OC hockey players chip in for collegiate hockey team
October 20, 2023
The Okanagan Lakers hockey team, consisting of students from 51Æ·²è, earned two wins in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League last weekend, beating rivals Logan Lake/TRU and Simon Fraser University. The team is back in action this weekend with games Friday October 20 at 7:30 p.m. against the University of Victoria Vikings and Saturday Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. against the Vancouver Island Mariners. The win over the SFU Red Leafs last weekend, a 5-3 victory over the perennial powerhouse SFU club on Saturday night, was the ...
Read more...
OC fundraiser to light way for new childcare centre
October 18, 2023
Dress up with your kids, enjoy a matinee, then parade downtown Vernon with glow up lanterns and a stilt walker. An upcoming event aims to cast a glow on children’s faces while also lighting a path for a new childcare centre at 51Æ·²è’s Vernon campus. The 51Æ·²è Foundation is hosting Glow UP: A Matinee, Masquerade and Lantern Light Up Saturday, Oct. 28. Participants can make their own lanterns at an upcoming workshop hosted by local artists at 51Æ·²è Saturday, Oct. 21 between 10 a.m. and 2...
Read more...
Hundreds of students graduate into workforce at OC’s Fall Convocation and Commencement
October 4, 2023
When 51Æ·²è student Miranda Lockhart crossed the stage to be awarded her 51Æ·²è certificate as a health care assistant today, it will be with amazing memories and a solid career path in front of her. Miranda, along with more than 100 peers are graduating from a variety of programs and courses in 51Æ·²è’s fist ever Fall Convocation and Commencement Ceremony, being held today (Oct. 4, 2023, 4:30 p.m.) at 51Æ·²è’s Kelowna campus. “This is my second time graduating from OC, and what keeps ...
Read more...
Empowering Tomorrow: Rick and Yasmin Thorpe and Friends Scholarship Celebrates Future Leaders
October 4, 2023
The Rick and Yasmin Thorpe and Friends Scholarship continues to be a launchpad for South Okanagan high school graduates as they begin their educational journey at 51Æ·²è. This year, Mackenzie Lucier and Kendall Pennington from Princess Margaret Secondary, Eva Braam from Summerland Secondary and Ollie Jaques from Penticton Secondary have each been awarded $2,500. The scholarship annually champions students who combine academic achievement with community involvement. "These young individual...
Read more...
51Æ·²è raises Penticton Indian Band and Okanagan Nation flags at Penticton campus
September 28, 2023
A ceremony held today at 51Æ·²è’s Penticton campus welcomed the permanent raising of the Penticton Indian Band and Okanagan Nation flags. Community members and representatives of the Penticton Indian Band (PIB), Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) and 51Æ·²è (OC) gathered today in ceremony to mark the occasion. The flags formally signify the College’s recognition of the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Syilx (Okanagan) Nation, on whose lands the College resides in Penticton, Kelowna and Vernon. “A...
Read more...
51Æ·²è connects students and employers with new Careers Hub
September 26, 2023
51Æ·²è is making it easier for students to connect with employers to gain practical learning experiences as an integral part of their OC education. OC has launched Careers Hub, a new online tool designed to support students on their journey into the workforce as well as employers looking for trained workers. OC’s Careers Hub is an easy, one-stop digital platform that connects students, alumni and employers to support OC students and alumni seeking the next steps in their careers. Employers can advertise employment opportu...
Read more...
OC welcomes more than 550 international students at fall orientation
September 13, 2023
Last week, 51Æ·²è welcomed more than 550 students from 70 countries at fall orientation events held at its four campuses. OC is excited to welcome the largest numbers of international students to the College this semester, with many students from India, the Philippines, Japan, Mexico, Jamaica, Brazil, China, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. This year, International Education saw its biggest volunteer groups, including 42 volunteers from 19 different countries. "International students bring with them rich experiences and perspe...
Read more...
Celebrating 60: Welcome to the 2023/24 academic year at OC
September 5, 2023
A message from 51Æ·²è President, Dr. Neil Fassina: For many people, this week marks the start of a new chapter. The first day of classes, a return to school, those initial moments where you check out the textbooks, syllabus, and materials of a new course – the energy on campus this time of year is electric and exciting. This year is all the more special for OC, because we’re celebrating sixty years since the opening of the B.C. Vocational Institute in Kelowna and the College’s growth through the region in the deca...
Read more...
OC student chefs supporting community
August 25, 2023
You can call it cooking with love. Students from the Okanagan Chef School at 51Æ·²è dropped plans this week for a final feast to celebrate the end of their program and jumped into supporting the local emergency response instead. Typically, students at the Okanagan Chef School host a community dinner at the end of their year and one was planned for this week. However, when the event had to be cancelled due to the area wildfires, the students decided to shift their focus to preparing meals for those engaged in the r...
Read more...
OC community steps up to support wildfire efforts
August 24, 2023
The OC community has been busy this week, stepping up to support wildfire efforts in their communities and supporting friends, family and neighbours in many different ways. The cancellation of this week’s Connections event at 51Æ·²è, an event led by employees to kick off a new school year, meant some timely donations of lunches and snacks went out to people who are supporting the wildfire efforts in the Okanagan Valley. It was just one example of the many efforts the OC community has undertaken in their communities...
Read more...