annual Excellence in Leadership Awards Gala, held March 14, 2012, at the Victoria Inn. A number of RRC departments were involved in the creation and implementation of the online orientation program, including the Teaching Learning Technology Centre (TLTC), I.T. Solutions, Environmental Health and Safety Services, and Human Resources.

“Through an innovative training application of an ‘Online Safety and Health Orientation’ — which was deemed essential/required learning — new and existing employees are provided with important baseline safety information that helps them carry out their duties and responsibilities,” says Nancy Alexander, Vice-President, Human Resource Services & Sustainability at RRC.

“The program was launched in December 2009, and over 80% of permanent employees have completed the training, with all new employees completing within their first 10 days of employment.”

The HRMAM represents more than 1,100 diverse human resources and business professionals throughout Manitoba. Click here for more info.

Red River College graphic design instructor Randall Butterfield spent time in Scotland and France in recent years. A series of his paintings, which depict the European landscapes he observed, is on display at the Fleet Galleries from March 12 – 30.

Click here to learn more about the show, titled Montpeyroux: Paintings of France & Europe.

Click here for more info on the Graphic Design program at RRC.