RRC Polytech celebrates International Girls in ICT Day 2024

Every year on April 25, RRC Polytech celebrates International Girls in Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Day. RRC Polytech and the instructors within the ICT program share the same values to create an equitable, diverse, and inclusive place both inside our classrooms and the industry once they graduate.

Currently inside global cybersecurity, men make up 78% of the industry. However, the percentage of women in that sector is rising by the decades, with 13% of women 60 or older, and now 24% of women under 30 in the workforce. At RRC Polytech, we see this as a room for growth inside our programs.

In a study published by ICS2, over half of the testing sample believed that building an inclusive, more diverse team is crucial in the security team’s success. This is an important value that Hosna Safiarian, RRC Polytech Instructor in the Data Science and Machine Learning program, also believes is critical to the future success inside the ICT sector.

“Empowering women in the IT field will foster democracy in the IT world. Democracy has consistently engendered creativity, innovation, prosperity, and justice in society, and the IT world is no exception. We can see these diverse ideas infusing fresh vitality into IT products and services, akin to new blood coursing through veins,” says Hosna.

Hosna Safiarian was born in Iran, in the Middle East, where gender norms within careers were heavily influenced by society. Despite this, she found a silver lining and turned challenges into opportunities in the field of IT.

When Hosna entered high school, she initiated a coding competition, leading a team of girls to run different algorithms in computer science. This experience taught her a valuable lesson: ‘We can achieve good results if we try hard enough; we just need to be brave.’

Throughout her career she has made significant efforts as a woman in the fields of academics and the IT industry. She volunteered to teach computer science topics in girls’ schools in Iran to prepare them for this field. Hosna has published more than 15 articles in Persian and English about data science, which serve as valuable references for Iranian students.

Additionally, Hosna has served as a teaching assistant at the Masters and PhD levels, mentoring many female students with their thesis in the field of data science. With their help, she has created a significant amount of educational content on data science, Artificial Intelligence and big data topics.

In the IT industry, she has overcome seemingly insurmountable barriers. By completing numerous international courses and obtaining numerous certificates, she has succeeded in securing a position as a data science expert in Iran’s industry.

Now, as an Instructor at RRC Polytech, Hosna shares her passion for ICT with her students.

“I hope that more girls will fall in love with math and coding, enter the IT world, and turn the challenges of this field into a unique growth opportunity.”

She always tells her students, ‘Wherever your challenges lie, that’s where your potential for growth exists,’ – inspiration she’s gained from Harnessing Jung’s Wisdom on Fears.

In Canada there are currently 25,000 unfilled positions in cybersecurity, so bringing more women into ICT continues to be a crucial step in creating a more diverse and inclusive industry.

RRC Polytech is encouraging more women to enter the field through a training and work-integrated learning pilot with the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) and Microsoft.

The pilot will recruit 20 students who are women in RRC Polytech’s Information Technology programs to acquire foundational Microsoft Cybersecurity training and certification, mentorship, and experiential work-integrated learning – all at no cost to the student.

To learn more about the ICTC and Microsoft Cybersecurity Training Pilot, or to register, visit here.

Celebrate Diversity Month is observed in April every year to recognize, celebrate and honour the diversity of the world around us. Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) refers to diversity as the variety of unique dimensions, qualities, and characteristics such as race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, economic status, physical abilities, life experiences, and other perspectives that we all possess.

At RRC Polytech we recognize that diversity within our communities is one of our greatest strengths. We are committed to fostering working and learning environments that recognize and celebrate the diversity of our students and our staff. Together, we are working toward a place where we understand, embrace and uplift each other’s culture, and where all are welcomed for who they are, and for what we can build together.

All staff at RRC Polytech have access to the CCDI 2024 Diversity Calendar to learn about religious or cultural days of significance that are celebrated or commemorated by our students and staff. We have highlighted some of the celebrations/observances that our staff and students celebrate based on this calendar. If there is a holiday that you celebrate or observe, and would like to add to the calendar, please fill out the Celebrate Everything form.

In recognition of this month, we would like to share resources and support to help us grow in our understanding of diverse cultures, perspectives and equip us in creating an inclusive working and learning environment.

Passover (Pesach) is a sacred Jewish holiday celebrated around the world each spring to commemorate the liberation of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. It is observed during the Hebrew month of Nisan and began this year at sunset on Monday, April 22 and will last until nightfall on April 30.  

During these eight days, this sacred holiday is celebrated with Seder feasts of traditional and symbolic foods, like matzah (an unleavened bread) and bitter herbs, the re-telling of the Exodus story and prayer. This holiday holds profound significance and a reminder of resilience and hope. It is a time to reflect on the enduring spirit of the Jewish people. 

At Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech), diversity is one of our greatest strengths and that the College is home to thousands of employees and students from all different backgrounds – including those from the Jewish community. 

Chag Pesach Sameach (Happy Passover) to all staff, faculty and students who celebrate this holiday.  

May this celebration hold joyous times for you and your families.  

International Day of Pink, also known as Day of Pink, is celebrated annually on the second Wednesday of April to celebrate diversity, acceptance, courage, and inclusivity within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and beyond.

Day of Pink is for people who have previously, or recently, experienced discrimination because of their sexuality, gender identity, or gender expression. This day urges people around the world to stand in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to continue fighting for equality and acceptance.

At RRC Polytech, Campus Well-Being in partnership with the Gender and Sexual Diversity Working Group hosted a booth at Notre Dame Campus on April 10 to create awareness and share resources. Staff and students had the opportunity to create a customized button to mark the day.

You can explore the International Day of Pink website, to read more about this year’s theme, and to learn more about the anniversary of three important milestones: the birth of the Trans flag, the Brunswick Four, and the Depathologization of Homosexuality.

International Transgender Day of Visibility is observed on March 31 for celebrating Trans people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by them worldwide.

At RRC Polytech, we observed this day on Wednesday, March 27 by inviting Elder Albert McLeod for a talk centered on perspectives on understanding Transgender identities, challenges faced by the Transgender community, Two Spirit advocacy within the Winnipeg Trans community, and the importance of visibility and allyship. You can watch the recording of the talk here – Trans Day of Visibility with Elder Albert.

We invite you to celebrate this day by signing a heart to show your support in the Spectrum (FM66, Notre Dame Campus) or by adding a supportive message on this Kudoboard.

One way we can support in creating an inclusive work and learning environment is by using gender-inclusive language and preferred pronouns. Library and Academic Services team has created this Inclusive Language Guide to help us in this journey.

If you have any questions or need more information, contact diversity@rrc.ca. 

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Red River College Polytechnic strives to make campus a safe and inclusive space for all. Stand with us against fear, prejudice and hatred of Muslims, and all forms of racism, religious discrimination, and harassment.

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has recognized March 15 as an International Day to Combat Islamophobia. The UN defines Islamophobia as “a fear, prejudice and hatred of Muslims that leads to provocation, hostility, and intolerance by means of threatening, harassment, abuse, incitement and intimidation of Muslims and non-Muslims, both in the online and offline world. Motivated by institutional, ideological, political, and religious hostility that transcends into structural and cultural racism, it targets the symbols and markers of being a Muslim.” This designation by the UN is a response to the increasing incidents of Islamophobia. According to the National Council of Canadian Muslims, in the last year there has been 1300% increase in cases of Islamophobia as a result of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

The significance of March 15 lies in its marking of the anniversary of the Christchurch Mosque shootings, a tragic event where 51 individuals who identify as Muslims, were killed.

Reflecting on a similar tragedy closer to home, on January 29, 2017, six lives were tragically lost, and 19 others were severely injured in an attack at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec in Sainte-Foy. To commemorate the victims of this attack—one of the deadliest mass shootings in Canadian history—January 29 has been proclaimed as National Day of Remembrance of the Québec City Mosque attack and Action against Islamophobia.

With over 2 billion followers, Islam is the world’s second-largest religion accounting for 24.9% of the global population.

Resources:

• Allyship means taking concrete actions against individual and systemic discrimination. Ally is a verb, not an identity. There are many ways you can be an ally to Muslims.
• 25 Interesting Facts About Muslims: A fact sheet from the Islamic Heritage Month Resource Guidebook (Toronto District School Board)
• Islamophobia at Work: Challenges and Opportunities: A report on the trade union perspectives on Islamophobia (Canadian Labour Congress)
• Islamophobia is… more than hate crimes: A short video created by Islamophobia-Is.com (YouTube)
• Vancouver Public Library: Reading List

For Educators:

• Guidelines for Educators on Countering Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims
• Accommodating Muslim Students During Ramadan: Yes, I’m Hot In This: A free poster to help educators create safe and inclusive spaces for Muslim students during the month of Ramadan
• Know Your Rights Guide for Muslim Postsecondary Students: A guide for Canadian post-secondary students about discrimination and harassment (National Council of Canadian Muslims)
• D.A.R.E.: The Digital Anti-Racism Education (DARE) Project is the Canadian Council of Muslim Women’s national program to raise awareness of online hate and Islamophobia (Canadian Council of Muslim Women)
• National Film Board of Canada: The Faith Project: The Faith Project is an interactive tablet documentary featuring short films about prayer in the modern world. (National Film Board of Canada)

RRC Polytech is recognizing Pink Shirt Day on February 28, 2024. The annual anti-bullying event began in 2007 in Nova Scotia when a grade 9 boy was bullied for wearing a pink shirt.

Two of his classmates organized a schoolwide protest, asking all students, teachers and staff to wear pink in solidarity and to demonstrate there is no place for bullying.

Pink Shirt Day’s mission is to create a more kind, inclusive world by raising awareness and funds for anti-bullying initiatives.

The Campus Store has purchased shirts where proceeds support Indigenous community programs, kindness promotion and bullying-prevention programs in schools across Canada, and program subsidies to Indigenous Schools. Oromocto First Nation student artist Brooke Gillam designs this year’s artwork:

Artist Statement:

“I chose a sacred feather because it symbolizes and represents a high honour, wisdom, power, and freedom. The three hearts inside represent kindness, friendship, and love. When I tied the two together, it felt right because my heart told me it felt like it was meant to be.” -Artist Brooke Gillam Oromocto First Nation

Stand for kindness and wear pink on Pink Shirt Day to show your support for safe and inclusive campuses, workplaces and communities.

Please note the Campus Store will be closed February 27-29.

Respectful College – Online Training

RRC Polytech has developed a course called Respectful College to support our commitment to a safe and inclusive working and learning environment where everyone is entitled to be free from bullying, harassment, discrimination, and sexual violence.

The Respectful College course is available to all staff and students and takes about two hours to complete. Staff and students who complete the full training, including learning activities, will be eligible to print a Certificate of Completion. Login to LEARN to complete the course.

February is Black History Month, an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black Canadians and their communities, who have been a part of shaping Canada’s heritage and identity. The theme for Black History Month 2024 is Black Excellence: A Heritage to Celebrate; a Future to Build. You can learn more about Black history in Canada on the Government of Canada website.

Black History Month at RRC Polytech

RRC Polytech is committed to pursuing equity, diversity and inclusion in everything we do. During Black History Month the College community is encouraged to heighten their awareness of the Black Canadians in our lives who impact us daily – celebrate their successes and contributions and spend time learning about the many ways cultural diversity enriches our lives.       

Library & Academic Services has created the Anti-Black Racism Learning Toolkit to help everyone better understand racism and how to take action against it. An additional list of resources will be shared below.

New members of the College’s Anti-Racism Action Committee are always welcome to join a working group of motivated staff and students dedicated to making a difference across our campuses. If you are interested in attending a meeting, please reach out to Co-Chair Rebecca Molly Hiebert.   

RRC Polytech is sponsoring a community event entitled Supporting the Winnipeg Black Collective: Action Vision & Change on February 16^th at Fort Richmond Collegiate. All members of the College community are invited to show their support by attending the dinner and symposium featuring a keynote address by Canada’s award-winning Black Justice Strategy Co-author, Zilla Jones, BMA, JD.

The evening’s festivities will celebrate Afro-Caribbean Black Canadian communities’ by paying homage to its rich history and celebrating Afro-Caribbean Black (ACB) people’s great accomplishments in our present times. The evening’s social gathering will encourage audience members to dance, sing and contribute to a thought-provoking panel discussion on the Black experiences in Winnipeg, empowering ACB community members, and supporting local Black Businesses and Initiatives.

The third annual event is organized by the Afro-Caribbean Mentorship Program (ACMP) and the University of Manitoba Black Alliance (UMBA). RSVP is required as space is limited.

Click for more details and to register

As part of the event sponsorship, one RRC Polytech student of African/Black descent (including international students) will be awarded a Book Bursary of $400, providing they submit their application before the deadline of February 10^th.  Please encourage any students or classmates who might qualify to fill out the brief online form to apply.   

Click to apply

Black staff, alumni and students have previously shared some personal stories to help others better understand the significance of Black History Month and we recommend you revisit them through the following links:      

Sharing Stories – Tanya Hansen Pratt

Sharing Stories – Gbolahan Olutayo Oduntan

Sharing Stories – Phyllis Reid-Jarvis

Stay tuned to the Diversity blog and RRC Polytech’s social media channels for additional events and stories throughout February, as the celebration of Black History Month continues.

Staff are also encouraged to complete the Anti-Racism training on LEARN this month, if you haven’t already. The course speaks to unconscious bias, microaggressions, systemic racism, and privilege and purposefully challenges our staff to act when confronted with racism or discrimination, to create safe learning and working environments for all.

As we celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black Canadians, we also recognize the importance of equity and inclusion beyond the month of February. At RRC Polytech, we are committed to pursuing equity, diversity and inclusion in everything we do, year-round.

Additional Resources:

• Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) Resources has created a commemoration guide for Black History Month that RRC Polytech employees can use to celebrate and recognize the diverse experiences of Black Canadians: Commemoration Guide (PDF).
• CCDI is also hosting a free, live webinar for its employee partners on February 9, Celebrating Black History Through Story (Staff only; login required)
• CCDI past recording (no login required) Addressing Anti-Black Racism in the Workplace
• CCDI past recording (no login required) History of race and racism in Canada
• CCDI Educational resources on racism and anti-Black racism
• Winnipeg Public Library: Black History Month
• Black History Manitoba: Events Calendar
• CBC’s Black on the Prairies and Being Black in Canada
• National Film Board of Canada: Black Communities in Canada
• Government of Canada: Noteworthy Historical Figures  
• CBC’s “The Secret Life of Canada” podcast: Crash Course on Black Nurses
• Black Chamber of Commerce
• Canadian Human Rights Museum: Black History and Human Rights (Sundays are free)
• Beyond anti-racism, anti-discrimination statements and charters (Scarborough Charter discussions) | Feb. 8 at 3:30 – 6:00pm
• The Mental Health Effects of Anti-Black Racism (Panel discussion on Feb. 6 at 6:00 – 8:30pm)

If you have any questions, please contact us at diversity@rrc.ca.

RRC Polytech’s second annual Inclusion Week is coming up, February 26 to March 1, 2024! The week-long event is filled with in-person and virtual opportunities for students, staff and faculty to learn how to embody equity, diversity, and inclusion at work, in class, and in our personal lives.

We are excited to announce the Inclusion Week keynote speaker, Dr. Robert Mizzi, who will be presenting a session entitled Queer Voices, Inclusive Choices: Transforming Academic Spaces.

Dr. Robert Mizzi is the Canada Research Chair in Queer, Community and Diversity Education and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Mizzi is a member of the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame and the Royal Society of Canada.

He has produced over 200 publications and presentations. His most recent book is Queer Studies and Education: An International Reader (Oxford University Press, 2023).

Stay tuned to the Diversity blog and Staff/Student News for the full Inclusion Week schedule of events.

Signed up to volunteer for Inclusion Week? The Planning Committee is currently finalizing the programming and will be reaching out with volunteer opportunities in the coming weeks.

This year marks 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The United Nations General Assembly created the UDHR to establish that every human being is treated as an individual and has inalienable rights.

The UDHR is a legal document listing the rights everyone is entitled to. This means all humans have the same rights regardless of religion, language, gender, race, colour, social opinion, property, or status.

Did you know, the UDHR is written in over 500 languages and is the world’s most translated document? It was proclaimed in Paris, 1948 and continues to be known as groundbreaking and a global pledge.

The theme for Human Rights Day 2023 is Freedom, Equality and Justice for All.

RRC Polytech is committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion on every campus. The College is dedicated to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all staff, faculty, and students. You can read more about your human rights at the RRC Polytech library and visit the book display in the library hallway for recommended reading.

Local Human Rights Day events:

RRC Polytech instructor and knowledge keeper Marilyn Dykstra is facilitating a workshop tomorrow (Saturday, December 9) at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) called Opikinawasowin – The process of lifting children and growing sacredness. In this free workshop, which runs from 11a.m. to 2p.m., participants will discover and reflect on their connections with each other, with balance and with human rights through teachings and a traditional tea. Registration is required

The CMHR is also offering free admission on December 10. You can visit the museum’s galleries to learn more about our human rights and take part in activities for visitors of all ages.

TED TALKS:

Access, Equity and Justice: A World Where Women’s Rights are Human Rights (Emilie Songolo)

Stand Up: How You Can Be A Human Rights Warrior (John Shattuck)

PODCASTS:

Justice Matters Podcast

Rights Back at You

The Rights Track