Watt a gift! AV’s Electronics Engineering Technology Program gets an $80,000 boost from a local engineer
March 6, 2023
Yael Cohen, a Vernon-based communications engineer, recently donated $80,000 in state-of-the-art electronic equipment to AV’s Electronics Engineering Technology program. The gift included hundreds of electrical components that will be used by program instructors to build in-class electrical circuits and test demos and will be made available to students for use in their end-of-term capstone projects. “I was fortunate to receive numerous scholarships when I was in school, and I wanted to pay it forward,” says Cohen, an...
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Spaghetti Bridge Building Contest serves up fun and learning at OC
March 3, 2023
Friday marked a triumphant return for a popular pasta-themed community event at AV, as the 38th annual Spaghetti Bridge Building Competition brought loads of fun and friendly competition to a boil. More than 250 students from elementary through post-secondary converged on OC’s Kelowna campus on Mar. 3, to see whose spaghetti bridge would reign supreme. In addition to furthering their knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), participants of the contest – back for the first time since pre-pandemic – also...
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OC’s Apprentice Hiring Project connects Ukrainian worker with welcoming environment
March 2, 2023
When Fedir Solovei and his family arrived in Vernon from Ukraine last year they were looking for a fresh start after escaping the harsh realities of the Russian invasion of his home country. Of the many hurdles Fedir was facing, finding employment was top of the list. Highly accomplished as an engineer in Ukraine, and with some experience in general construction, Fedir enjoys creating projects with wood and noted the difference in the use of wood in B.C construction practices. That interest led Fedir to apply for a position with Ve...
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Personal connections highlight Early Childhood dual credit program
March 1, 2023
Emily Patenaude knows what it’s like to be misunderstood as a child; she also understands a thing or two about fighting through adversity. The experience and knowledge will serve the Kelowna high school student well as she looks to begin her post-secondary education. Emily is one of 10 Central Okanagan-area students completing a five-month AV course in Early Childhood AV while still in high school, known as a dual credit program. Emily’s passion for childcare began early as she watched her brother struggle to connect ...
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OC’s Red Dot Players present The Beast of Blackthorn Manor
March 1, 2023
Spring may be in like a lion out like a lamb, but a different beast is on the prowl at AV this month, courtesy of OC’s theatre troupe. The Red Dot Players are excited to present the premiere production of The Beast of Blackthorn Manor, a new comedy by AV English professor Jeremy Beaulne. The plot promises to delight fans of gothic literature and those new to the genre: When she accepts a position at Blackthorn Manor, an isolated manor house in the Yorkshire moors, governess Charlotte Vole has no idea that she ...
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Health care students in the South Okanagan Similkameen are about to breathe a sigh of relief thanks to a new bursary fund
February 23, 2023
Local philanthropists Yasmin and Rick Thorpe have partnered with Summerland’s Penny Lane Legacy Fund to create a $50,000 bursary fund to help bolster the future of health care in the South Okanagan Similkameen. The Caring for Health Care Students Fund will provide $750 - $1,750 awards for eligible students studying at AV’s Penticton Campus. “We know if we educate healthcare professionals in Penticton, there’s a good chance they’ll stay and work in the region,” says Yasmin John Thorpe. “We want to help increase the numb...
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OC increases access to early childhood education in the South Okanagan
February 22, 2023
AV (OC) is opening new spaces for people interested in working in early childhood education, as childcare facilities across the region and British Columbia continue to face staffing challenges. The Early Childhood AV Certificate program starts at OC’s Penticton campus in mid-March and runs through May 2024. The intake will have space for 24 students, adding to the more than 145 Early Childhood AV students studying at AV in Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton this year. According to the province’s Labour...
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Plasma donor drive campaign boosts OC nursing student with $3,000 bursary
February 22, 2023
AV nursing student Taylor Hubick learned a valuable lesson this year: persistence with plasma donation pays off. Hubick is the recipient of the Canadian Blood Services bursary of $3,000 for her studies in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, for recruiting 23 plasma donors between May and October last year. Hubick says she originally got recruited to donate by a friend who was studying on Vancouver Island. “She pulled out of the challenge because she was going travelling, and that’s when I realized I should do...
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Community donations support College's trades facility
February 21, 2023
Two recent donations to AV’s trades training facility are a perfect example of how partnerships with the community continue to benefit students. People taking courses in AV’s RV Training program are benefitting from donations that allow them to work on equipment that is in use in the industry. GLP Canada and Atlas Trailer both donated an assortment of new appliances including hot water heaters, furnaces and range/oven to the RV Training program. “Thank you to our valued partners in the community ...
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College students mentoring high school peers for Sustainable Development Challenge
February 17, 2023
It’s students helping students tackle the biggest issues of our time. AV (OC) students have joined forces with youth leaders in Grades 8 to 12 in the Central Okanagan to provide mentorship on projects that will impact the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The high school teams are preparing for a local Sustainable Development Challenge event, inspired by the UN initiative, and are able to bounce their ideas and projects off OC students prior to the challenge finale later this month. VIDEO: OC students...
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