Lakeland Link: April 4, 2011

April 4, 2011

The

www.lakelandcollege.ca

A publication of Lakeland College

Vermilion • Lloydminster

Our MISSION To inspire our learners to realize their individual potential. Our VISION To achieve educational excellence in a people-centred environment. Our VALUES are Respect, Safety, Trust, Pride, Ethics, Quality and Accountability.

Upcoming Events Lloydminster campus Wednesday, April 13 • New Employee Orientation. Room L112.

1 pm

Vermilion campus Thursday, April 7 • "Leadership on the Edge" presentation by alumnus Jennifer Keller. MB 136. 7 pm

Tuesday, April 12 • New Employee Orientation. AH214. 1 pm

Friday, April 21 • Lakeland Regional Skills Canada Competition. Featured events are auto service, carpentry, electrical wiring, cabinet making, culinary arts and welding.

Friday, April 15 • Working Cowboy Competition. Indoor Riding Arena. Ranch roping, stock dog/horse competition, ranch horse competition, ranch doctoring & ranch bronc riding. 11 am

Missing your college yearbook?

If you’re a Lakeland alum and did not receive a yearbook from your graduation year, it's not too late!

Contact the alumni office by emailing alumni@lakelandcollege.ca or phone Darla Yonkman, alumni coordinator, at 1 800 661 6490 ext. 8628 or 780 853 8628.

is published biweekly from September to May by the department of Advancement for staff and members of the college community. Submissions regarding college news and initiatives are welcome and published at the editor's discretion. The deadline for submission is Thursday at noon prior to the publication date. The Lakeland Link is available in Outlook's Public Folders and online at www.lakelandcollege.ca/link.

Lakeland alum Jennifer Keller stands against an Antarctic landscape during a two-week expedition as part of the Leadership on the Educe program.

Lakeland alumnus at Vermilion campus to talk about "Leadership on the Edge" Thursday A Lakeland College alumnus will share information about her recent two-week expedition in the Antarctic during a presentation in Mead Building Room 136 at the Vermilion campus on Thursday, April 7 at 7 pm.

Jennifer Keller spent most of March in Antarctica participating in Leadership on the Edge, a program run by renowned polar explorer Robert Swan and his crew from the organization he created called 2041. The goal of the organization is simple: “To protect Antarctica and the rest of our planet, we must inspire leaders to return home and create change on the personal level, the community level, the corporate level and beyond,” says Swan.

Keller, a co-worker and six other Canadians were among a group of approximately 70 people from around the world who explored the Antarctic Peninsula for two weeks.

During her presentation – which was organized by Lakeland College, Vermilion River Naturalist Society and Town of Vermilion Environment Committee – Keller will share information about her journey and what she discovered.

A graduate of environmental conservation and reclamation in 2002 and bachelor of applied science: environmental management in 2004, Keller is an environmental specialist with Solstice Canada Corp.

She lives in her hometown of Edmonton and currently manages a group which specializes in site remediation, reclamation, decommissioning, and approvals management.

To learn more about Keller’s experience, check out her blog at www.solsticecanada. com.

A word from Glenn's office

Centennial trek

Momentum continues to grow on our Heavy Oil expansion. We are talking with two provincial governments and several large industry players and it is safe to say that there is genuine interest with everyone. There is a looming labour shortage that may well be more severe than the one experienced with our last boom in oil activity.

Our talks with the Onion Lake Cree Nation continue as we explore many opportunities. The next step is a visit to our Lloydminster campus to see what Lakeland is all about and to walk the grounds and explore potential building sites.

The board met twice last week, once for the regular board meeting and a second time for a strategy meeting to establish our vision going forward in light of tight fiscal policy and growing challenges in keeping up with buildings and equipment. The President Glenn Charlesworth wears a senior planning team will be investigating cultural shirt that he received as a gift from different scenarios over the coming Tanzanians Douglas Kipokola and Joseph months and implementing the board’s Kibehele. Both men visited Lakeland direction. More on this as it begins to take College in September and met with faculty, shape over the next six months. administration and staff to continue work Looking ahead to the next couple of on a three-year international agricultural weeks I have a chance to talk with the education project in Tanzania of which student executive and meet the 2011/2012 Lakeland College is a partner. executive team. We also have the last academic council meeting of the year in Lloydminster on Tuesday. I meet with our research team later in the week to talk about our research vision and strategy. The following week I’m off to Wainwright to meet with Bob Allen, superintendent of Buffalo Trail Public Schools, to talk about opportunities to work together.

Finally, as National Volunteer Week approaches, thank you to everyone at Lakeland who gives of their time to make our many college events successful and our communities vibrant. Your efforts to support events such as convocation, student galas, employee recognition & awards evenings and student clubs help maintain our college’s warm and friendly campus atmosphere. Your community involvement also helps demonstrates Lakeland’s spirit of goodwill as a responsible community partner.

As Centennial celebration plans continue to take shape, momentum to recruit and recognize volunteer contributions at Lakeland College is building as well.

National Volunteer Week is April 10-14.

The theme is Passion. Action. Impact.

To recognize the many staff who volunteer at the many student, staff and community functions that take place at the college’s Lloydminster and Vermilion campuses, the centennial volunteer division will be sending a small token of appreciation to staff volunteers next week. Watch for it in the mail.

Currently, 56 people have registered as volunteers for the upcoming centennial celebration activities. If you’d like to add your name, please contact Brunetta Mariani at ext. 8736 or email her brunetta.mariani@lakelandcollege.ca.

Partnership breakfast Several Lakeland College staff were among the 300 participants at the Economic Partnership Breakfast on March 31 at the Vermilion Regional Centre. The event was hosted by the Town of Vermilion Community Economic Development, County of Vermilion River Economic Development, Alberta Employment and Immigration, Vermilion and District Chamber of Commerce, Vermilion Rotary Club, Lloydminster and Region Community Futures, and Lakeland College. At the event employers exchanged ideas for attracting and retaining employees, developing business networks and using best practices. Pictured right is Lakeland's Darla Yonkman with guest speaker Angus Watt.

Recruiters on the road Lakeland recruiters have been wracking up the miles recently.

In the next couple weeks, they will visit the Nawigizigweyas Education Centre at Yellow Quill First Nations, AsiniwKisik Education Campus at Kawacatoose First Nation, Scott Collegiate, Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School, Winston Knoll Collegiate and Miller Comprehensive High School at Regina, and Vanier Collegiate at Moose Jaw.

Women's conference offers help with balance Lakeland College, Vermilion’s Chamber of Commerce and local businesses are teaming up to host the third annual Women’s Conference May 5 at the Vermilion Regional Centre. The theme is “Lessons to Balance & Energize Your Life.” Speakers Barbara Madduck, a wellness/fitness specialist, and Linda Edgecombe, author and motivational speaker, will use humour to discuss health, wellbeing, team building, life balance and more.

The event is supported by the college’s staff professional development committee and the AUPE PD fund. Support and administrative staff wanting to attend should email or call Theresa Berg before April 21.

Last year, over 160 people attended the conference.

Exploring human services program options High school students, parents and others interested in starting a career in the human services field attended a Mix & Mingle program information day at the Vermilion campus today (Monday). The visitors met college faculty, administration, alumni and current students in the child and youth care, early learning and child care, and educational assistant programs.

They also received a campus tour.

Pictured at left are high school students Allison Stremick of Good Soil, Sask., Taylor Caffary of Wainwright, and Solvejg Hentschel of Lougheed visiting the campus bookstore with enrolment specialist Lisa Bush.

Lakeland rodeo team wins big at national finals Lakeland students and rodeo team members proved they have what it takes to win big at the Canadian National College Finals Rodeo at Edmonton on the weekend.

Congratulations to Stephanie Denham, crowned barrel racing champion, and Pete Lowry, team roping champion. Scott Guenthner was also named Cowboy of the Year.

Lakeland’s team also received a $3,547 award from Edmonton Northlands in recognition of its effort to sell CNCFR tickets and its commitment to the sport.

A Lakeland minute Available in Public Folders are minutes from the Feb. 10 and 24 Executive Team meetings. Minutes and reports from the Jan. 24 Board of Governors meeting are also available.

Real world learning by design Nicole Polishuk, a local teacher and community resident, met with the firstyear interior design technology students last month to give some feedback on the bathroom/laundry designs that the students did for them as a class project.

Their goal was to get some ideas of how to combine two small spaces into one an existing bathroom and laundry room in their home. As a gesture of thanks, Polishuk (pictured above) presented each of the students with a gerber daisy. Receiving theirs are Julie Arthurs, Keshia Caplette and Courtney Federspiel. The students used NKBA guidelines for bathroom design and client requirement requests to reconfigure the two spaces into one. They also researched and specified fixtures, materials and colors for the space. The project was a live-the-learning experience for the Lakeland students and the client. The Polischuks appreciated the work and talent demonstrated by the students and have promised to keep them up to date as they carry out their renovation.

Students case WestJet

University transfer student Ashley Lange explains her math game that incorporates integer addition and logic to Dylan Stephenson (left) and Brock Rogers, both Grade 3 students at Queen Elizabeth Elementary School.

Math fair proves math is fun for students of all ages University transfer students learning to become teachers took on that role as they hosted a math fair March 16 at Lloydminster’s Queen Elizabeth Elementary School.

The math fair is a required project for students in the Math 160 course. Students are evaluated on their presentation planning and delivery, interactions with elementary students and level of professionalism.

Using games, puzzles and interactive activities, Lakeland students present and reinforce math concepts such as sequencing, whole number addition/subtraction, logic problems, geometric shape identification and manipulation in a carnival-like atmosphere.

Instructor Mark Cryderman says the math fair benefits students at both ends of the academic grid. “For first-year university level students, the math fair serves as a practical, hands-on learning experience that helps each student develop their teaching technique,” says Cryderman. “For elementary school children, the math fair serves to make fundamental arithmetic and problem solving fun.”

Over the last few years, Lakeland College has worked with a number of schools in Lloydminster to host the math fair project. It’s a partnership that has proven to be valuable.

“We always receive great feedback from school teachers and staff. Sometimes, the classroom teachers will incorporate some of our activities into their lessons as well,” says Cryderman. “It’s a great relationship and a great opportunity for our students.”

Should WestJet expand its holdings by adding a second fleet of smaller airplanes?

That was the question 12 post-secondary teams used their business skills to answer during the annual Alberta Deans of Business Case Competition March 24-26 at Red Deer College.

Lakeland College was represented by Launa Burgess, Taylor Weighill, Renee Toms, Misha O’Donnell and Ryan Verboom. For the fourth consecutive year, Lakeland’s team was sponsored by Servus Credit Union.

The team received the WestJet business case and then spent nine and a half hours brainstorming a solution and preparing a presentation. The next day they had 12 minutes to present their work to judges Candice Li, vice president, treasurer of WestJet; Dr. Sandip Lalli, vice president, corporate services with Travel Alberta; and Patrick Quesnel, senior vice president human resources with Servus Credit Union.

While Lakeland’s team didn’t place in the top three, they did very well, says faculty advisor Doreen Der. “The students worked very hard and had a great experience,” she says.

Emergency services instructor receives award Dale Bayliss, an instructor in Lakeland’s emergency medical services programs, was selected by the senior Royal College Emergency residents at the University of Alberta to receive the 2011 Allied Health Professional Award. The award recognizes outstanding educational contributions to emergency medicine residents. He received the award at a banquet hosted by the university’s department of emergency medicine on March 3.

Other ETC happenings Another group of firefighting students began classes April 4. A smaller group of students (the kindergarten class from St. Jerome’s School) visited ETC and got to ride in a fire truck.

Recent industrial clients include the Emergency Services Academy, Shell Albian Sands at Fort McMurray, and Shell Canada Ltd. – Scotford Facility at Fort Saskatchewan. Students in the emergency medical responder (EMR) course are nearing the end of training.

JaPan-cake fundraiser A pancake and sausage breakfast was the breakfast of champions at the Lloydminster campus March 23 as the Students' Association helped raise funds to support victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami. Over $365 raised and donated to the Canadian Red Cross.

Pictured above, a hungry Colin LaPlante, a university transfer student, gets ready to dig into his tasty serving.

Trades talk: Electrical/Instrumentation It’s been a busy year for the electrical and instrumentation departments.

Apprenticeship intakes remain active despite the economic challenges present during the last few years. By offering training programs for pre-employment, master electrician and high school career technology studies, as well as participating in activities such as the Regional Skills Canada Competition, Lakeland College has helped new students find new opportunities.

New equipment including an electrically assisted bicycle and an instrumentation lab-volt station have also enriched the learning experience for students.

Pre-employment training Because the trades field is challenging, many employers prefer hiring people with some experience. Pre-employment programs help people new to the field or making career shifts overcome this obstacle.

Currently, the job placement rate for Lakeland pre-employment electrical and instrumentation graduates remains above 95 per cent. With 16 weeks of concentrated, hands-on learning that combines equipment, material and safety training, and a four week practicum placement at a job site, Lakeland students offer industry employers an effective way to indenture graduates into apprenticeship.

Special thanks to all industry employers that have acted as practicum placement hosts. To maintain the quality and effectiveness of the pre-employment electrical and instrumentation programs, Lakeland continues to look for new opportunities for field site visitations and expanded industry placement sites.

Suggestions and enquires are welcome as plans for next year aim to increase the number of pre-employment sessions from one to two intakes.

Regional Skills Canada Competition An annual spring event hosted by the college’s School of Trades and Technology is the Lakeland Regional Skills Canada Competition. This year’s event is April 21 at the Vermilion campus. During the event, high school and post-secondary students have a chance to demonstrate their skills in a number of trades areas including commercial and residential electrical wiring. The installations are judged by electrical department staff and, new this year, local industry employers.

Winners of the regional skills competition advance to compete at the provincial competition.

Electrical student Nolan Cusack stands beside an Airstream Step-through electric bike powered by a 36 volt lithium battery with a 350 watt front motor. The bike offers operators the option of powering it manually, or with pedal assist or full throttle power. The electric bike is a learning tool for students in the electrical pre-employment and apprenticeship programs.

Career technology studies A program offered by local high schools is career training studies (CTS) and Lakeland’s electrical department offered their first CTS (Level 1) class.

Over 20 high school students attended.

Department staff are now developing a Level 2 course and look forward to working with school divisions in the upcoming year.

Apprenticeship & master electrician training This year, about 75 electrical and instrumentation apprentices will complete their training at Lakeland to

become journeymen and join the ranks of our ever-growing alumni group that dates back to the 1980s. They will also be joined by the journeymen who are studying at Lakeland in preparation to write the two-part Alberta master electrician certificate exam. This certification is required in Alberta to obtain electrical permits. Since 2007, Lakeland’s student success rate for the exam is approximately 90 per cent.

For more information about electrical and instrumentation training at Lakeland College, go to www.lakelandcollege.ca/ trades

Streak continues Lakeland's staff team once again defeated The Goat by a score of 7-1 at the opening game of Green Cup on Friday.

Team Lakeland has never lost. They are goalie Kirk Mclean, (kneeling) Francois Bieber (Vermilion Standard) and Luke Laurence, (standing) Travis Dow, Blair Dow, Leslie Spicer, Sean McInroy, Danielle White, Tracy Zaharko, Peter Walsh, Tracy Quinton and Mike Crowe.

Bull test sale report

Our panel of judges Lakeland College's judging team of Julie Mitchell, Shelby Longworth, Jordyn Prior, Aris Appel, Hope Eaton, Lindsay Grover and Hasrley Wasieczko competed at Olds College March 12. The team judged classes including beef carcass, sewing, plant identification, floral arrangements, tires, beef bulls, horses, ewes, chickens and dairy heifers. They earned several first and second place finishes as a team and as individual judges.

Lots of hands-on learning for AHT & VMA students Students in the animal health technology and veterinary medical assistant programs had their hands full with several labs, lectures and field trips.

Earlier this semester, second-year AHT students were in Edmonton to tour a few different facilities including the Western Drug Distribution Company, the Valley Zoo, the Edmonton Veterinary Emergency Clinic, Edmonton Equine and the U of A. More field trips for all students will be planned before the end of the semester.

Practicum placement for second-year AHT students and VMA students are set. AHT students begin their six-week practicum placements at the end of March. VMA students begin their three-week practicum placements at the end of April. The placements will give them several opportunities to put several of their lab skills in dentistry, hematology, radiology, surgery and other areas to the test.

This semester on the college farm, VMA students have been doing dairy milking shifts, assisting with lambing shifts and feeding orphan lambs. This will give them more hands-on experience and let them see another aspect of the animal health field.

Lakeland College held its 27th Annual Bull Test Sale Saturday, March 26. Prices were strong despite a slight drop in attendance numbers and the cool weather.

Volume buyers included Brian Kobberstein, Ralph Nault and Reg Sonntag. The high selling bull sold for $6,200 to Could Country Angus (Ron Brawn) from Bonnyville and was consigned by Bob Hahn of Sherwood Park. Bulls were bought by producers from across Alberta as well as British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Quebec.

Highlights from this year’s sale are: • 12 Black Angus–average price $3,616, total sales of $43,400 • 9 Red Angus–average price $3,266, total sales of $29,400 • 6 Hereford–average price $2,516, total sales of $15,100 • 11 Simmental–average price $2,618, total sales of $28,800 • 3 Shorthorn–average price $1,813, total sales of $5,500 • 41 bulls in total sold–average price $2,980, total sales of $122,200 Thanks to Josie Pashulka, Sharon Reiter and the farm staff for all their work.

Equine massage clinic Lakeland students saw firsthand the benefits of equine massage during a clinic offered by agricultural sciences instructor Lorraine Serhienko on February 27. Students learned how to identify sore spots on horses and some basic massage techniques to help horses relax tense superficial muscles and their state of mind.

Students were able to work on their own horses during the clinic. Serhienko is Canada’s only certified equine massage therapist.

CSI video contest winners It's a wrap for Lakeland College’s Centre for Sustainable Innovation (CSI) video competition. Category winners are: Overall: 1. Shaundra Bell, Sustainability in the Alpine; 2. Chantel Verbeek, Wind Power and How it can EmPower Your Life!; 3. Andrew Bell, Renewable Energy Lakeland students: 1. Andrew Bell, Renewable Energy; 2. Christian Swiggum, Sustainability & You, 3. Brandi Leavitt, Go Raw People’s choice: 1. Shaundra Bell, Sustainability in the Alpine; 2. Chantelle Smith, Exploring our Renewable Energy Resources; 3. Erica Moscovitch, So Much Water.

Go to www.lakelandcollege.ca/energize_the_future to view some of the videos.

Whoa there Student Graeme Anderson readies his horse for a demonstration for visitors and prospective students during the western ranch & cow horse program information day on Friday at Vermilion campus.