waterfront campus

March Break Open House for Prospective Pembroke Campus Students

It is now the time for college bound students to start finalizing their plans for post-secondary education. Many have already applied or are in the process of doing so, but making a firm commitment to a program or a college campus requires a bit more research.

Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus is hosting its annual March Break Open House on Saturday, March 11th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will be the first time since the spring of 2019 that this event has been held. In March of 2020, the Open House was the first major event the College had to cancel because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Student

The March Break Open House is primarily intended to help prospective students learn more about all that the campus has to offer. Campus tours are a big part of the day as they provide an opportunity for students to see great facilities like specialized training labs, trades shops, classrooms, the library, the gymnasium, rock climbing wall and the fitness centre.

Guided tours by the campus student recruitment team are more in depth, sharing information on everything from what student services are available to help students succeed to the campus operating hours. There’s always time to answer questions while groups of prospective students and their families make their way through areas like student services and the Student Commons.

Throughout the morning there will be scheduled presentations on financial aid, supporting students with disabilities, the Students’ Association and a special parent session. Parents are often involved in the decision making when young people are choosing the right college that suits their career interests and their personalities. They remain the most influential person in a young person’s life as they begin their post-secondary journey and the college encourages them to attend the Open House Spouses are also welcome as they provide a great deal of support for mature applicants who are returning to school. Parent Info Session, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

Students who are currently studying at the Pembroke Campus will be on hand for a student panel, an opportunity for campus visitors to hear first hand about what their experience has been like at the campus. Ove the years, a consistent theme has been shared about how welcoming the campus is and how genuinely interested the faculty and staff are in helping students achieve their hopes and dreams for life-long success.

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The Pembroke Campus offers more than 20 full time programs. Given the significant labour market shortages in many sectors, these programs offer a direct link to filling job vacancies in our local region as well as across the province and country. Some programs are eligible for government funding to help pay for post-secondary education and new incentives such as the Learn and Stay grant offers free tuition to nursing applicants who enroll in the Fall 2023 intake at the Pembroke Campus.

Applicants who have already applied to the campus will have received an emailed invitation to attend the March Break Open House. Anyone who is interested in attending, but has not yet applied to college, can visit the campus website to pre-register at algonquincollege.com/pembroke.

The Year in Review-2021

Like 2020, the year 2021 was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on everyday life. The pandemic leads our year in review at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus as we reflect on the past 12 months and how our students and employees demonstrated resiliency and worked to help others in need.

The Year in Review-2021

The hopes that came with a vaccination to protect people from the virus also required a huge volunteer effort to operate vaccination clinics. Several Pembroke Campus employees and students volunteered their time at the largest clinic in Renfrew County which operated for several months during the spring and summer of 2021 at the Pembroke Memorial Centre.

The vaccines permitted more activity to be held on campus when the Fall term began, but to protect the campus community, the College introduced a mandatory vaccination policy for anyone coming on campus. Daily screening, mask wearing and physical distancing was also required as the College reduced lab sizes and put in additional safety mitigation practices within programs.

For the second year in a row, the College opted to hold a virtual convocation ceremony. One of the highlights of the Pembroke Campus ceremony was the awarding of an Honorary Degree to Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe. Keefe spent many years in Pembroke as he started his coaching career with the Junior A Lumber Kings and was a donor to the Waterfront Campus building fund and a bursary set up to support students in financial need.

Sheldon Keefe, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus, Speaker Series

Photo Source: Maple Leaf Daily News

The Pembroke Campus also celebrated when two of its graduates from the Social Service Worker program, Tom Sidney and Crystal Martin-Lapenskie, were recognized for their career accomplishments when they received an Alumni of Distinction award from the college. Martin-Lapenskie was also nominated for a Premier’s award for her work supporting Inuit youth across Canada, work that included recording a national public service announcement encouraging Inuit to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

Martin-Lapenskie

Another alumnus was also making us proud. After a year off because of the coronavirus, country recording artist and Business graduate Jason Blaine returned to his hometown of Pembroke to host a revised one-day charity concert and golf tournament. The event was a huge success as it raised $80,000 for special projects and community organizations in the Pembroke area. $10,000 of the funds raised was donated to Blaine’s endowment fund at the Pembroke Campus which supports students who need bursaries to support their educational investment.

Business graduate Jason Blaine

While the pandemic created many challenges, there were also some new opportunities that helped the College broaden its community outreach. The Pembroke Campus had been hosting a speaker series for more than 20 years, but the pandemic forced the campus to move from in-person to virtual presentations. With no travel requirements for speakers, the campus was able to attract some high profile personalities including His Honour Murray Sinclair, who chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, former CBC The National Anchor Peter Mansbridge, Author and Historian Charlotte Gray and Ron MacLean and Tara Slone of Hockey Night in Canada and Rogers Hometown Hockey which paid a visit to Pembroke in December.

His Honour Murray Sinclair

The campus was able to support the Forestry sector through a large government investment of almost $5-million to help the industry attract new workers and train its existing workforce. The Forestry Skills Advance Ontario project was announced in the spring and resulted in several blocks of training being made available to mills and wood manufacturing facilities across the region.

Staff presenting

Partnerships were a big part of 2021 for the Pembroke Campus as the College worked with organizations such as the Renfrew County District School Board to offer special dual credit and Ontario Youth Apprenticeship programs that gave high school students a chance to come on campus to experience the skilled trades. A special summer trades camp was offered that gave students a chance to test drive careers in trades such as carpentry and welding.

Forestry students also helped plant 30,000 trees in Algonquin Park and the Nipissing Forest. The project was sponsored by the Ontario Woodlot Association, the Canadian Institute of Forestry, Friends of the Petawawa Research Forest, Nipissing Forest Management Inc., and the Algonquin Forestry Authority, all important partners to the College’s long-standing Forestry Technician program. As a thank you to the students, a $5,000 donation was made to the College in support of its Forestry program.

Forestry students also helped plant 30,000 trees in Algonquin Park and the Nipissing Forest

The College continued to expand its programming in 2021 with the launch of the Environmental Management and Assessment post-graduate certificate program which began in January. The program proved to be very population with both Canadian and international students. The campus also announced it would have a first intake for a Computer Programming program in January of 2022.

In April, the campus was able to expand its Employment Ontario footprint in Renfrew County when it began offering Employment Services support to unemployed or underemployed individuals in the Eganville and Barry’s Bay areas. The College’s Academic Upgrading program continued to offer most of its programming remotely, creating new opportunities for learners to access the program.

We have only highlighted a few of the many things that were happening at the Pembroke Campus in 2021. We look forward to creating more memories in 2022. Happy New Year to everyone from all of us at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus.

 

Apply to be a JEDI Mentor

Want to add to your resume and enhance your post-secondary experience? We are looking for student mentors for our incoming 2021-2022 first-year students aka JEDI Mentors!

Job Description

A JEDI is a second-year student who takes a leadership role in supporting first-year student’s college success. JEDIs are select individuals with ability and desire to:

  • Share their leadership, knowledge, and academic ability to help others succeed;
  • Mentor a group of first-year students in a wide variety of informal channels – social, outdoor and educational;
  • Assume a leadership role in directing students to supporting resources for their success;
  • Be an ambassador for the program and the Pembroke Campus at special first-year student events as requested;
  • Receive training and development in mentorship and other specialized certifications like Mental Health First Aid, Positive Space, Leadership, Bystander and Sexual Harassment and also add to your Co-Curricular Record;

Required Qualifications

  • Desire to be a positive role model
  • Good listening and communication skills
  • Proven commitment to your program
  • Demonstrated academic success
  • Willing to dedicate 20 hours/semester over two semesters including:
    • Attendance at recruitment and other program social events
    • Orientation (April) and /Training Day

We are looking for JEDI Mentors in the following programs:

  • Applied Nuclear Science & Radiation Safety
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing
  • Business
  • Computer Systems Technician
  • Environmental Technician
  • Outdoor Adventure
  • Outdoor Adventure Naturalist
  • Personal Support Worker
  • Practical Nursing
  • Social Service Worker

If you have any questions, please contact:
Shelly Sutherland, Student Success Specialist
suthers@algonquincollege.com

OR your Program Coordinator

CLOSING OPPORTUNITY: FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021

 

Fall Bursary Application: Aug. 24 – Oct. 5

Algonquin College fall bursariesAttention all new and returning Waterfront Campus students!

The Fall Bursaries are now open for application on your Algonquin College Student Information System (ACSIS) from Aug. 24 to October 5, 2020. You are encouraged to apply!

For more information please email bursaries@algonquincollege.com.

Students can apply for all in-year bursaries administered by Algonquin College by submitting one application!

The application cycle is open once per term (Fall, Winter, Spring). Only registered students for the current term can apply online through the ACSIS, Bursary Portal.

  1. Go to acsis.algonquincollege.com
  2. Sign in with your student number and password, or create a new login
  3. Under the Financial Aid heading click on Bursary Portal.

Applying for a bursary does not guarantee acceptance, as the number of applicants can often surpass the bursary funds available. When this occurs, applicants are chosen based on the highest amount of financial need. Bursary applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.

Students awarded a bursary are required to have their Social Insurance Number (SIN) registered on the college system for income tax purposes. If you do not have your SIN registered with the college when you submit your application, an email notification will be sent to you with instructions.

 

Counselling Topic: COVID-19 Coping Resources

Well, here we are. Just over a month in. You’ve made it to the end of this semester. I know these past few weeks have been challenging for you all. You’ve been navigating online learning and balancing school/work/home life during this surreal time. I hope exams and final assignments went well. For those who are graduating, congratulations! I imagine it feels odd to finish in this way. I’m sure it’s hard not to say goodbye in person to friends and faculty. For those entering into the spring semester, I’m sure you’re anxious about how it will look. For those of you who were looking forward to/counting on summer jobs and are facing financial uncertainty, I feel for you. I also know there’s so much I don’t know and can’t see. You are welcome to read my open letter about being a mental health professional during this time.

This is just a reminder that I am still available for virtual counselling. I will be working over the summer, so any student (even those in limbo with graduation) can reach out to me. I am available Tuesdays-Thursdays and you can contact me by email (sevigns@algonquincollege.com)

To support you as much as I can right now, below are a few resources. More are available on the Pembroke Counselling Website.

Take care of yourselves!

1) RESOURCE LIST: A LARGE LIST OF RESOURCES FOR COPING WITH DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF COVID-19

2) BLOG POST: “IN A WORLD CALLED CATASTROPHE: COPING WITH COVID-19”

3) PSYCHOEDUCATION VIDEO: “IF YOU CAN HOLD ON, HOLD ON: STRESS MANAGEMENT”

Also available in written format.

 

Classroom Inspiration Photography Contest

Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus, Photo ContestCalling all students! Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus is hosting a photography contest! Rules are simple,

  • Submit a picture of what inspires you the most in the classroom, in placement, or in the field.
  • Provide a brief explanation about why you chose this image to be entered into the contest.
  • Only one entry per student – so make it unforgettable!
  • Submit by March 6, 2020 at 11:59 p.m.

Submissions will be judged based on both the photo and the written explanation, so remember to include each in your entry! Both 1st and 2nd place winners will be featured in our upcoming Pembroke Campus newsletter. For those wishing to enter please email all submissions to raem@algonquincollege.com by March 6, 2020.

 

 

A New Car or a College Education?

What’s a better investment? Buying a new car or enrolling in a college program? The answer is very obvious, but too many families don’t hesitate to finance a vehicle, but they second guess the cost of post-secondary education.

SimplValidate your chose, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campusy put, buying a car is a short term purchase while enrolling in post-secondary education is a life long investment in your future.

Society has been programmed to believe that higher education is expensive and out of reach for many families, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The recent transformation of the Ontario Student Assistance Program has made access to post-secondary training greater than it has ever been.

More grants are available for students with lower incomes, the threshold for family income eligibility for student loans has increased and the application process has been simplified. Moving forward, students will also have a much clearer picture of what their investment will need to be in their education, allowing families to have better information sooner to make their plans for college.

High School Student, Algonquin College, Pembroke Campus

The next time you see the sticker price of $25,000 or $30,000 on a new vehicle that is tempting you, just think how that money could be better spent on earning a post-secondary credential that will carry its value for the rest of your life. Going to college is often a life-changing experience for a student that propels them into a career with higher lifetime earnings, more employment opportunities, enhanced confidence, and eventually more disposable income for things like new cars.

The bottom line is a higher education credential doesn’t depreciate and if you commit to life-long learning, you’ll continue to open doors for yourself. The little black book is a certificate, diploma or degree that will maintain its value and never run out of gas.

Need more convincing, check out Algonquin College’s graduate placement report.

Naomi Fong, Alumni of Distinction Award

Every year, Algonquin College celebrates the incredible achievements of its alumni through the Alumni of Distinction Awards. These awards honour the extraordinary contributions our graduates make to the community while achieving career success. Here is a closer look at the Recent Graduate award recipient.

Naomi Fong, Algonquin College, Pembroke CampusCommunity is vital to Naomi Fong. When she speaks about her two years studying at the Pembroke Campus of Algonquin College, one of the things she highlights is the extraordinarily tight community she formed with her fellow students in the Social Service Worker program. Even now, you can hear the enthusiasm in her voice as she speaks about this special time in her life.

Originally, she planned to study in a different program at the Ottawa campus. But when she looked into becoming a Social Service Worker at Pembroke, she saw a natural fit with her interests and her personal priorities. She wanted to learn how to help others and at the same time learn more about herself. She wanted to develop the confidence to be a full contributor to group work, to stand and speak in public, and to earn her credentials.

“My studies helped me come into my own skin and be confident and tell my story safely in a way that I hope can help others,” she says.

Naomi’s story is a difficult one to hear — but one she wants you to know. The nine-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, now retired, was sexually assaulted while she was in the military. The attacks devastated her physically and mentally. One incident in particular that contributed to her Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) resulted in a physical injury that denied her one of her fondest wishes: to serve her country overseas. The former Bombardier is proud of her achievements in domestic operations serving Canada and the military but she says she will always regret that an overseas posting eluded her.

The assault completely altered her personal and professional trajectory. She says she went from being a proud member of the military to someone chain-smoking alone in her basement and refusing to come out into the light. It has only been gradually and with considerable help from the College and others that she has been restored to something like normal life. She describes the ongoing process as years of taking small steps in order to cope with the negative cycles that accompany PTSD.

One of her first initiatives involved taking a yoga teacher training course, where she rediscovered the sense of community she had once enjoyed in the military.

“Then I stepped into the College, and I found another community where you look at who you are and where you want to be, and there are people to help you get there academically and in terms of your mental health. I received a lot of support from my colleagues and professors and the Centre for Accessible Learning; they were there for me when I needed them.”

What the honours graduate gained through her studies, she says, now helps her tie everything together: she uses what she learned and experienced at the College in her dealings with other people when she’s speaking in public when she is making decisions about what comes next in her life.

One of those decisions after completing her diploma involved joining 39 Canadians competing in 13 sports at the 2018 Invictus Games in Sydney, Australia in October 2018. The games, an international event founded by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, showcases the physical accomplishments of wounded and injured armed service personnel and veterans from around the world. Fong, a dedicated athlete who can be found daily at the gym, took home two bronze medals in the Women’s Road Cycling competitions, competed in three other sports, and was the Team Canada flag bearer at the opening ceremonies.

Fong says despite a disability and obstacles she is becoming “one per cent better every day.” She maintains a Facebook page promoting her values of fitness and creative expression. She says Algonquin College gave her a platform to practice making presentations and acquire confidence when speaking in public, and she believes that might provide a pathway to her next career.

“Talking about mental health and mental illness is a way forward. It’s healing for the speaker and for the listener. My education is helping me tell my story. If I can take what I learned and help others if I can help them feel safe and know they aren’t defined by their injury — maybe that will be my way to make a difference.”

Women’s Initiative Network Award: Deadline is November 12

ATTENTION PEMBROKE WATERFRONT CAMPUS STUDENTS!

Please find below information regarding the Women’s Initiative Network Award. Please complete this application and return to Sharon Moreau, moreaus@algonquincollege.com. The deadline for application submission is November 12, 2020.

**

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE NETWORK AWARD

For First-Year Post-Secondary Students Attending the Pembroke Waterfront Campus

Terms/Criteria:

  1. This $700.00 award is made available to ONE woman who is registered as a full-time college student in a post-secondary program. This award intends to assist a woman to gain qualifications that she needs in order to enter or to re-enter the workforce. Preference is given to those who have been absent from the school system or from the paid workforce for a period of time. Preference is also given to those who need financial support and who lack formal employment qualifications. The money will be paid directly to the Registrar in partial payment of second-semester tuition fees.

    2. Applicants must demonstrate financial need as well as good academic progress. Applicants must also give permission for the committee to check on both their OSAP status and their academic standing.