The art of RRC Polytech grad Leticia Spence is featured in media across Canada and the globe; closer to home, you’ve likely seen it worn proudly by fans and players at Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose games.

For her latest work, Spence — a Graphic Design grad from 2019 — partnered with the College to create this year’s Orange Shirt Day illustration in support of Truth and Reconciliation and the Every Child Matters movement.

Spence’s concept for the shirt came through collaboration with Indigenous staff members at the College, who felt her design provided a beautiful and harmonious representation of all Indigenous Nations.

She grounded the design in Cree floral beadwork and integrated symbols from the Inuit and Métis Nations: fireweed flowers, wild roses, rosebuds and berries. The focus on nature represents the Peoples’ roots in the land, Spence says, while the foundational beadwork carries energy and transfers the art’s intention spiritually.

“I want whoever is wearing this t-shirt to feel a sense of hope and strength as they honour those who are currently being found while knowing that it’s okay to create space to honour themselves as either direct residential school survivors or intergenerational residential school survivors,” says Spence in an artist’s statement that will accompany each shirt sold.

“In difficult times, hope is the one thing we can grasp onto — not only to survive, but to drive us to fight for a world in which we no longer have to cry out for justice, and to reinforce that we deserve to exist.” Read More →

This week, RRC Polytech celebrates the first cohort of students to successfully complete its Shelter Support Worker Micro-credential program, designed with industry partners to address skill gaps, meet community needs and improve staffing levels and delivery service in homeless and family violence shelters across the province.

Supported by Gender Equity Manitoba, the program is the first of its kind in Manitoba, and the result of a collaborative effort between the College and the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters (MAWS). It aims to provide essential skills and knowledge for individuals involved in or aspiring to work in homeless and family violence shelters.

“The successful class we are celebrating today will have an immediate impact providing frontline services and support to Manitobans in need of refuge,” says Dr. Christine Watson, Vice-President Academic. “Their accomplishment highlights the power of partnership and reinforces RRC Polytech’s strength of adapting our learning model quickly to respond to the evolving demands of our community by delivering crucial training through micro-credentials.”

Courses in the virtually delivered program include basic terminology and concepts, fundamental skills with specialization in homeless shelter support or women’s shelter support, a capstone project and a 20-hour practicum for learners to gain real world experience. Read More →

RRC Polytech awards honorary degrees or diplomas to individuals who demonstrate high standards of excellence in their personal and professional achievements, and whose involvement in the community is widely recognized.

This year’s deserving recipients are accomplished professionals and outstanding community role models whose lives’ work will resonate with and inspire our 2023 graduates.

Carolyn Young: Honorary Diploma in Early Childhood Education

Carolyn Young has been supporting and advocating for young children and their parents — particularly Indigenous and newcomer families — in Winnipeg’s North End for more than 30 years.

She empowers her community through her work in early childhood education (ECE) and works relentlessly to teach, mentor and dismantle barriers for others as executive director of Manidoo Gi-Miini Gonaan (The Great Spirit is Giving), a non-profit organization overseeing several child-care centres and a family resource centre in a historically disadvantaged neighbourhood. Read More →

The Joyce Family Foundation has generously donated $1.5 million to support students who face barriers to education. The donation will be used to create 10 annual bursaries for youth in care and for vulnerable students at RRC Polytech.

An announcement to celebrate the gift was made at the College’s Child and Youth Care program graduation today. Graduates of this program (like those shown above) support and inspire children, youth and families, and often find employment in treatment homes, mental health and justice facilities, schools and community-based programs.

“The Joyce Family Foundation Bursary creates the largest fund for student aid at the College and more than doubles RRC Polytech’s ability to support financially vulnerable students pursuing post-secondary educations,” says College president Fred Meier.

“We thank The Joyce Family Foundation for recognizing this need and removing financial stress, allowing students to focus on their studies.”

The fund will provide bursaries of up to $5,000 for 10 students per year. Each successful applicant will be assigned an academic coach, who will work with them throughout their studies to ensure their success in the program.

In Manitoba, there are currently more than 9,800 youth in care, 91 per cent of whom are Indigenous. Less than five per cent of youth in care pursue post-secondary education.

The Joyce Family Foundation Bursary doubles the number of RRC Polytech bursaries available, from nine to 19. Read More →

In partnership with RBC Future Launch, Indigenous culture takes centre stage today as RRC Polytech students, staff and community members gather for a celebration highlighting the importance of entrepreneurship in Indigenous culture.

Running 1:00–5:00 p.m. at Manitou a bi Bii daziigae, Indigenous Food, Fashion and Music: An RBC Reaction by Collision Community Event will showcase Indigenous culture and arts in Winnipeg. As part of RRC Polytech’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, the event will immerse guests in Indigenous culture, as represented by some of the brightest local entrepreneurs, chefs, designers and performers.

“Representation and celebration of Indigenous culture is an important way to let Indigenous students, staff and community members know they are welcome here and they belong at RRC Polytech,” says College President Fred Meier.

“When RRC Polytech connects with partners like RBC, amazing things can happen. This is the second year we’ve had the pleasure of hosting the RBC Reaction by Collision Event in-person, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank RBC for choosing to support RRC Polytech students.”

Event highlights will include a haute couture fashion show, delectable cuisine from local chefs, a crafter’s market with local artisans and music provided by Juno nominees Indian City. Featured guests include Brownees Urban Bistro, Feast Café Bistro, Olivia Nasikapow, Gayle Grubin, Dawn Harris, OGICHIDAA, and many others.

Miranda Harper, an RRC Polytech grad and drummer in the local rock band Venus Man Trap, is taking part in the event’s panel and looks forward to sharing her experience as an Indigenous musician with students and community members.

“We’re showing future Indigenous generations that they’re welcome here, that there’s space for them to innovate and be bold,” Harper says. “I get inspired when young people ask me questions, either about my experience as a musician or about my career in commercial banking. It’s important for me to share the path and journey I went on to get to where I am and hopefully motivate others to do the same.” Read More →

It started as a way to reduce the gap between research and early childhood education.

Today, RRC Polytech’s Science of Early Child Development (SECD) initiative has impacted the work of early childhood educators (ECEs), both here in Canada and on a global scale.

“Over the past few decades, there has been an explosion of neuroscience research that has increased our understanding of early brain development,” says Dr. Rob Santos, Chair of the Research department in the College’s School of Health Sciences and Community Services.

“These discoveries show that how a child’s brain develops, even before birth, is influenced by the environment and experiences surrounding the child, setting the foundation of lifelong health, learning and wellness.”

SECD began as a partnership between RRC Polytech and the Atkinson Centre at the University of Toronto. Later, the Aga Khan Development Network provided funding to the College to adapt SECD and create an international edition.

The resource is what’s known as a “dynamic knowledge mobilization initiative” — essentially, bridging complex research on understanding early brain development and using that research in resources and courses that professionals and students can easily understand. Read More →

All 11 mayoral candidates in the upcoming civic election claim their plan will make Winnipeg better, but a quick Google search of the phrase reveals that journalism students in RRC Polytech’s Creative Communications (CreComm) program are already delivering on that promise.

Their project, winnipegbetter.ca, is impacting the city’s race for mayor by giving potential voters exactly what they’ve asked for — a comprehensive website to help them make an informed decision on Oct. 26.

Last spring, CreComm instructor James Turner challenged his small class of journalism majors to offer the community an alternative approach to typical election coverage.

“A frequent complaint from consumers of news is that during elections, the focus is placed on polling and personality conflicts, not the issues that real people are facing,” says Turner.

So, he and his student journalists launched winnipegbetter.ca to cultivate dialogue leading up to decision day and provide a go-to resource on civic issues that voters deem most important.

“Journalism is a public service,” he says. “What this project emphasizes to students is that you work for the readers, the voters and the audience. So instead of letting the politicians tell you what’s important, be the conduit that allows the public to determine what the candidates should be talking about.”

Current second year students spent months gathering people’s viewpoints through in-person interviews, online forms, and social media. They asked a simple direct question: “What do you want candidates to be talking about as they compete for your vote?”

The result is a Citizen’s Agenda of six key issues:

Read More →

Students returning to classes at RRC Polytech’s Exchange District Campus will have a new outdoor space to enjoy while studying and connecting with classmates.

Today, Red River College Polytechnic officially opened the Elgin Plaza, nestled between the new Manitou a bi Bii daziigae building and the existing Roblin Centre. The block of Elgin Avenue between Princess and Adelaide Streets was closed to vehicles, with support from the City of Winnipeg, to create a pedestrian plaza.

“We are proud to work with our partners to create a pedestrian connection between buildings, transforming learning spaces and making it feel like a community campus where genuine connections and shared experiences occur,” says RRC Polytech President Fred Meier (shown above, at centre). “Developments like this allow us to build on our partnerships and strengthen our shared vision to enhance the student experience.”

The space was designed by HTFC Planning and Design, and includes outdoor gardens, seating areas, recreational space, removable bollards that allow access for food trucks, a new projector to showcase student work and create community art, and ping pong tables and power outlets to help host outdoor events from students and community members.

When looking up, anyone standing in the Elgin Plaza will have a stunning view of local artist Jackie Traverse’s ceiling installation, which extends from Manitou a bi Bii daziigae’s fourth floor. The Elgin Plaza also features one of the College’s new rainbow walkways, which were unveiled earlier this week.

“The opening of Elgin Plaza is significant for Winnipeg’s downtown,” says Mayor Brian Bowman (shown above, at left). “The City of Winnipeg and RRC Polytech have a longstanding partnership and spaces like this help to bring people downtown and revitalize Winnipeg’s Exchange District. I’m pleased to see another space like this added in our downtown because spending time outdoors and in greenspaces has a positive impact on the well-being of residents in our community.” Read More →

Summer school is about to take on a whole new meaning for dozens of Winnipeg tweens and teens.

RRC Polytech is rolling out its summer camp programming with hands-on day camps for the next generations of skilled trades experts. The camps take place at the College’s Notre Dame Campus over the next few weeks.

After a two-year hiatus, the College’s Girls Exploring Trades and Technology (GETT) camps are back and, quite possibly, better than ever. More than 140 would-be campers applied for 32 coveted spots in the program, which takes place this week and next at the College’s state-of-the-art Skilled Trades and Technology Centre.

Each camp will see 16 campers aged 12 to 14 exploring plumbing, woodworking, cabinetmaking, welding, robotics, transportation trades and — for the first time in its 16-year history — masonry. At the end of the week-long program, each camper will bring home a project of their own making: a steampunk-style desk lamp made of black iron pipe.

GETT camps are completely free of charge, providing a fun way to introduce girls to applied skills and technology skills while encouraging them to consider a variety of career choices, without a financial barrier.

“The GETT camps are a great way to introduce trades and technologies to girls, giving them the opportunity to develop new hobbies or interests that can turn into a career they may not have considered,” says Derek Kochenash, Dean, School of Skilled Trades and Technologies, RRC Polytech.

“The popularity of this year’s camps shows that the stigma of women in trades is on its way out, and it’s more important than ever to continue to provide safe spaces for girls to explore careers that are rewarding, challenging, and creative.”

Starting next week, RRC Polytech is also hosting Technology Exploration Camps for children entering grades six and seven this fall. These camps give middle school students a real taste of various engineering technology-related disciplines, such as civil, electrical and mechanical. During their week-long experience, campers will learn the way things work by creating model bridges, building and programming their own robots, and even manufacturing a working model of a medieval catapult.

While the GETT and Technology Exploration Camps are at full capacity, RRC Polytech offers a variety of additional in-person and online summer camps for kids in Manitoba. Newly added camps include:

• Jumpstart Digital Art | Ages 14 – 18
• Quickstart Digital Art | Ages 12 – 18
• Queer Coded (for 2SLGBTQIA+ teens) | Ages 13 – 18

Visit rrc.ca/youth/camps for more information.

RRC Polytech has committed to embed equity, diversity, and inclusion into all work done at the College and is always looking for ways to advance meaningful change.

Moving forward, the College will use the acronym 2SLGTBQIA+ to respectfully acknowledge members of the Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and the countless affirmative ways in which people choose to self-identify community.

The College is placing Two Spirit People at the beginning of this evolving acronym, out of respect for their longevity, and their importance and status in Indigenous beliefs and traditions, after consultation and collaboration with our Elders in Residence and Knowledge Keepers Council.

“I’ve always advocated to recognize Two Spirit first because if we are going to talk about truth and reconciliation within Canada and recognize and acknowledge Indigenous people, including Two Spirit people, we should put them at the beginning. I’ve never understood why we are at the end,” says Barbara Bruce, O.M., All My Relations Inc., and RRC Polytech Knowledge Keepers Council.

“Placing the 2S at the beginning of the acronym is recognizing the original peoples of Canada — First Nation, Métis Nation and Inuit Two Spirit people — and it’s acknowledging who those people are. I think everybody should embrace this stance.” Read More →