Learning & Programs
Student becomes the master at OC Student Chef Dinner Series
March 17, 2022
Okanagan College’s Culinary Arts program served up a tasty opportunity for students to bring their culinary learnings to the table alongside an experienced OC alumnus on Friday. The College’s restaurant, Infusions, hosted guests for a meal that was part of the Student Chef Dinner Series, which gives students an opportunity to showcase their skills and the very best of Okanagan region cuisine while working with experienced chefs. Chef Chris Van Hooydonk of Backyard Farm’s Chef Table in Oliver, B.C., returned to the OC kitchen for t...
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OC students place first with their vision to revitalize Royal B.C. Museum exhibits
March 15, 2022
Okanagan College business students came out on top with their unique vision of how to reinvigorate the Royal B.C. Museum. The Royal Roads Design Thinking Challenge welcomed teams from across Canada and the United States to compete in a case competition based on the concept of revitalizing exhibits and displays at the Royal B.C. Museum with the use of design thinking principles. Business students Vasu Singla, Rebecca Thede, Kenneth Dolera and Chantelle Gaberel represented the College and worked with their coaches, Pamela Nelson and...
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Okanagan College earns back-to-back gold medals at national business case competition
March 8, 2022
For the first time in the 17-year history of the Scotiabank National Case Competition, a business school has recorded back-to-back gold medals as Okanagan College climbed to the top of the podium – again – on Saturday. Hosted by Vanier College in Montréal, the “real time” case competition attracts teams from across Canada looking to test their knowledge and skills. “I am honoured to have shown to Canada that our business school has a unique approach to learning. The dedication of our coaches helped us think better, collaborate and...
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OC Trades General Interest courses come to Penticton
March 2, 2022
What do hammers, bicycles and lawnmowers have in common? They are all topics in the new Trades General Interest programs launching at Okanagan College’s Penticton campus this month. The courses provide community members with the opportunity to learn hands-on skills in state-of-the-art trades shops with qualified instructors. The courses are scheduled in the evening and on weekends. Courses are also available for children in the evening and during summer camps. Participants will gain knowledge in various trades, build projects and l...
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Okanagan College to graduate hundreds of new Health Care Assistants through innovative provincial program
February 24, 2022
When 29-year-old Shanise Scherk graduates this month as a Health Care Assistant (HCA), she is excited to start caring for seniors and other clients living in their homes. While working full time since high school, Scherk had always dreamed of having a career in health care. So, when she learned about a new Okanagan College program that offered paid training and work experience to become an HCA, she jumped at the chance to follow that dream. “It was such an incredible opportunity to receive an education and get hired right away,” s...
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The heart of Okanagan College’s Culinary Arts program reopens on Valentine’s Day
February 9, 2022
Okanagan College’s on-campus restaurant, Infusions, is gearing up to reopen for in-person dining after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions. Culinary and Pastry Arts students are excited to welcome back fellow students, staff and the community to enjoy their culinary creations beginning on Feb. 14. “I’m looking forward to having the community experience the food that we have been learning to create over the last four months,” said Culinary Arts student Chase Holman. “There’s nothing like seeing someone’s reaction when th...
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Enactus OC awarded new funding to cultivate student entrepreneurs
February 1, 2022
Enactus Okanagan College has received their largest grant to date, enabling the volunteer team to launch and expand more student-led projects that create community and environmental impact. The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) is investing in Enactus social entrepreneurs with a $25,000 grant. Laurel Douglas, CEO of ETSI-BC, says her organization’s mission is to support economic development projects that will have long-lasting and measurable benefits in the region. “We are excited to see how this grant helps Enac...
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OC supports Gitxaala Nation with vital trades training for economic and cultural growth
January 24, 2022
In one northern village, Indigenous cultural needs and massive construction projects combined to create demand for specialized Okanagan College Trades training to support community members. Located on the north coast of British Columbia, the Gitxaala Nation’s main community is in Kitkatla. It identified the need for skilled trades people several years ago, as projects such as the LNG Canada in Kitimat and port expansion in Prince Rupert were announced. But it was a smaller project closer to home that inspired Gitxaala Nation to em...
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ECE department celebrates National Child Day
November 19, 2021
Education is a powerful tool to advocate for those who can't advocate for themselves, which was why Early Childhood Education (ECE) students spent National Child Day talking to peers about the difficulties children face in Canada and around the world. National Child Day is officially observed on Nov. 20, but ECE Instructor Rebecca Ayotte said she and her students wanted to do something this week to bring awareness not just in the ECE department, but throughout the College as well. The class set up presentations in the CFL Atrium in...
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International Education Week highlights diversity at Okanagan College
November 19, 2021
Okanagan College translated its diverse student population into a learning opportunity during International Education Week (IEW) as students and staff celebrated cultures and encouraged each other to experience what other countries had to offer. On Tuesday, Nov. 16, the Kelowna campus held language lessons at the Centre for Learning atrium, where student volunteers set up booths that others can visit to learn a bit more about various languages and cultures. Languages represented included Spanish, Punjabi, Hindi, Japanese, Chi...
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New year brings new career by starting studies in January
November 15, 2021
The coming year brings new career training opportunities for Shaylyn Douglas. Douglas will be returning to the classroom in January with her sights set on training to advance her career in health care at Okanagan College. In addition to beginning the Practical Nursing Diploma program at the Penticton campus, Douglas received a financial boost to aid her studies when she won the $5,000 OC Tuition Giveaway Contest. “I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to pursue until I had the opportunity to interact with patients in the phys...
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New funding connects people to tourism careers in the Okanagan
November 15, 2021
The Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction has announced a program that will provide skills training to as many as 30 eligible British Columbians to prepare them for jobs in the hospitality industry in the Okanagan and Shuswap regions. “Graduates of this skills-training project will be qualified for a variety of jobs in the hospitality and tourism sectors,” said Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “The training participants receive will prepare them for exciting careers and give them...
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TOTA award remembers George Hanson, supports OC viticulture student
November 8, 2021
Winemaker George Hanson, who passed away in February, was widely acknowledged for his efforts to grow the B.C. wine scene. A new award funded by the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) will commemorate his legacy, while helping a viticulture student at Okanagan College to cultivate their future in the industry Hanson so dearly loved. TOTA has donated $1,500 to create the George Hanson Memorial Bursary, which will be open to students in the College’s Viticulture Certificate program starting in January. “We are very please...
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OC student wins completion grant as part of inaugural Tourism Management Diploma program
October 14, 2021
For one Okanagan College student, embracing Tourism Management Diploma (TMD) studies at the Revelstoke Centre has truly paid off. Stephanie Sonsona has been named the recipient of the Revelstoke Accommodation Association’s completion grant for 2021, receiving $1,000 to support her education. She first began exploring post-secondary study options while in her home country of the Philippines, and was introduced to the TMD program through Okanagan College’s International Education department. She was drawn to the new tourism-focused...
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New LPN Orthopaedic Program at OC Set to Start in January 2022
September 22, 2021
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) will have a learning option for advanced orthopaedic knowledge and skills that keeps them closer to home. The new LPN Orthopaedic Certificate offered at Okanagan College (OC) is the first of its kind in British Columbia. Launching in January 2022, the online certificate program is set to increase access to advanced orthopaedic education for nurses throughout the province and minimize travel requirements. “This program will meet the provincial need for a local solution for training opportunities...
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Volunteers needed for a sweet cause: Enactus OC students invite community to join them in picking apples
September 17, 2021
A group of Okanagan College business students are once again putting the call out for volunteers from OC and the community to help them harvest fruit that will be used to make healthy snacks for children and others in need. Launched in the fall of 2018, Fruit Snaps is a Vernon- and Penticton-based project co-ordinated by Enactus OC students in partnership with the North Okanagan Valley Gleaners Society facility. It’s focused on taking unused apples from local orchards and dehydrating them into snacks for local schools. The Fruit S...
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