June 2022 Edition


 

Stories Making News!

Collaboration big win for community & the College

College of the Rockies’ Invermere campus' Trades Sampler program has formed a partnership with the Windermere District Farmers’ Institute (WDFI) that has benefitted both parties.

“The Trades Sampler program is able to hold its training at the Institute’s barn free of charge,” said Michelle Taylor, Invermere campus manager. “In exchange, the students completed repairs to the building’s interior, improving its safety and functionality.”

Hospitality Management student wins academic award

Also at our Invermere campus, Hospitality Management student, Jhonna Lyn Valerio was been named as a 2022 recipient of the Our Future Leaders Scholarship, an honour given to outstanding students in a select group of post-secondary hospitality programs. Recipients are also presented with a cheque for $1,500.

Johnna was nominated by Hospitality Management faculty as acknowledgment of her excellent academic standing and commitment to a fulfilling career in the hospitality industry in B.C.

International travel back at College of the Rockies

After a two-year COVID-related hiatus, College of the Rockies students and employees will soon benefit from international educational experiences.

The first two trips will support the International Youth Internship program and  the Young Africa Works in Kenya program. This month, eight of our students are taking part in a Mountain Sustainability Field School.

Learn more

Indigenous History Month

June is Indigenous History Month (IHM), a time to recognize the rich history, heritage, resilience, and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people in our region, and across Canada. College of the Rockies is honoured to recognize IHM by hosting two distinguished Ktunaxa speakers Bonnie Harvey and Kathryn Teneese.

Bonnie's presentation entitled ʔaq̓am and Ktunaxa Perspectives with Bonnie Harvey took place June 1. Kathryn's presentation, A Conversation About Reconciliation, will take place on June 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 

Both presentations will take place at the Cranbrook main campus or will be available online via Zoom. Pre-registration is required.

STEAM summer camps for kids!

This summer, kids can have fun with science, technology, engineering, art, and math in our new STEAM camps.  Choose from Mad Scientist, Art, Outdoor Education and Adventure, Inside, Outside, Upside Down!, STEAM Sampler Electric Piano, Creative Maker, or STEAM Sampler LED Clock (Fernie) camps.

Camps will run for five days each, 6 hours per day and will be packed with so much fun, participants won't even know they're learning!

Learn more

Youth Employment: It's the Bees Knees

Through our partnership with Mastercard Foundation, we are supporting Kenya’s North Eastern National Polytechnic in introducing beekeeping courses. Beekeeping and bee product processing are important ways for Kenyan youth to generate income.

Out in the community

Our President and CEO Paul Vogt recently met with local MLAs Tom Shypitka and Doug Clovechok in Victoria to discuss the changing needs of colleges and the role post-secondary plays in the ongoing labour shortage in our province.

Registration is open!

Increase the chances of getting the courses you want for this fall by registering early.  Registration for the fall semester is now open.

Haven't applied yet? It's not too late!

 

Apply now

Special Events

Graduation Time

It's one of the most exciting times of the year for us! After two years of virtual events, June 10th we will be hosting our annual Commencement Ceremony in person at Western Financial Place.

To make up for their lack of in-person ceremony, graduates from 2020 and 2021 have been invited to join our Class of 2022 at this year's ceremony.  We're so looking forward to celebrating with all of our graduates. Stay tuned for a wrap-up in our July edition of this newsletter.

We were pleased to acknowledge a number of special days in May on our social media feeds, including:

Florence Nighingale's birthday and contributions to nursing.

Program Spotlight:

Bachelor of Business Administration: Sustainable Business Practices

For more than a decade, we've been very proud to offer our very own degree program. The Bachelor of Business Administration: Sustainable Business Practices. Here are some things you may not know about this cool program:

  • While sustainability is the focus, a combination of liberal arts, science and specific business courses make up this four-year degree.
  • Students can choose to study full-time or part-time, in traditional classrooms or online. They can also choose to focus with specific electives, and enter or exit the program at various points. Qualifying courses from other institutions may be used to meet some of the upper level course requirements.
  • Our BBA students, along with Business diploma students, have had quite a successful run at the annual Western Canadian Business Competition. Our teams have earned medals at eight Competitions since 2011 (we didn’t participate some years). In 2020, our Senior team of BBA students earned both the Top Team and Top Simulation Score.
  • In 2020, two BBA students excelled in the first stage of a nation-wide marketing simulation, earning both first and third places. Over 600 university and college students from more than 20 post-secondary institutions across Canada took part in the simulation.
  • Our BBA students have completed 43 capstone projects, 35 of which have directly supported community organizations and businesses. See some examples.
  • BBA students can now complete all the courses required to enter directly into the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) professional education program at the College.
  • Third-year BBA students can take part in a semester abroad either in Andorra or Denmark. Two BBA students and a diploma student have taken advantage of this fantastic educational opportunity to date with another BBA student scheduled to travel to Andorra for the Winter 2023 semester.

 

Alumni Focus

Katie Hamar’s College of the Rockies journey began with travelling from Moncton, New Brunswick to Fernie to see her sister. She quickly fell in love with the East Kootenay area.

Katie enrolled in the Tourism and Recreation Management program (now separate Tourism Management and Recreation Management diplomas) at the College and quickly realized there was much more to attending school in the Kootenays than just its beautiful location.

“I found an amazing community of friends from several diverse cultures,” she says. “Learning was made fun due to the incredible instructors who taught us with respect and openness to our thoughts and ideas.”

After completing her Tourism and Recreation diploma, Katie decided to enter the Bachelor of Business Administration, Sustainable Business Practices program to expand her opportunities in the tourism industry.

“I felt challenged intellectually in the program with just the right amount of freedom to thrive. I felt as though I was a peer, a respected future business woman and a friend.”

Since graduating with her degree, Katie was employed by Island Lake Lodge for six years, first as the Special Projects Coordinator at Island Lake Lodge in Fernie where one of her duties was to head up the Green Committee, and then as the Lodge's Sales and Event Coordinator. She has now moved to Vancouver where as Event Sales Manager she sells and coordinates deluxe events at Vancouver's #1 rated fine dining restaurant, Black+Blue.

Read more

Giving Back

Since Rick and Marg Jensen moved to Cranbrook in 1976, their love of the mountains and our valley has grown with each passing decade. Along with their son and daughter, they have been involved in many businesses and community organizations. In 2018, they established the Rick & Marg Jensen Family Foundation as a way to give back to a region that has given them so much. 

In 2022, the Foundation created the Rick and Marg Jensen Family Foundation Bursary to support Carpenter and Electrical foundation students starting their educational journey at College of the Rockies. Each year, for at least the next three years, two $1,250 bursaries will be presented to students entering the Carpenter or Electrical foundation program. Preference will be given to students from Cranbrook, Kimberley, Invermere, or Fernie.

“The College provides education opportunities for various careers, introduces people to our spectacular region, offers courses for all ages – both part time and full time, establishes programs to help satisfy current and future employment needs, allows local students the ability to stay home to get their education, and so much more,” Rick said. “It plays a crucial role in our communities.”

Read more

Scholarships and Bursaries

Entrance Bursaries

College of the Rockies' Entrance Bursary program is open to first-year students entering a full-time post-secondary program at the College. Bursaries range from $250 to $2,000 for students who demonstrate financial need. Applying is easy! Application deadline is August 15.

New for 2022!

Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary/Clare Ramdin Undergraduate Scholarships.

The Sunrise Rotary Club of Cranbrook is offering two new scholarship opportunities, a total of seven awards of $1,500 each, to College of the Rockies students!

For criteria, further details and application forms visit the Sunrise Rotary section of the Financial Aid and Awards page via the link below. Application deadline: September 30, 2022.

Learn more

Technology Awards for Women

The Irving K Barber BC Scholarship Society's Women in Technology Scholarships recognize women who are excelling at the study of computer/data science, engineering or mathematics at the post-secondary level. Applications close June 30.

Check eligibility and apply

Important Dates - June/July 2022
 

June 1 - Registration for new international students with semestered courses in fall 2022 and/or winter
                2023

June 3 - Last day to withdraw from spring CYFS courses and spring intersession courses (7.5 weeks)

June 10 - Convocation!!

June 17 - Last day of classes for spring intersession (7.5 weeks) courses.

June 20 - Exam period starts for spring intersession (7.5 weeks) courses.

June 22 - Exam period ends for spring intersession (7.5 weeks) courses.

June 23 - Last day of classes for new students in the Hospitality Management spring program.

June 24  - End of classes for spring CYFS and Dental Assistant programs
               -  Examination period begins for new Hospitatity spring program students..
               -  Last day for registration in ELP semester (15 week) courses.


July 1 - Canada Day - Statutory Holiday - College closed.

July 8 - Last day to officially withdraw from spring 15-week ELP courses.