Niagara College News and Media

The Niagara College Foundation’s 21st annual Seafood Gala, held April 23, at the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, generated $275,000 in support of scholarships and bursaries.

Many of Niagara’s business, community and educational leaders attended the event, raising $132,000. When the provincial government’s Ontario Trust for Student Support program’s matching formula is applied, the total will increase to at least $275,000, which will be added to the College’s endowment fund for scholarships and bursaries. In the past 20 years, the College’s premier fundraising event has raised more than $1.7 million in support of students.

“The ongoing success of the Seafood Gala is a true testament to the generosity of individuals within our community in supporting Niagara College students,” said Sean Kennedy, Vice-President, Student and External Relations and CEO of the Niagara College Foundation. “Without these events, many students would be unable to pursue their educational dreams.”

The 2010 Seafood Gala Chairperson, Vittoria Wikston, led the Seafood Gala Committee in creating an atmosphere that featured a spectacular buffet, silent and live auctions and entertainment by Elton Lammie, Adam & Sam, and dancing to the music of Jonesy.

This year’s sponsors included the Fallsview Casino Resort, Casino Cares, Aquicon Construction Co. Ltd., architects Tillmann Ruth Mocellin (aTRM) and Sun Media.

Proceeds from the Seafood Gala support the scholarships and bursaries portion of the Building Futures Campaign, which is raising $16.5 million towards the College’s $90 million Master Plan with $88 million for buildings, equipment and learning resources, and $2 million for scholarships and bursaries, and applied research.

For more information, visit www.NiagaraCollege.ca/SeafoodGala.

With 8,000 full-time students, Niagara College offers more than 90 diploma, baccalaureate degrees and advanced level programs at campuses in Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. Areas of specialization include food and wine sciences, advanced technology, applied health and community safety, and the College is home to the globally-recognized Niagara Culinary Institute and Niagara College Teaching Winery. In 2008, Niagara College launched a $90 million campus redevelopment project, which is scheduled for completion in 2011. For more information, visit www.NiagaraCollege.ca.

-30-

For more information, contact:

Lyn Russo
Director of Development
Niagara College Foundation
905-735-2211, ext. 7864
lruso@niagaracollege.ca

More than 700 delegates from colleges and institutes across Canada will gather in Niagara next month, as Niagara College hosts the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) Annual Conference.

The conference will draw senior administrators, faculty and staff, board members, students, international guests and business leaders who will share success stories and help shape a new direction for the future for Canadian colleges.

“We’re very proud to welcome our Canadian college colleagues to Niagara,” said Sean Kennedy, Niagara College Vice President, Student and External Relations. “The ACCC conference offers a great opportunity to showcase the beauty and culture of the Niagara region to college delegates and community leaders from across Canada and around the world.

“The theme of this year’s conference, “Power the Future – Transforming Communities Through Learning,” is designed to link the energy of the iconic Niagara Falls to the power of colleges across Canada to transform their communities through innovative programs, services and research, and be catalysts for economic, social and cultural change,” Kennedy added.

A sample of keynote speakers includes Al Hatton, President and CEO, United Way of Canada, Ann Medina, Journalist, and Farley Flex, Leader in Youth Engagement, Judge on Canadian Idol and National Ambassador for UNICEF. Keynote panels include Jayson Myers, President and CEO, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, Paul Charette, Chairman, Bird Construction Company Ltd., and Chair, Employers Coalition for Advanced Skills, Len Crispino, President and CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, and Chair, Board of Governors of Niagara College, Sam Shaw, President and CEO, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Denise Amyot, President and CEO, Canada Science and Technology Museum Corp, and Robert McCulloch, President and CEO, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology.

“Canadian colleges are preparing well-educated, job ready graduates who drive our key industries and make positive impacts in all parts of our society,” said Niagara College President Dan Patterson. “The ACCC conference will include important presentations and discussions that will help guide the future of colleges, institutes, polytechnics, cégeps, and university colleges across Canada.”

The conference takes place at the Sheraton on the Falls and the Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls. Full conference details are available online at http://conference.accc.ca/ or @ACCC2010 on Twitter.

The Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) is the national, voluntary membership organization created in 1972 to represent colleges and institutes to government, business and industry, both in Canada and internationally. For further information, visit http://www.accc.ca.

With over 8,000 full-time students, Niagara College offers more than 90 diploma, baccalaureate degrees and advanced level programs at campuses in Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. Areas of specialization include food and wine sciences, advanced technology, applied health and community safety, and the College is home to the globally-recognized Niagara Culinary Institute and Niagara College Teaching Winery. In 2008, Niagara College launched a $90 million campus redevelopment project, which is scheduled for completion in 2011. For more information, visit www.NiagaraCollege.ca.

-30-

For more information, contact:

Gordon Hunchak
Director, Marketing & Communications
905-735-2211, ext. 7567
905-650-7820 (cell)
ghunchak@niagaracollege.ca

Knowfire, an innovative partnership between Niagara College, Brock University and Niagara’s local fire departments, received a Global Best Honourable Mention Award, in the Building Learning Communities category for the global region ‘the Americas,’ at the 10th International Education Business Partnership Conference, held recently in Toronto.

Launched in September 2009, Knowfire is a fire safety and prevention program featuring a series of unique fire safety videos aimed at educating college and university students living on and off campus.

Niagara College’s Sean Kennedy, Vice President of Student and External Relations, and Brigitte Chiki, Director of Student Services, accepted the Global Best Award on behalf of the partnership.

“It was a real honour to have our work – and the success of the partnership – recognized this way on an international stage,” said Chiki. “There were over 60 partnership nominations filed from around the world – and all of them were very impressive.”

During the conference, Chiki also facilitated a collaborative workshop featuring the role of project partners, and the process behind the project, to an international audience.

Supported by the Conference Board of Canada and the International Partnership Network, the Global Best Awards celebrate outstanding and effective business, education, and community organization partnerships that have a significant impact on the communities in which they operate. The awards are offered bi-annually and judged by an international panel.

Knowfire is a made-in-Niagara fire safety and prevention program designed to educate students, as well as parents and landlords, using multi-media in a format that resonates more effectively with the 18-24 year-old student demographic. The primary format is a series of six 1-2 minute dramatic high quality videos, accompanied by a website, print materials and workshops. St. Catharines’ fourgrounds media produced the videos, and students and graduates from various Niagara College and Brock University media arts program participated as actors, videographers and scriptwriters. The student governments at each school also supported the production of the videos. Knowfire’s business and promotional sponsors include Kidde Canada, Duracell and Campus Living Centres.

For more information on the Knowfire program, visit www.knowfire.ca.

-30-

For more information, contact:

Brigitte Chiki
Director, Student Services
Niagara College
905-735-2211, ext 7783
bchiki@niagaracollege.ca