News

Diagrams and PowerPoint presentations have been replaced by real-life technology thanks to a new simulation lab that's been added to Red River College's Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) training curriculum for biochemistry.

This innovative new teaching approach — the result of a partnership with Diagnostic Services of Manitoba Inc. (DSM) and Roche, a diagnostic vendor — provides RRC students with a more dynamic learning experience and better prepares them for both their on-site practicum and eventual employment.

"I was surprised that by just changing the way you teach and how you present your information, you can dramatically alter how we — the students — perceive the topic and our recall ability," said Anthony Villanueve, a med lab technologist-in-training who was among the first group of RRC students to use the simulation equipment.

"The activities stimulated our minds and made us think, instead of just absorbing. Instead of asking (us) what we would do in a situation, the situation was created and we were asked to fix it."

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Staff and graduates of RRC's Youth Recreation Activity Worker program were joined by community leaders and local dignitaries earlier this month, to celebrate the program's 10th year of making a difference in the lives of inner city youth.

The program — which prepares young adults (aged 18 to 29) to work with inner city youth by providing healthy recreational activities — was launched in 2001, in response to a need for trained staff to facilitate drop-in programming at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg.

Building on existing materials from RRC's Child and Youth Care program, a new 10-month certificate program was created to train young adults as recreational leaders.

Students involved with the program — all of whom face multiple barriers themselves — study such topics as child and youth care, psychology and first aid. Many go on to find employment with Boys and Girls Clubs and other inner city youth agencies, and as childhood educators and teacher's aides.

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Student athletes who are adept on the soccer pitch are sure to be in demand at Red River College this fall, as RRC will be fielding collegiate soccer teams for the first time in recent memory. Participating in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference (MCAC), the RRC Rebels will compete against teams from Providence College, Canadian Mennonite University, Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface, and University of Winnipeg.

Twenty spots will be available on each of the men’s and women’s teams, with tryouts to be held in early September. The upcoming season — which will consist of eight games for the men and six for the women — is scheduled to extend through the end of October, culminating in a championship showdown.

“We’re really excited about the new RRC soccer teams and are confident they will carry on the Rebels sports tradition of success and sportsmanship,” says Ryan Ratushniak, Manager of Athletics and Recreation Services at Red River College.  “This new addition will give the RRC community of Rebels supporters and sports fans one more reason to cheer this fall.” 

For more information on Rebels Athletics, visit www.rrc.ca/athletics. 

The Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) has named Ray Hoemsen, Director of Applied Research & Commercialization at Red River College (RRC) as their prestigious Gold Leadership Excellence Award winner.

“Mr. Hoemsen was recognized for the exceptional work he has done in creating and leading sustained applied research, innovation, and commercialization programs in Manitoba,” said James Knight, ACCC President and CEO. “His leadership in this area has been a model for other colleges regionally and nationally.”

Every year, the ACCC recognizes an individual from a Canadian college that has made the greatest impact on his/her institution and, as a result, the communities it serves.

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Red River College students led the way for a Manitoba delegation that earned the highest number of gold medals at the recently held 17^th Canadian Skills Competition in Quebec City. The annual Skills Canada National event took place from June 1 to 4.

Team Manitoba received a total of 24 medals, including 13 Gold, 5 Silver, and 6 Bronze. The teams from Ontario and Quebec each earned 10 Gold medals, while the Alberta and British Columbia delegations each finished with 7 Gold.

Of the Team Manitoba medals, Red River College students won 4 Gold, 2 Silver, and 3 Bronze:

• Andrew Hallmann, CNC Machining (post-secondary) – Gold
• Markus Messerschmidt, Autobody Repair (post-secondary) – Gold
• Ryan Peters, Carpentry (post-secondary) – Gold
• Vasyl Zhukov-Malyeyev, Cabinet Making (post-secondary) – Gold
• Jacob Bell, Brick Masonry (post-secondary) – Silver
• Chad Verplaestse, Sheet Metal Work (post-secondary) – Silver
• Colin Dewitt, Landscape Gardening (post-secondary) – Bronze
• Mackenzie Harman, Landscape Gardening (post-secondary) – Bronze
• Jesse Reimer, Architectural Tech & Design (post-secondary) – Bronze

Congratulations to the RRC representatives, as well as the rest of Team Manitoba, on an excellent showing!

Red River College (RRC) was one of 35 colleges that will share in more than $8 million in federal grant money, via the federal government’s recently announced Applied Research Tools and Instruments Grants, a brand new initiative under the College and Community Innovation Program.

This grant supports the purchase of research equipment and installations to foster and enhance the ability of colleges to conduct applied research.

“This funding helps us with our ongoing mandate of applying knowledge to solve real-world challenges,” says Ray Hoemsen, Director of Applied Research and Commercialization at RRC.

RRC received a grant of $127,001, which will be used to upgrade the environmental test chambers in the College’s Centre for Applied Research in Sustainable Infrastructure and acquire air leakage testing equipment to be used for commercial and industrial buildings.

“Upgrades are under way and we are already using the air leakage testing equipment on a handful of projects,” says Hoemsen. “Applied research is a key element in improving Canada’s productivity and innovation capacity. We are thankful for the federal government’s continued support.”

Click to learn more about RRC’s office of Applied Research and Commercialization.

As part of their efforts to make composite manufacturing more economical, an instructor and a grad from RRC's Mechanical Engineering Technology program have developed a new means of making dissolvable mandrels and patterns, otherwise known as "rapid prototype composite tooling (RPCT)."

Composite manufacturing currently has substantial overhead costs, partly due to the expense of tooling.

"To produce these tools, one typically requires expensive machines that are also very slow and costly to operate," says Leon Fainstein, the instructor who led the development of the new RPCT. "By contrast, RPCT involves only one affordable machine — a 3D printer."

The 3D printer will print virtually any shape of dissolvable mandrels and patterns in about four to eight hours, and even print multiple mandrels or patterns at once.

"Manufacturers require permanent composite molds for short production runs. RPCT can make them with dissolvable patterns," says Serge Broeska (shown, above), the program grad who's now working as a Research Technologist at RRC's Centre for Applied Research in Sustainable Infrastructure  (CARSI). "These composite molds can be very complex, have smooth surfaces, and are comparable to metal molds, with the exception that they are much less expensive."

While there are other methods of making dissolvable mandrels and patterns, RPCT is the only method whereby dissolvable mandrels and patterns can be made directly from CAD files.

"With the progressive development of RPCT, the possibilities for composite design and manufacturing are becoming endless," says Broeska.

To learn more about this breakthrough, read Broeska's article here.

Click here for more information about RRC's Mechanical Engineering Technology program.

Red River College is pleased to announce its second Aboriginal youth summer camp for boys and girls aged 11 to 13 years.

The Hands-on Activity Week for Kids (H.A.W.K.) will run from Monday, July 25th to Friday, July 29th, from 9:00am to 4:00pm daily.

Participants will enjoy cultural programming in RRC’s Medicine Wheel Garden, recreation time and team building games, as well as fun and engaging hands-on activities that will provide an introduction to the skilled trades and technologies in programs such as Construction Trades, Electronics, Mechanical Engineering Technology/Manufacturing and Civil Engineering.

There are only 16 spots available in this year’s camp, so be sure to register your son or daughter as soon as possible. Once the camp is full, a wait list will be developed.

In order to register, your application must be completed in full, including a $50 refundable deposit that will be returned the last day of the camp.  Registration forms can be found online: http://www.rrc.mb.ca/index.php?pid=6830

To learn more, please contact:

Lisa Carriere, H.A.W.K. Coordinator
Aboriginal Student Support & Community Relations

Phone: 204-632-3773
Email: licarriere@rrc.mb.ca

Red River College’s Spring 2011 Convocation — held June 2nd and 3rd, 2011 — gave staff, students and faculty a chance to celebrate the success of the College’s newest class of alumni.

A total of 1,686 credentials were awarded, including:

• 886 Full Time Diploma graduates
• 315 Full Time Certificate graduates
• 435 Continuing & Distance Ed and Regional graduates

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Red River College celebrated the achievements of its Aboriginal graduates at the College's 11th Annual Graduation Pow Wow.

Hosted by RRC's School of Indigenous Education, the event (held May 6, 2011), drew more than 800 graduates, family members and friends.

On June 3, 2011, the SIE will host the College's first ever Aboriginal Art Auction, in support of Aboriginal-focused programming for students. Tickets will be sold until June 2, 2011, at both the Notre Dame Campus and Exchange District Campus bookstores.

For more information or to view images of the available artwork, see www.rrc.ca/aboriginalart.