Academic News

Meaning of the Pin 

A nursing pin is a badge worn by nurses to identify the nursing school from which they graduated. They are traditionally presented to newly graduated nurses by faculty at a Pinning Ceremony as a symbolic welcome into the profession. 

Most pins have a symbolic meaning, often representing the history of the nursing program for that school. The RRC Polytech pin was designed by graduates of the program and incorporates the following symbols:

The vine that encircles the school and program name symbolizes growth, prosperity and continual development.

The traditional medical caduceus (two snakes wrapped around a staff with wings at the top) is understood to represent the image of a nurse as a guardian angel who provides guidance and protection. 

The three dots surrounding the caduceus represent the students’ past, present and future.

The lamp at the base of the pin references Florence Nightingale, the “lady with the lamp,” who cared for injured soldiers during the Crimean War and revolutionized the art and science of nursing practice.

Agenda

Processional

Land Acknowledgement and Introduction of Guests

Tasha Gregory, Chair – Research, Curriculum, and Quality Assurance

Welcome Remarks

Elder Paul Guimond, Elder-in-Residence

Congratulations

Fred Meier, President and CEO

Dr. Tamara  Chambers-Richards, Dean – School of Health Sciences and Community Services

Greetings from College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba

Rhonda Cairns, Chief of Quality Practice – College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba

Greetings and Presentation of the Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba Medal of Excellence

Katrin Ann Param-Vital, President-Elect –  Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba

History of the Pinning Ceremony / Significance of the BN Pin

Monica Burfoot, Chair, BN Program – Year 2 Theory & Clinical

Introduction of Graduates

Myrna Davis, Chair, BN Program – Labs & LPN Programming

Presentation of Nursing Pins and Roses

Lesley McGuirk, Associate Dean – Nursing

Joanna Simmons-Swinden, Chair, BN Program – Nursing Initiatives

Tracey Fallak, Chair, BN Program – Year 1 Theory & Clinical

Monica Burfoot, Chair, BN Program – Year 2 Theory & Clinical

Closing Remarks

Tasha Gregory, Chair – Research, Curriculum, and Quality Assurance

Recessional – Audience to stand as graduates leave

CONGRATULATIONS

TO ALL OUR 2025 GRADUATES!

The joint After-Degree Applied Commerce Education and Industrial Arts Education programs are participating with the University of Winnipeg Faculty of Education to hold information sessions for students interested in applying to the After-Degree programs. To learn more about the programs, admission requirements, and application process, please register for one of the sessions below:

Friday, Nov. 14, 2025.  12:30-1:20pm – Online via Zoom – Register here
Friday Dec. 5, 2025.  12:30-1:20pm – In person, room 2M72 (2nd Floor, Manitoba Hall) – Register here
Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. 12:30-1:20pm – Online via Zoom – Register here

A Leadership Symposium for and by Queer People

The Queer Leadership Symposium will be held on Friday, October 24, 2025 and will be held in the Manitou a bi Bii daziigae building at the Exchange District Campus of Red River College Polytechnic (319 Elgin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba).

The event is intended for aspiring and experienced two spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or queer (2SLGBTQIA+) leaders, and general nonconforming people who have an interest in queer leadership.

Sessions will be held throughout the day, including a plenary panel in the afternoon. When registering, you will have the opportunity to select the sessions that you wish to attend, but your choices can also be changed the day of the symposium.

There will be morning refreshments, lunch is included, and there will be a social event beginning at 4:00pm for networking and celebrating.

Click here for more information including cost, parking and transit service.

Click here for the program of events

To register for the symposium, please go to this site (https://memberlink.mbteach.org/Event.axd?e=2943) and obtain a Manitoba Teachers Society membership. Membership is entirely free of charge and quick, but it is necessary to gain access to the conference portal and select your sessions. 

Sprint to Innovate: The Innovation Challenge powered by Canada Life brings together post-secondary students from varied disciplines such as technology, business, entrepreneurship, and more. All Manitoba Post Secondary Students are invited to participate. Students will learn about innovation while collaborating in a fun and exciting challenge to build a minimum viable prototype in two days.

We are pleased to announce that our next Sprint to Innovate: The Innovation Challenge is the weekend of January 30 to February 1! With our Networking and Training session on Thursday, January 29 at University of Manitoba.

We invite all companies to review our sponsorship and mentorship opportunities, and to consider submitting a business challenge; and for post-secondary students to consider participating.

HOW THE EVENT WORKS

Teams of 4 to 6 students will choose from available business challenges provided by industry. Students will then work together with support from mentors to create a solution, including developing a prototype to be presented to judges on the final day.

A prototype is a simple experimental model of the proposed product used to learn from. Prototypes range from low-fidelity (paper-based) prototypes that are used to explain concepts all the way to high-fidelity prototypes that have functional elements with more detail.  Teams may consist of technology and business students.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

As an Organization

1. Sponsor the event.
2. Volunteer your time as a mentor.
3. Provide us with a Business Challenge that your organization has by emailing ckubara@rrc.ca

As a Student

Students from any Manitoba post-secondary student may participate in a team at Sprint to Innovate. All students on the team should be available to participate throughout the event including:

• Orientation on Wednesday, January 21 (1 hour at 12:00 PM)
• Networking and Training event on Thursday, January 29 at University of Manitoba (evening)
• All assigned virtual meetings with Challenge Rep and Mentors
• For working on the project throughout the weekend
• Meetings and Presentations on Sunday, February 1 at RRC Polytech

We have reached our capacity for teams and Registration is now Closed.

Sponsors

Thank you to our Title Sponsor Canada Life; Refreshment Sponsor Access Credit Union; and Event Sponsors CIPS MB, Riipen, UM Partnerships and Innovation, and Payworks.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025 – 7 p.m. Ceremony

Congratulations to RRC Polytech’s Class of 2025!

Wednesday, June 18, 2025 – 1:30 p.m. Ceremony

Congratulations to RRC Polytech’s Class of 2025!

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 – 7 p.m. Ceremony

Congratulations to RRC Polytech’s Class of 2025!

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 – 1:30 p.m. Ceremony

Congratulations to RRC Polytech’s Class of 2025!

Monday, June 16, 2025 – 7 p.m. Ceremony

Congratulations to RRC Polytech’s Class of 2025!

Taking place on October 29, 2025, the Inspire Conference is an opportunity for industry and students to network, promote technology and innovation, and be inspired.  

Date and Venue

Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2025 

Time: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM 

Venue: RRC Polytech – Exchange District Campus 

About the Conference:

For the fourth year, the Inspire Conference is back! Hosted by RRC Polytech’s Applied Computer Education department, the Inspire Conference is a premier industry event, bringing together students from diverse programs and industry professionals for a day of networking, speaker sessions, and more. This conference allows students to gain an understanding of a variety of career paths before graduation and provides industry the opportunity to meet the next generation of educated, skilled and determined employees.  

Inspire Conference Theme

Future-Proof: Skills and Mindsets for a Disrupted World

In a world shaped by constant disruption—AI, automation, climate change, shifting job markets—students need more than just hard skills. They need agility, curiosity, and a bold innovation mindset to chart their course. Future-Proof is a theme about building enduring skills, embracing ambiguity, and preparing for career paths that don’t even exist yet.

Audience

Over 1000 attendees, from industry professionals, subject matter experts, and students with various backgrounds and disciplines from the following program areas:  

• Business Information Technology 
• Application Development and Delivery 
• Data Science and Machine Learning  
• Information Security  
• IT Operations 
• Pathway to IT Programs (Indigenous) 
     

Agenda

8:30 AM: Welcome and greetings 

9:00 AM: Keynote Speaker

10:00 AM – 3:00 PM: Various sessions aimed to inspire curiosity and innovation 

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM: Industry Networking and Exhibitor Lounge, providing attendees with opportunities to make connections, ignite passion, and explore new possibilities 

Speakers

We are looking for session speakers to speak for 45 minutes on a technical topic or related to the following topics.

• Agile for Everyone: Mindsets and habits for fast-changing careers
• Innovation Sprints: Mini challenges in design thinking and rapid ideation
• Embracing Uncertainty: Navigating non-linear career paths
• The Story You Tell: Building a career narrative that evolves with you
• Soft Skills, Strong Impact: Collaboration, emotional intelligence, and leadership
• The F Word (Failure): How innovation requires risk, and what to learn when things go wrong

Contact us at aceinfo@rrc.ca if you would like to be a speaker at the Inspire Conference!

Sponsorship Opportunities

This is your opportunity to connect with current and future industry leaders, create new partnerships, and bring brand recognition to your organization.  Participation in the Inspire Conference means that you can get in front of the future IT Workforce.  It means you can provide your first-hand knowledge and experience for students starting out.   

The Inspire Conference offers Sponsorship opportunities such as Exhibitor Lounge Sponsor, Session Room Sponsor, and Exhibitor.

To unlock the benefits of Inspire for your organization contact Cristy Kubara at ckubara@rrc.ca.