Alumni & Partner Engagement

In 2022-2023, Niagara College celebrated alumni through our “once a Knight, always a Knight” culture. The College supported industry and economic development through applied research and innovative, responsive academic programs, and fostered positive relationships with partners in education, government, and communities.

Niagara College strengthened relationships with its alumni community – a network of more than 100,000 – by reintroducing alumni initiatives and launching new traditions. Alumni and their families gathered at ReuKnighted 2022 to connect at an exclusive indoor tailgate party and cheer on the NC Knights varsity teams.

grants are for NC-led multiinstitutional projects to support craft breweries in Canada, and to expand the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI).

NC received provincial and federal government funding in support of its applied research activities, while several Ministers, government officials and industry partners visited and toured NC campuses in 2022-2023. The visits allowed the College to highlight its expertise across various program areas and showcase its unique learning enterprises.

NC researchers welcomed a $4.43-million investment from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). NSERC’s College and Community Innovation (CCI) program announced three new Applied Research and Technology Partnership (ARTP) funding grants for NC, the largest award made in Canada through the ARTP program. One grant will support a project in sustainable cannabis and hemp production research, and two

NC received a $3.25-million investment through the College and Community Innovation program (CCI), managed by NSERC, in collaboration with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The five-year Mobilize grant will help the College to significantly expand its collaborative work with local companies by bringing more researchers, students, and industry partners together to address innovation challenges, resulting in the creation of more jobs for graduates while contributing to economic growth in the region and beyond.

Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton, visited to announce a $1.2 million Skills Development Fund grant for a partnership between NC and the Niagara Home Builders’ Association. To help meet the demand for skilled trades workers in the residential construction industry, the funding supported the delivery of the Construction Skills Certificate of Completion program to 80 participants.

NC received a donation of 12 new Chevrolet Equinox transmissions from General Motors St. Catharines to be used for hands-on learning in the Motive Power Technician program.

Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop visited NC several times in 2022-2023 to tour both campuses, engage with students, and discuss ways to support and enhance programming and key areas of growth in alignment with provincial goals. The Minister toured the Schools of Trades and Technology to see leading-edge instructional equipment and learning resources purchased through a provincial investment from the College Equipment and Renewal Fund of $825,000 The Minister also learned about NC’s Culinary, Tourism and Beverage division and learning enterprises and attended the

College’s signature Caps, Corks and Forks event.

Members of the Ontario Federal Liberal Caucus – including the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance – visited the Niagara College Teaching Winery during their strategic retreat. The visit made NC history for the greatest number of federal cabinet Ministers on campus. NC was pleased to host several other cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament to campus for tours, discussions and funding announcements in 2022-2023.

As Germany works to develop legislation to legalize recreational cannabis, a delegation from the governing coalition sought the expertise of the Niagara College Cannabis Institute for its leadership in the field of cannabis research and technology. Members of the German Federal Parliament’s Committee on Health along with the Commissioner of the Federal Government of Germany for Drug and Addiction Policy visited NC to learn about best practices.

President Sean Kennedy took on a leadership role with United Way Niagara as Chair of the organization’s 2022 regional campaign, which kicked off in September. The campaign raised $5,270,000, surpassing its $5-million goal and achieving a fundraising record for the organization. The NC Cares United Way workplace campaign raised $60,000 for United Way Niagara setting a new record for the third consecutive year. Funds from the campaign were raised through staff and faculty pledges and revenue from a variety of internal fundraiser events.

NC and United Way announced an expanded partnership to help increase food security in Niagara through the new United Way Niagara Garden Hub, featuring 39 garden beds, a greenhouse, and gazebo. The inaugural growing season produced over 750 lbs. of fresh herbs and vegetables, distributed through 14 different agencies, pop-up markets and food programs across Niagara.

Joining teams from across Canada, the NC Knight Walkers participated in the 2023 Coldest Night of the Year to battle hunger and homelessness and raised more than $11,000 for the Open Arms Mission, a volunteer-driven organization that provides food, personal care and other items to those in need. The Welland leg of the national fundraising walk was hosted at the Welland Campus.

Members of the NC community cycled in the Big Move Cancer Ride, organized by Niagara Health Foundation. Team NC raised nearly $5,000 in support of the Walker Family Cancer Centre in its fourth consecutive year as an official team.

Social Inclusion & Environmental Sustainability

Through 2022-2023, Niagara College made great strides to support the betterment of the environment, the community, and society as a whole. Initiatives supported Truth and Reconciliation calls to action; equity, diversity, and inclusion; sustainability; and modeling social responsibility for students and the community.

Phyllis Webstad, the Founder and Ambassador of the Orange Shirt Day movement, visited the College to share her story, the impacts of the residential school system in Canada, and the origins and importance of Orange Shirt Day, which coincides with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. At the event, NC announced the new Dr. Phyllis Webstad Indigenous Scholarship as a tribute to Webstad’s visit and her important work through the Orange Shirt movement. More than $41,000 was raised to launch the scholarship.

The REDress Project raises awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirited people in Canada and was observed at the College as a tribute to lives lost and forever impacted by colonial violence. Dress displays were featured at both campuses, and the NC button – a life-size logo located at the campuses’ main entrances–was illuminated red in support of the initiative.

The inaugural cohort of My Path of Worthwhile Educational ReEngagement (MPOWER) completed the program for Indigenous youth between the ages of 18 to 30 who are eager to transition to post-secondary education. Delivered alongside community partner NPAAMB – Indigenous Youth Employment & Training, MPOWER teaches essential academic and applied skills, while incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing and being into the curriculum.

NC hosted its first Moose Hide Campaign event, in partnership with Brock University. Staff, students and community residents gathered at the Indigenous Gardens where a sacred fire was lit. Participants were invited to take a pledge to honour, respect and protect the women and children in their lives, to work to end gender-based violence, and take action towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

Culminating two years of meaningful dialogue, deliberation, and consultation, NC’s Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce paved the way to include the College’s commitment to creating a more inclusive, diverse, culturally and globally engaged college community, in the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan and in NC’s final EDI blueprint. The blueprint is a combined strategy and implementation plan that aligns and reflects the voice of NC community members.

In honour of Asian Heritage Month, NC hosted a Living Library event with Professor Jolie Phuong Hoang. At the event, Hoang discussed her books Anchorless (2019) and Three Funerals for My Father (2021) – both of which are about her family’s harrowing journey fleeing Vietnam in the 1980s – to shed light on the pain of human displacement.

Premier’s Award winner (2022) and founder of Erica’s Embrace Support Services Erica Williams (Social Service Worker, 2018), headlined NC’s Black History Month celebrations with In Conversation with Erica Williams, a virtual event highlighting Williams’ transformational work and community advocacy distributing Black hair-care and beauty products to women’s shelters across Southwestern Ontario. Inspired by Williams, the NC community rallied to support Erica’s Embrace raising $1,500 for the organization at two culinary pop-up events, and facilitating a donation of Black hair-care products through the Hairstyling program faculty and staff.

Broadcasting students kicked off their 2023 season of Inside Niagara with an episode honouring Black History Month, which featured interviews with local historian Rochelle Bush, blues and country legend Big John “T-Bone Little,” jazz musician Juliet Dunn, and Brock University Professor Dolana Mogadime, a consultant for the Nelson Mandela Exhibit at the Human Rights Museum in Ottawa.

A panel of NC experts - Elysia Dardarian, Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Coordinator; Leah Hogan, Associate Director, Indigenous Education; Sam Jemison, NCSAC President; and Jamie Oresar, Professor, School of Academic and Liberal Studies – gathered for International Women’s Day, for a public discussion related to advancing equity for students and staff through their work on campus, in the community and abroad.

Brewmaster students marked International Women’s Day by releasing five student-crafted Pink Boots beers at the NC Teaching Brewery. Pink Boots brew days are part of a global initiative launched by Pink Boots Society, an international nonprofit that assists, inspires, and encourages women in the fermentable beverage industry through education in a supportive environment.

In support of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, NC hosted a fireside chat for students and employees to learn about Trans Day of Visibility, which is dedicated annually to celebrating trans people and raising awareness of the discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide. Attendees heard from Samah Sabra, Workplace EDI Manager, Whit Ross, Educational Developer (Inclusivity), Bruin Pol, President of the NCSAC club the NC Rainbow Knights and Pre-Health Sciences student, Chelsea (Sea) Long, NC Rainbow Knights member and Computer Programming and Analysis student.

During Earth Week 2022, students and employees took action to help protect and conserve the natural environment. 43 Pawpaw trees were planted in the wetlands area at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-theLake, thanks to support from the Sustainability Action Fund Micro-grant program. A virtual BioBlitz and an on-campus cleanup rounded out Earth Week initiatives, led by a team of Student Sustainability Ambassadors.

The Wine Visitor + Education Centre hosted a special announcement from the Niagara Peninsula Aspiring Global Geopark (NPAGG), which is pursuing UNESCO Global Geopark designation for the Niagara Peninsula to advance sustainable tourism in the area. NC, with its areas of expertise in hospitality and tourism, environment and sustainability, business, culinary and agriculture, is a Bedrock Partner of the initiative.

Willowbank School of Restoration Arts, globally recognized for its expertise in heritage conservation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NC to explore mutually beneficial opportunities ranging from joint research projects to the creation of academic pathways.

At Niagara’s first Climate Change Summit, NC signed the Niagara Region Climate Change Call to Action, which aligns with the goal of 50-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. NC employees and students participated in panel and roundtable discussions on topics including climate change action, agriculture, food and wine, and sustainable transportation.

New electric vehicle charging stations were added to the Welland Campus, made possible in part by grant funding from Green Economy Canada, and support from the NC Student Administrative Council.

Fashion retailer H&M donated more than $16,000 to green space restoration at NC, that will support a Seed Orchard, pollinator gardens, and habitat projects at NC’s wetland system, including native plantings and species monitoring. The donation creates valuable opportunities for students and the college community to learn more about nature-based solutions that have positive climate impacts on campus and in the community.

NC deepened its commitment to sustainability by signing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Accord and the Nature Positive Pledge. The SDG Accord signals the College’s commitment to embedding the UN’s 17 urgent calls to action within its education, research, leadership, operations, administration and engagement activities to help tackle climate change. The Nature Positive Pledge links NC to a global higher-education collective – Nature Positive Universities – working to restore species and ecosystems on campuses.