Sprint to Innovate – The Innovation Challenge may not be an athletic competition but the business and technology students who race against each other and the clock to solve real-world business problems over the course of a weekend feel the same pride, exhaustion and elation as any Olympic sprinter setting a personal best.  

Red River College Polytechnic teamed up with Tech Manitoba, the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Science and presenting sponsor, Access Credit Union to host the latest Sprint to Innovate instalment at Manitou a bi Bii daziigae in late January. The three-day friendly competition brings together post-secondary students and instructors with industry mentors in an exercise designed to spark and inspire an entrepreneurial spirit.

Physical speed and strength aren’t tested in this sprint, instead students must flex their cognitive muscles to reach the podium by presenting a solution or prototype that addresses a challenge submitted by a local business. The judges are looking for the most dynamic thinkers who excel at organization, collaboration, and communication – critical skills for all innovators.   

The judging panel of Noah Wilson, Ashley Richard, Dean Staples, and Ashleigh Lodge had some very tough decisions to make based on the outstanding solutions offered by the student teams.

The top prize of $6000 went to RRC Polytech’s Team Saturno for their solution to the candidates challenge from Canada’s Association of IT Professionals (CIPS) Manitoba. The RRC Polytech students developed a system to evaluate job candidates and candidate resumes objectively and responsibly using the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) Skills Credentialing Framework.

Another College team, Innovate to Elevate took second place and $3000 for tackling the City of Winnipeg’s Snow Clearing Challenge.

Team Better Safe Than Sorry brought students from the U of M and RRC Polytech together to solve the Campus Safety Challenge and shared the $2150 third place prize.

All teams advancing to the semi-finals cashed an additional cheque for $550, including The Squad, InnoBusinessRRC, The Conqueror, and The Rubber Duckies.

In the event’s opening keynote, Managing Director at Ubisoft Winnipeg, Michael Henderson shared advice and guidance based on his global experience working his way up to studio leadership with tech giants like Disney and Dreamworks, and in his current role.             

Organizers would like to thank all the volunteer mentors who supported the students throughout the weekend and the challenge representatives from CIPS Manitoba, Integrationworx, Winnipeg Airports Authority, Access Credit Union, Renterii Inc, City of Winnipeg, and Daniel Saltel. 

The prize pool continues to grow annually thanks to Title Sponsor Access Credit Union, and Event Sponsors inVision Edge, Riipen, Red River Mutual, Red River College Polytechnic, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, CIPS Manitoba, Integrationworx, National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada, City of Winnipeg, and Neo Financial.

Planning is already underway for next year’s event. Sprint to Innovate – The Innovation Challenge gives students from varied disciplines a unique opportunity to learn from mentors and each other, network with future employers and contacts, and apply their skills to solve tangible business challenges under deadline pressure – invaluable experience for the innovative leaders of tomorrow.

Fred Meier, President and CEO, Christine Watson, Vice-President, Academic and David Petis, Executive Director, Advancement had the pleasure of hosting Lisa Stadelbauer, Ambassador of Canada to Israel and others at Manitou a bi Bii daziigae yesterday. They were able to connect with Entrepreneur in Residence, Norm Silver at ACE Project Space who shared all about QDOC and working with RRC Polytech students. 

They were also able to discuss College priorities, including innovative and technology-based collaborations, cultural diversity in education, and more. Thank you to Jewish Federation of Winnipeg President, Gustavo Zentner for organizing the visit and taking the time to meet with us! 

Culinary Arts students and the team from Prairie Research Kitchen (PRK) were up bright and early this week to show Global News Morning viewers some examples of what is made possible by Manitoba’s Polytechnic.

A live-on-location tour of RRC’s Polytech’s Paterson Globalfoods Institute (PGI) injected some action and energy into the popular, three-hour, morning news program by highlighting some of the incredible menu items and products created daily in the short order lab, the baking and pastry lab and at PRK.

Veteran reporter, Clay Young’s first stop showcased the College’s applied research capabilities with a visit to PRK – a Technology Access Centre where food science is blended with culinary arts to develop innovative solutions for businesses and entrepreneurs.  

Watch the PRK Segment

Research Manager, Elena Gomez Haro described a current project for Pulse Canada that is exploring the wide variety of applications for pea fibre, a by-product of the protein industry, that is grown in Manitoba.

To demonstrate its nutritional properties and functionality, Research Assistant and proud RRC Polytech alumnus, Anna Borys cooked up an experimental pea fibre breakfast patty that once perfected, could become a sustainable retail product.     

By that time, the breakfast rush at the Culinary Exchange, PGI’s public food court was well underway providing an opportunity to put Chef Instructor, Jordan Carlson’s Short Order class into the TV spotlight.

Watch the Short Order Lab Segment

While the orders are short as far as the time needed to prepare them, the menu focuses on freshness and quality making it more of a gourmet than fast food restaurant.

While flipping eggs, first year student, Trevor Walld explained how each student must take turns mastering cooking, prepping, and serving tasks in a rotation of kitchen stations to develop real industry skills and experience.

Fittingly dessert was the last item served up, no doubt leaving Global viewers craving a Berry Charlotte Royale – a sponge cake with a berry compote, custard cream and lemon filling after witnessing the 19 future chefs in the Professional Baking and Pastry Program apply the final fruit garnish.

Watch the Baking & Pastry Lab Segment

Student, Dayna Hall said she shares a passion for baking and artistry with her classmates and insisted on presenting her completed Berry Charlotte Royale to the Global News Morning crew as a thank you for sharing their story.

With 8 months of lab/theory followed by a 4-month work term, Professional Baking and Pastry Instructor, Lylah Erkau credits the experiential learning offered in the one-year certificate program for attracting students from all over the world and prompting a waiting list for the next uptake.

Food culture is not a trend, it’s become a way of life. As our appreciation for food as an art form evolves, both in taste and appearance, demand has never been higher for great experiences at our private dining tables and in the hospitality, tourism, and retail industries.

Through a combination of available courses and applied research, RRC Polytech is proudly preparing the next generation of talent that will take Manitoba’s growing culinary industry to the next level.

Partnerships propel polytechnic to 11^th best in the country

RRC Polytech is once again one of Canada’s top research institutions, as announced last week in Re$earch Infosource’s annual ranking of the country’s top 50 research colleges. The College jumped three spots from last year’s 14^th place position.

RRC Polytech comes in first place in the prairies in the Spotlight on College Research Activity – Medium Tier category, and third place for research partnerships nationwide. The College completed 93 applied research projects in the 2021 fiscal year.

“Partnerships are at the heart of everything we do at RRC Polytech. We work with industry everyday to come up with innovative, sustainable solutions to business problems. Thanks to the support from our partners in the community, industry, and government, we can continue to make positive change here in Manitoba and throughout the country,” says Jamie Wilson, Vice President, Indigenous Strategy, Research and Business Development at RRC Polytech.

“This national recognition reinforces that ground-breaking work doesn’t happen in a silo. It takes a community of creative staff, students, and industry partners to achieve the results that place us so high on this list.”

Read the full release here.

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. Throughout February we will be highlighting and sharing the stories of Black staff, students, members of our Board of Governors as well as alumni. Stay tuned to the Diversity blog and RRC Polytech’s social media to learn more about members of our College community.

Tanya Hansen Pratt, CET, Instructor, Mechanical Engineering Technology at RRC Polytech

As an engineering technologist, I’ve always worked in male-dominated spaces with very little diversity. I spent many years of my career before coming to RRC Polytech being the only woman and only person of colour in my department. My lived experience has always been vastly different from that of my coworkers. I am reminded daily of my female-blackness, whereas their male-whiteness rarely crosses their minds. Microagressions, sexism, and racism have been common occurrences in my life, so I’ve learned to navigate the world as a person who is constantly othered.

As an instructor, I hope my presence as a woman of colour does two things: First, I hope I can add to the diversity of thought and experience among the staff at the college to provide the best possible education for our increasingly diverse student body. Secondly, I hope my presence gives our students permission to be their authentic selves. There is someone out there, maybe in my classroom or maybe someone thinking about attending RRC Polytech, that sees me and sees a little bit of themselves, and it helps them stand taller and stronger knowing that someone else has walked the path in front of them and made it a little safer to follow along exactly as they are.

Tanya Hansen Pratt

Read Tanya’s full story here.

Fred Meier, President and CEO, joined in on the Celebration of Culture with RRC Polytech’s Centre for International Education and Global Partnerships on Friday, January 27, 2023.

It was frigid outside, but it was nothing but warm inside – where hundreds gathered to celebrate the incredible cultures, languages, food and community found at RRC Polytech.

Brazilian music, Canadian hoop dancing and drumming, West African drumming and dancing, Chinese face-changing artist performing from the Chinese Sichuan Opera, and a Latin band all shared their talents providing no shortage of shoulder movements and head bobbing from the crowd.

Over six different food stations provided no lack of options when it came to trying out something new and delicious. The night ended with a dance party that took over the Voyageur Dining Room.

RRC Polytech flags are lowered today in observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

On January 27, 1945, the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, where more than one million people were killed during the Holocaust, was liberated by the Red Army. In 2005, the day was officially designated as the International Day of Commemoration. January 27 now presents us with an annual opportunity to reflect on the atrocities of the Holocaust and remember its many victims.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights features a permanent exhibition: “Examining the Holocaust” that explores the fragility of human rights. Admission to the CMHR is free on Fridays after 5:00 p.m., and the museum is also marking the day with a free noon-hour performance and conversation, “Remembering through Music.” Learn more here.

The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion is offering a webinar on “Antisemitism: How to Prevent it in the Workplace” on Feb. 16. To learn more or register, please click here.

On January 16, members of RRC Polytech’s leadership team had the honour of visiting Fisher River Cree Nation (FRCN), and to meet with Chief David Crate, Knowledge Keeper Ron Sinclair, members of Council, and Education and Training representatives from FRCN, Peguis First Nation, Lake St. Martin First Nation, Lake Manitoba First Nation and the Interlake Regional Tribal Council.

The intention was to have an open and honest discussion focusing on two questions:

What are the biggest barriers and challenges for your community members to access post-secondary education?

and

What are the current opportunities for your community and RRC Polytech to address the barriers and challenges?

The event began with a smudge and prayer from Knowledge Keeper Ron Sinclair, who spoke about the importance of young people obtaining education, and being able to focus their minds on what they want to do in the future.

Participants broke into small groups to first discuss some of the barriers that exist for community members to access education (at RRC Polytech or any post-secondary in Manitoba) before sharing with the larger group. Participants then voted for their top most pressing barriers before returning to their groups to discuss opportunities.

Jamie Wilson, RRC Polytech’s Vice President Indigenous Strategy, Research and Business Development led the discussion and encouraged participants to be honest and not hold back in their responses.

There was a candidness and willingness amongst the participants to share some of the biggest challenges. Topics like transportation, housing, and in-person supports were brought to the surface as some of the things the College needs to take into consideration, so it can better support Indigenous learners and repair broken trust within the education system.

Before leaving, participants were asked to reflect on the meeting and share something they were taking with them. Optimism, gratitude, and hope were some of the feelings that were repeated – but most important was the feedback that community members felt seen and heard from College leadership.

A similar meeting took place in Brokenhead Ojibway Nation on November 24, 2022. For RRC Polytech, these visits are just a ‘first step’, and the College intends to continue these discussions with First Nations communities and Indigenous organizations across the province in the coming months and years.

Sequels aren’t exclusive to your favorite science fiction or superhero streaming-verse – RRC Polytech is building on the success of last year’s Technovation Girls Manitoba program by adding a new chapter to the legend of local girls who can code.

The College and SkiptheDishes, Canada’s largest online food delivery network, have teamed up again to bring back the popular 12-week technology-based (STEM) program that introduces students ages 15 to 18 who identify as girls to the necessary IT coding and programming skills to emerge as tech entrepreneurs and leaders. The Technovation Girls Manitoba course is delivered online, at no cost to the participants, and challenges students to identify a need in their community then work with instructors and mentors to create an app or an AI-powered tool that offers a real-world solution.

“Opportunity in the tech sector is virtually endless yet women continue to be underrepresented. RRC Polytech is proud to host Technovation Girls Manitoba and grateful for our partners like SkiptheDishes who share our commitment to increase participation by removing barriers to education and creating more pathways for our learners to break into this important and growing industry here in Manitoba,” says Steve Lawrence, Dean of the School of Continuing Education.

“The experiential learning in this free program encourages teenage girls to explore a career in tech and accelerates their belief in becoming the leaders of tomorrow.”

Sequels strive to be bigger and better so global non-profit Technovation’s updated curriculum promises to be more interactive, more streamlined, and has additional activities to guide student teams through their projects. Favorite characters also return for new adventures and instructor Melanie Par is no exception.

“I’ve never seen myself as an underdog because I just do what I do, but I am a visible minority and a young woman in tech so I’m proud that these girls see me as a role model in addition to a trainer,” says Par, a graduate of RRC Polytech’s Business Information Technology program. “As a coder, there is no greater thrill than witnessing that transformative moment when they realize the application that they built actually does the thing they wanted it to – it’s so amazing!”          

Students also benefit from a weekly session with an industry mentor. Kassandra Swan from SkiptheDishes says volunteering as a mentor is an incredibly rewarding experience and she’s eager to see what this year’s cohort creates.

“I feel that if a program like this had been around when I was a teenager that I’d have navigated to a career that fit my strengths a bit faster,” she says. “Tech is a huge industry and the role it plays in solving social and environmental problems is instrumental. I’m happy to play a small part in inspiring the next generation of innovators.”

By working in teams, the girls also develop collaboration, problem solving, and leadership skills. They quickly progress from being initially unsure of their abilities to confidently presenting their finished products, which are also entered into a global competition. Last year a mobile app developed at RRC Polytech reached the North America semi-finals.

“The girls come up with thoughtful ideas that show no shortage of ambition, so the challenge often lies in scaling their project to focus on a single goal,” says Par. “We’re really teaching them programmatic thinking which is essential to coding and working in tech but can be just as valuable to an entrepreneur in any field – building a business or an app starts with being passionate about finding solutions.”

The online program begins January 24, 2023 and runs until April 22, 2023. The current uptake is now full with 40 girls registered and a wait list for the future is already forming so even without a spoiler alert, it’s safe to say the latest installment of Technovation Girls Manitoba at RRC Polytech is shaping up to be another blockbuster success.   

Technovation is a global tech education non-profit building a movement to reach and support 25 million girls and young women to become technology leaders and entrepreneurs in the next 15 years. 

RRC Polytech is thrilled to introduce Dr. Jolen Galaugher as its new Director of Research Partnerships and Innovation (RPI). The RPI team works tirelessly to find solutions for today’s challenges – and those of tomorrow. Driven by the needs of industry and community, RPI fuels the reputation and success of the College.

Learn more about Dr. Galaugher here.