Community Support
Inspire at OC Revelstoke: Volunteer to Tutor
April 4, 2023
One of the ongoing programs the Revelstoke Centre of Ƶ is proud to continuously offer is the Volunteer Literacy Tutoring program. Melissa Jameson, a resident of Revelstoke since 2007 whom some may recognize from her work at Community Connections, or more recently the civic affairs reporter for the Revelstoke Mountaineer, has been the volunteer coordinator for the program since October 2022. Jameson has been struggling to match several learners with tutors and wonders if there is a misconception about what the tutor position i...
Read more...
Ready, Set, Grow! Ƶ Foundation kicks off its Sunflower Childcare Centre Campaign with an inspiring event at the Vernon Campus
March 15, 2023
Enthusiastic young volunteers led games and activities at the launch of Ƶ Foundation’s $1.25 million campaign in support of a new on-campus childcare centre, planned to open in the fall of 2024. Held on Mar. 1 at OC’s Vernon campus, the event drew 65 guests and celebrated the kickoff of the Sunflower Childcare Centre fundraising campaign. Donor and former College instructor Lloyd Davies spoke about his family’s decision to contribute $500,000 to the cause. "Time and again, I would have students missing class, missing ...
Read more...
Understanding Ableism: Join us for an Anti-Ableism presentation by Spring Hawes at OC Kelowna on Jan. 19
January 13, 2023
A group of Ƶ students and employees are further advancing conversation and action around anti-ableism and accessibility at OC this winter through an upcoming talk and series of follow-up events. Ƶ Kelowna’s Accessibility Alliance invites the OC community to attend an anti-ableism presentation by entrepreneur and advocate Spring Hawes on January 19 from noon -2:30 p.m. in the Centre for Learning Atrium (E Building). In her presentation Hawes will il...
Read more...
Prospera gives big in support of Women in Trades at Ƶ
November 28, 2022
More women will get a chance to lace up their work boots and take the first step in a career in trades, thanks to a recent $79,660 gift from Prospera to a program at Ƶ that has already trained over 1,300 women since it was founded. The Women in Trades Training program was created to remove barriers for women interested in pursuing trades education and help meet the community’s surging need for skilled trades professionals. “These bursaries and added equipment provide opportunities for women to pursue trades tr...
Read more...
Thorpe and Friends Scholarship recognizes two Ƶ students
October 26, 2022
Local students say the generosity of two prominent Penticton philanthropists is helping them take the next steps in their education. Since 2006, former MLA Rick Thorpe and his wife Yasmin John-Thorpe, along with their friends, have given more than $160,000 in scholarships to students in need at Ƶ’s Penticton Campus. Two of this year’s recipients, Wylie Rowan and Mattias Van Bergeyk, received $2,500 to put toward their education. Both students are Summerland Secondary School grads in their first year of studies at Oka...
Read more...
Throat-singing duo PIQSIQ to perform at OC's Penticton campus
October 18, 2022
Ƶ joins forces with Route97 Culture to present fast-rising throat singing duo – PIQSIQ in Penticton Live music will return to Ƶ's Penticton campus this November 4, 2022, for students and music fans alike. In collaboration with the Route97 Culture Road Trip series, Ƶ will co-present the debut of PIQSIQ in the region, who will perform a special concert inside the LEED Platinum-certified building known as the Centre of Excellence in Room 113. You can buy tickets for the show here. With a style per...
Read more...
TD gives $85,000 to help kids and newcomers access Ƶ’s Indigenous Garden
October 18, 2022
Hawthorn, wolf willow, and sage are among the traditional plants growing in the garden on the hillside at Ƶ’s Vernon campus, which this year was visited by more than 250 local school children, thanks to generous support from TD Bank Group. TD’s gift, made earlier in 2022, is funding tours of the K'nmaĺka Senqâĺten - Kalamalka Indigenous garden for children and newcomers to Canada. The garden is located on Ƶ’s Vernon campus. Ƶ has already received a portion of the funding; the remainder will be...
Read more...
Kelowna mayoral candidates invited to public debate hosted by Ƶ, UBC Okanagan
September 20, 2022
Mayoral candidates in Kelowna will speak specifically to issues that matter to university and college students at an on-campus debate at the end of September. Ƶ and UBC Okanagan have teamed up to host the event, which will be moderated by CBC Radio host Sarah Penton at OC’s lecture theatre on K.L.O. Road. “We are thrilled to be welcoming the candidates, students and the community onto our campus, to hear from the individuals running to be the next mayor of Kelowna,” says Dr. Neil Fassina, president, Ƶ. “Pos...
Read more...
OC alumna gives back with bursary for high school grads
June 22, 2022
Ƶ alumna Erum Ahmad has been spending her time teaching Vernon high school students how to be smart with their money. Now, she is giving one of those students a chance to put their learnings into action by creating a bursary to fund the next steps of their educational journey. Erum, who graduated from Ƶ in 2021, found a passion in sharing financial literacy with high school students after experiencing a lack of financial training herself. “When I was in grade 10, I realized there were no classes to help me ...
Read more...
Convocation stoles featuring Syilx, Secwepemc pictographs honour graduates
June 20, 2022
As Canadians prepare to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, Ƶ is recognizing Indigenous graduates in a new and special way. This year for the first time, Indigenous students who cross the stage at OC convocation and commencement ceremonies are being gifted with a specially designed convocation stole, embroidered with Syilx and Secwepemc pictographs. “On National Indigenous Peoples Day and every day, it is critically important that we remember and appreciate the privilege it is to live, work and play on the beau...
Read more...
Surprise gift from Stober Foundation helps Ƶ’s new student-led investment fund open for business
April 20, 2022
A trio of Ƶ Business students envisioned an investment fund that has attracted overwhelming community support, including a generous $40,000 gift from the Stober Foundation. The group began fundraising in January and met their $100,000 seed funding goal in record time. Riley Dunsmore and Steven Fiust, both OC Business students, along with recent alumnus Justin Rantucci, created the Ƶ Student Investment Fund to give students experiential learning opportunities and benefit future students with bursaries and scho...
Read more...
Ƶ hosts panel discussion about Ukrainian crisis
March 7, 2022
World events have been hitting close to home for many in the region, and that’s why Ƶ is hosting a virtual panel, A Conversation About Ukraine, tomorrow night. “The intention is to help our students, colleagues and community better understand the history of this conflict, and consider the impact of disinformation,” said Pamela Nelson, Ƶ Business Professor, who has been organizing the panel. “It’s important to create a safe space which fosters truth and understanding; a space where our community can come togeth...
Read more...
OC Trades General Interest courses come to Penticton
March 2, 2022
What do hammers, bicycles and lawnmowers have in common? They are all topics in the new Trades General Interest programs launching at Ƶ’s Penticton campus this month. The courses provide community members with the opportunity to learn hands-on skills in state-of-the-art trades shops with qualified instructors. The courses are scheduled in the evening and on weekends. Courses are also available for children in the evening and during summer camps. Participants will gain knowledge in various trades, build projects and learn how...
Read more...
Meet Katie Newman, Board Director at the Ƶ Foundation
February 17, 2022
Q: What is your name? A: Katie Newman What are your pronouns? A: She, her Where do you work? A: I am a Director of Financial Planning and Advice Effectiveness with CIBC. Why did you want to join the Ƶ Foundation board? A: The opportunity to impact change in my community and help to support the students' journey was very appealing to me. Q: Our mission is to support the transformative power of education. What drives your passion for education? A: Education and in ...
Read more...
Enactus OC awarded new funding to cultivate student entrepreneurs
February 1, 2022
Enactus Ƶ has received their largest grant to date, enabling the volunteer team to launch and expand more student-led projects that create community and environmental impact. The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) is investing in Enactus social entrepreneurs with a $25,000 grant. Laurel Douglas, CEO of ETSI-BC, says her organization’s mission is to support economic development projects that will have long-lasting and measurable benefits in the region. “We are excited to see how this grant helps Enactus grow...
Read more...
OC supports Gitxaala Nation with vital trades training for economic and cultural growth
January 24, 2022
In one northern village, Indigenous cultural needs and massive construction projects combined to create demand for specialized Ƶ Trades training to support community members. Located on the north coast of British Columbia, the Gitxaala Nation’s main community is in Kitkatla. It identified the need for skilled trades people several years ago, as projects such as the LNG Canada in Kitimat and port expansion in Prince Rupert were announced. But it was a smaller project closer to home that inspired Gitxaala Nation to empower it...
Read more...