Northwest Community College Connections

NWCC Skills Canada BC Regional Trades Competition 2013 Winners

Junior Skills Category
Spaghetti Bridge — Students from Mount Elizabeth Middle School in Kitimat BC came away with the top prizes with Jared’s team taking first place. Congratulations to all participants, who learned today that spaghetti is not a great building material.

Secondary Skills Category
Automotive
1st place: Scott Beertema, Hazelton Secondary, Hazelton BC
2nd place: Jordan McNiece, Caledonia Senior Secondary, Terrace BC
3rd place: Andrew Martel, Northwest Community College

Carpentry — sponsored by Progressive Ventures
1st place: Brayden Fulljames, Smithers Secondary, Smithers BC
2nd place: William Helps, Smithers Secondary, Smithers BC
3rd place: Kristian Vidal, Caledonia Senior Secondary, Terrace BC

Culinary Arts — sponsored by Sysco Vancouver
1st place: Ben Williams, Hazelton Secondary, Hazelton BC
2nd place: Luc Statham, Charles Hayes Secondary, Prince Rupert BC
3rd place: Phil Ralston, Caledonia Secondary, Terrace BC

Welding — sponsored by KBR
1st place: Kolton Miller, Northwest Community College
2nd place: Jeremy Soares, Caledonia Senior Secondary, Terrace BC
3rd place: Colton Szmata, Mount Elizabeth Middle School, Kitimat BC

Electrical Wiring
1st place: Chris Leblanc, Northwest Community College
2nd place: Duncan Fisher, Northwest Community College
3rd place: Josh Clark, Northwest Community College

Post-Secondary Category
Automotive
1st place: Jocelyn Harris, Northwest Community College
2nd place, tie: Bertram Gonu and Cody Nelson, Northwest Community College

Carpentry
1st place: Brandon Stella, Northwest Community College
2nd place: Ian Fromm, Northwest Community College
3rd place: James Haley, Northwest Community College

Culinary Arts — sponsored by Sysco Vancouver
1st place: Candice Thomas, Northwest Community College
2nd place: Janelle Robinson, Northwest Community College
3rd place: Leah Kolesar, Northwest Community College

Electrical Wiring
1st place: Shonte William, Northwest Community College
2nd place: Linnea Waechter, Northwest Community College
3rd place: Allen Noordhoff, Northwest Community College


Thank you to the sponsors of the Skills Canada BC Regional Competition:
KBR
Progressive Ventures Construction
Galore Creek Mining Corporation
Avanti Kitsault Mine Ltd
Imperial Metals
Shell
Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines
Sysco Vancouver
Classic Rock CFNR

Prizes were donated by these generous local businesses:
Convoy Construction Supplies
Spectra Energy
Kaman Industrial Technologies
Rudon Hydraulics Ltd
EB Horsman & Son
Air Liquide
Praxair
NAPA Auto Parts
McCarthy Motors GM
Finning Canada
Western Equipment Ltd
Canadian Tire

NWCC students earn national awards

TERRACE – A half dozen Northwest Community College (NWCC) students have been awarded 2011-12 scholarships from Indspire, a national charitable organization formerly known as the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (NAAF).

The deserving winners from NWCC are:

Evelyne Fowler, Terrace – $1,500 to complete a one-year Applied Business Technology program at NWCC (pictured with NWCC President Dr. Denise Henning, right).

Cecilia Morgan, Prince Rupert – $1,300 to continue in the second year of a three-year University Credit - Associate of Science Degree program at NWCC

Theresa Quock, Terrace – $1,200 to complete a one-year Automotive Service Technician Foundations program at NWCC

Kelvin Robinson, Terrace – $500 to complete the final year of a two-year First Nations Fine Arts program at NWCC

Lee Russ, Masset – $800 to complete the final year of a two-year First Nations Fine Arts program at NWCC

Robert White, Prince Rupert – $2,800 to complete the final year of a two-year First Nations Fine Arts program at NWCC

NWCC strives to keep its students in tune of any and all applicable financial awards and bursaries, which facilitate access to post-secondary education and act as an incentive for student excellence.

Robinson, a Nuxalk originally from Bella Coola on BC's central coast, used his award to help pay for his diploma year in the First Nations Fine Arts program at NWCC's Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art. Robinson recently celebrated his graduation from the program, which he says has been a life-changer.

"I feel like with what I have learned in the First Nations Fine Arts program, I am really just finding myself," said Robinson. "I'm discovering the purpose of the art."

Robinson adds the skills he acquired at the School will serve him well in his goal to become a respected artist on the Northwest Coast.

Indspire has evolved into the largest non-governmental funding body for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis post-secondary students across Canada. Based in Ontario, Indspire is described as being dedicated to raising funds to deliver programs that provide the necessary tools for Indigenous peoples, especially youth, to achieve their potential. In total, Indspire has disbursed over $49 million to 14,000-plus recipients since its inception and offers financial assistance (scholarships and bursaries) through four major categories: Post Secondary Education, Fine Arts, Health Careers, and Oil & Gas Aboriginal Trades & Technology.

Pictured above is NWCC President Dr. Denise Henning, centre, flanked by two 2011-12 Indspire scholarship winners, Robert White, second from left and Kelvin Robinson, second from right. With them are Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art instructors Ken McNeil, far left, and Dean Heron, far right.

NWCC students get first-hand look at biodiversity of North Coast

Marine classroom: NWCC biology students, standing from left to right, are Joe Daniels, Jason Daniels, Amarilys Ducharme and Dustin Woodman, with instructor Reto Riesen. In front is student Casey Braam.

PRINCE RUPERT – Northwest Community College (NWCC) students in an Ichthyology class, studying the biology of fish, took advantage of springtime weather for an exciting field trip earlier this month to explore fishing areas within traditional Gitga’at territory, southeast of Prince Rupert.

The Applied Coastal Ecology (ACE) students had the opportunity to engage in some interesting field research to learn more about marine fish diversity in the area and the importance of varied habitat types.

To his knowledge, instructor Chris Picard says the area had never been explored in this way.

"I am not aware of any other fisheries work being completed at our study sites, so ours was likely the first look at fish diversity there." said Picard, adding the group found a wide array of species using the eelgrass and beach habitats.

"This field trip gave the students an opportunity to become familiar with some of the biodiversity the North Coast has to offer," Picard added. "The sites were heavily used by juvenile pink and chum salmon, as well as a variety of other interesting and unique species, such as pipefish and tubesnout—both closely related to the more familiar seahorses in tropical seas. Numerous adult and juvenile flounder, along with several other species were also observed, suggesting the area is important for supporting fish biodiversity. Undoubtedly, had we more time, even more would have been learned and discovered."

Picard says it took a team effort to pull off the trip successfully.

The support of the Gitga’at Guardians was paramount to the overall success of the project. The Guardians, which form part of the Hartley Bay Band’s Land & Marine Resource Department, supported the class's permit application to BC Parks, required to complete research in the area. Extending the hospitality of the Gitga’at, the Guardians also provided the use of their guardian cabin, boat transportation and use of equipment. Picard and the students put in a lot of work, and Prince Rupert Campus Principal Wendy Prystay also worked diligently to ensure all the administrative and permitting requirements were successfully and efficiently addressed. The Gitxaala Nation also supported the BC Parks permit application.

NWCC is a valuable community asset, impacting the lives of students and our communities. Through its nine campuses, 500-plus employees and an annual injection of over $30 million into the local economy, NWCC is an economic engine supporting the many communities that look to us to provide innovative programs and services.

NWCC staff co-author guide for literacy practitioners

HOUSTON – Two Northwest Community College (NWCC) employees, both tireless champions of learning and literacy in the Bulkley Valley and beyond, have been instrumental in creating a new tool for literacy practitioners.

Houston-based Sandi Lavallie, Career & College Prep Instructor and Coordinator, and Dee McRae, Regional Literacy Coordinator, teamed with Anne Docherty of the Storytellers' Foundation in Hazelton to create The ACME Guide to Literacy Practice in Community: A Conversation for Literacy Practitioners.

The result is an interesting and provocative look at those complexities and what it means to engage in meaningful literacy practice. Written in an innovative and engaging comic book style and addressed directly to literacy practitioners, it is an accessible and highly engaging conversation for practitioners and tutors in adult literacy settings.

"This guide is about the nature of literacy and the implications for practice," said Lavallie. "It is intended as a professional development tool that will spark dialogue, debate, ideas and reflection about how we define literacy, how we define literacy progress, and other 'big picture' questions.
 
"While it was originally intended to be a fun, informal introduction to measurement, we found that as we wrote, we kept going back to the essence of literacy practice. We first need to look closely at literacy and learning in community to really see the complexities.”

Lianne Gagnon, NWCC's Dean of Student Development and Instruction has read the guide, finding it to be both informative and fun.

"I'm very pleased that Northwest Community College—through the effort, skill and passion of Sandi and Dee—has played a significant part in creating this great new literacy resource," said Gagnon. "Sandi, Dee and Anne possess a wealth of literacy experience and it is reflected in this book for practitioners. These three individuals are well known for their expertise in literacy and their successful grassroots initiatives. The Northwest region is a more literate place because of their endeavours. I recommend the guide to anyone in the field of literacy."

The guide is a product of the project From the Ground Up: A Research-in-Practice Approach to Outcome-Oriented Program Evaluation managed by RiPAL-BC (Research in Practice in Adult Literacy–BC) in partnership with Literacy BC and funded by the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

In addition to viewing it here in PDF format, the College has six copies available at its campus libraries in Hazelton, Houston, Kitimat, Prince Rupert, Smithers and Terrace.

NWCC is a valuable community asset, impacting the lives of students and our communities. Through its nine campuses, 500-plus employees and an annual injection of over $30 million into the local economy, NWCC is an economic engine supporting the many communities that look to us to provide innovative programs and services.

Student Services Team welcomes much-needed computer donation

TERRACE – Students with disabilities at Northwest Community College (NWCC) have benefitted directly by a generous donation of refurbished laptops, thanks to the Computers for Schools BC (CFS-BC) initiative.

The laptops are proving to be invaluable for enhancing NWCC's Student Services Team, in particular the Accessibility Services Coordinators, who work with students with disabilities to pursue their post-secondary education.

The donated refurbished laptops were distributed among NWCC's campuses where the need was greatest—Terrace, Kitimat, Smithers and Prince Rupert. There, they are readily available for the students to use; students can just sign them out for the term, or for just a day as required, says Terrace-based Accessibility Services Coordinator Pat Stone.  
 
Stone adds the students are using the computers to help them in a number of ways, by facilitating learning processes and by lightening the load they have to physically carry on a day-to-day basis. These students are benefitting from an online textbook service with large print, PDF, audio and e-book format from CILS, a library service for people with disabilities, along with standard word processing and internet capabilities.

"We are so pleased with the immediate benefits these computers have brought to our students," said Stone. "The students we help face greater challenges than able-bodied students and to augment the tools they have at their disposal can provide a major boost to their learning outcomes."

She says feedback from the students they help has been overwhelmingly positive. Students have said having access to a laptop means they don't have to carry around as many heavy books, that e-books and laptops have helped with vocabulary and that it saves on the physical toll some students with disabilities can encounter by having to get to the campus computer lab.

CFS-BC provides quality refurbished computer equipment to schools, libraries, community access  sites and learning focused not-for-profit organizations across BC. Computers for Schools BC is administered by British Columbia Technology for Learning Society and was incorporated in 1995.

NWCC is a valuable community asset, impacting the lives of students and our communities. Through its nine campuses, 500-plus employees and an annual injection of over $30 million into the local economy, NWCC is an economic engine supporting the many communities that look to us to provide innovative programs and services.

Nisga'a Dancers welcome NWCC students in unique learning experience

TERRACE – Northwest Community College (NWCC) students enrolled in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program got the chance to meet recently with their peers for a spirited weekend of learning, sharing and culture.

The ECE program is offered in a distance format consisting of audio teleconference, weekend seminars, practical field work and online learning. While this multi-mode format emphasizes the importance of learning in students' own communities, the times when they can meet face-to-face are especially valued, says program coordinator Jessica Hrechka-Fee.

"Our distance ECE students travelled from Iskut, Smithers, Kinkolith and Prince Rupert—from throughout the Northwest—to Terrace for a weekend of shared learning and culture," said Hrechka-Fee.

From here, the Terrace-based students planned and brought the whole group to a Gitlaxdax Nisga'a Dance Group practice at the Nisga'a Hall as part of the program's Working with Families course. It made for a day of traditional dancing, local culture and sharing part of "their community" with their classmates.

"ECE students are applying their knowledge in their community," says Hrechka-Fee. "They are showing their understanding of the value of culture, families and community. All together, our students thoroughly enjoyed learning a few Nisga'a songs and dances."

"Visiting the Gitlaxdax Nisga'a Dance Group practice was beyond awesome!," said ECE student Kia Morgan. "I couldn't believe how much I have missed dancing. I plan to go to more practices with my classmates."

The benefit to students of such an exercise is hard to quantify or describe in a program curriculum, says Hrechka-Fee. "Our students could see the power of culture to a family. They felt the students' emotions when they shared part of their culture with the whole group. Students were able to share a part of who they are with people they might work with. They discovered connecting classroom and community is not difficult, and it helps build relationships, support families and allows learning to occur in many ways."

Sincere thanks go to the Gitlaxdax Nisga'a Dance Group for inviting the ECE class to share in the cultural experience and providing such a welcoming environment.

NWCC is a valuable community asset impacting the lives of students and our communities. Through its nine campuses, 500-plus employees and an annual injection of more than $30 million in the local economy, NWCC is an economic engine supporting the many communities that look to us to provide innovative programs and services.

New plaque unveiled at Prince Rupert Indigenous Gardens

Tsimshian Elder Leonard Alexcee, centre, blesses the new plaque that will be installed at NWCC Prince Rupert Campus's Indigenous Gardens. NWCC instructor Judy Thompson, right, holds the plaque, while NWCC President Dr. Denise Henning, left, holds up an umbrella for an Elder.

PRINCE RUPERT – Local Elders joined staff, students and invited guests at Northwest Community College's (NWCC) Prince Rupert Campus March 9 in a short ceremony to bless a bronze plaque that will mark the Indigenous Garden.

Judy Thompson, NWCC First Nations Studies instructor and Nancy Mackin, MRAIC Phd (who originally designed the garden), invited the Kaien Elders from the Prince Rupert Friendship House to a presentation during a meeting of the College's First Nations Council.

In a moving and powerful event, First Nations representatives from throughout the Northwest met and introduced themselves, many sharing their First Nations names and lineage. The Elders joined the First Nations Council, including NWCC President Dr. Denise Henning, for lunch. After lunch, everyone proceeded to the Indigenous Garden where Elder Leonard Alexcee, a member of the Tsimshian Nation of Lax Kw'alaams from the Killer Whale Clan, blessed the bronze plaque. The plaque is embossed with the Sm'algyax words SUWILAAY'MSGM S'NOODYN A TAX'NII GOO and the English translation of "The Learning Garden of Everything".

The plaque will be fixed on a rock in the middle of the garden providing a centrepiece for the many varieties of Indigenous plants. The garden supports the Prince Rupert Campus's journey towards incorporating Indigenous knowledge in post-secondary education.

"Listening to the Elders and members of the First Nations council speak of their connection to their territories was both moving and humbling," said Wendy Prystay, NWCC Prince Rupert Campus Manager. "We were very proud to host this event and look forward to the continued involvement of the Elders on our campus."

NWCC created Indigenous Gardens at its Prince Rupert and Terrace campuses in 2008. They showcase local plants and flora with symbolic meanings for the College community, including staff, students and the region's Aboriginal people.

NWCC turns pink on Anti-Bullying Day

PRINCE RUPERT – In recognition of Canada's Anti-Bullying Day on Feb. 29, the Administration staff and Student Services Team at Northwest Community College's (NWCC) Prince Rupert Campus all sported pink apparel. All staff and students were encouraged to participate in Pink Shirt Day 2012!

The last Wednesday of February is known in Canada as Anti-Bullying Day or Pink Shirt Day. Originally started as a protest against a bullying incident at a Nova Scotia high school, when two students bought and distributed 50 pink after a student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt on the first day of school, it is now a nationwide event. On this day, participants are asked to wear pink to symbolize a stand against bullying.

High school students get a temporary taste of college campus life

PRINCE RUPERT – From now until the end of June, Northwest Community College’s (NWCC) Prince Rupert Campus will become a downtown home base for a Grade 9 class from Charles Hays Senior Secondary that’s embarking on a unique educational experience.

The class of 28 students and their instructors are attempting to learn—literally—outside the box.

For the mornings, they will call the NWCC campus home, while working under the theme of Urban Development and Community in the City of Prince Rupert. Mike Russell, Charles Hays vice-principal and the project coordinator, has been talking to community members who will mentor students and help them create a framework that allows them to collaborate in groups and create a project which attempts to address a local problem. The Grade 9 class will do so while also meeting the Ministry of Education IRP (Integrated Resource Packages) outcomes.

Russell says he and his fellow instructors believe that local relevance and personalized instruction will encourage deeper critical thinking and give students the skills needed to thrive in today’s workplace.

Wendy Prystay is Manager for NWCC's Prince Rupert Campus. She says the College is pleased to partner with Prince Rupert School District No. 52 by providing the classroom space and that both parties look forward to a productive and enriching semester for the students.

"This is a very innovative approach to learning and School District No. 52 should be applauded for encouraging its students to take a much more analytical view of their community," said Prystay. "We have the opportunity to expose 28 students to the College and the school district has a downtown home base for its innovative program."

School District No. 52, NWCC and various business people will be mentors to the program.

NWCC celebrates Family Literacy Day

TERRACE – Northwest Community College (NWCC) is a strong promoter of literacy and every year, NWCC staff takes part in Family Literacy Day events throughout the region.

The Prince Rupert Public Library held weeklong events to mark Family Literacy Day, with storytelling, displays, and prizes. The library handed out free replacements of lost library cards, hosted an e-book demonstration and held a Family Story Hour with special guests Carolina de Ryk of CBC Daybreak North and Prince Rupert Councillor Jennifer Rice.

On Jan. 27 in the afternoon, NWCC Prince Rupert Campus staff had the floor and entertained families with storytelling, games, refreshments and prizes.

Also on Jan. 27, NWCC Houston Campus hosted an event to celebrate Family Literacy Day in the Bulkley Valley. Success By 6’s Duane Jackson, a certified Early Childhood Educator, read to parents and talked about strategies for reading to children; this was followed by a Q & A session.

The following day, Family Literacy Day was hosted at Suwilaawks Community School in Terrace. Over 100 families braved the snow and slush to attend and were kept busy with a number of different activities.

NWCC Head Librarian Melanie Wilke attended, along with colleagues Pat Stone, Solveig Adair, Jessica Hrechka Fee and a few Early Childhood Education students. Wilke said the event had several information and activity tables set up in the gym and library and families were invited to participate in several literacy activities. The tables ranged from card making, play dough, poetry making at the NWCC table, puzzles and more. There was also a healthy lunch of soup and raw veggies served.

“Reading is all about fun and when we make it fun for both kids and their families, it’s a great start to a lifelong connection to books and literacy,” said Wilke. “Family Literacy Day is a wonderful event and NWCC is happy to be a part of it each year.”

NWCC Hazelton Campus will tie-in Family Literacy Day with Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14. The campus will celebrate the event from 10am to 2pm, with snacks to be served at lunchtime. The public is invited to attend.