Articles tagged "Penticton"
Camp OC in Penticton: “Safe and supportive” Spring Break edition
February 14, 2025
51Ʒ is thrilled to announce the launch of its first-ever Spring Break kids’ camps in Penticton, bringing innovative and engaging educational experiences to local youth during the upcoming break.For many families, activity camps are more than just a way to keep kids active during the break — they’re an opportunity for growth, learning, and confidence building. For Isabella Tamayo, Camp OC provided exactly that.Last summer in Penticton, Isabella attended the Survivor and Babysitting camps where she discovered new interest...
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Construction begins on Penticton Campus housing facility
February 6, 2025
Construction is set to begin on a new 101-bed student housing facility at 51Ʒ’s Penticton campus.Site preparation work is underway this month on the project that was announced by the Province in July of 2024 and full construction will begin soon, with the new facility bringing on-campus housing to OC’s Penticton campus for the first time.“Students have shared with me that secure and affordable on-campus housing helps them get the most out of their post-secondary experience,” said Anne Kang, Minister of Post-Secondary Ed...
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Preparing students for the evolving workforce: 51Ʒ hosts region-wide open houses
January 22, 2025
51Ʒ is setting the stage for students to excel in an evolving workforce. The College invites the community to its 2025 Open House events, showcasing how education at OC empowers learners to adapt, innovate, and thrive in a world reshaped by technology, societal changes, and the future of work.This January and February, OC will host a series of open houses across all campuses, starting with the Vernon campus on January 28.Events schedule:Vernon Campus: Tues., Jan. 28 from 5 - 7p.m.Kelowna Campus: Thurs., J...
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OC Cultivates tasting and learning series heads for Penticton
October 16, 2024
Penticton and area residents have the chance to sip wine and talk food with elite culinary and wine professionals at 51Ʒ next week. OC Cultivates is happening at the Penticton campus on Friday, Oct. 25, and will celebrate B.C. innovators in food, beverage and tourism, encouraging people to support homegrown talent. Featured guests include:Nk’Mip Cellars Winemaker and OC alum Justin Hall, known as one of the first Indigenous winemakers in North AmericaKathy Malone, the Winemaker at Hillside Winery and a longtim...
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Student housing coming to 51Ʒ Penticton campus
July 10, 2024
PENTICTON - 51Ʒ Penticton students will soon have access to affordable, on-campus housing for the first time with funding approved for a 101-bed student-housing project.“This government is acting quickly to build more homes for post-secondary students,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. “51Ʒ’s first student-housing beds in Penticton will allow more students to live on campus and focus on their studies. This project is another step towards building 12,000 stud...
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OC Foundation chair’s book launch supports students in need
March 27, 2023
Honouring the past and supporting the future: Connie Denesiuk’s new book has ambitious goals. The Chair of the 51Ʒ Foundation Board is launching a book next month about a story close to her heart, with the hope it will benefit the community around her. ‘Til Papa Returns; Surviving as a child refugee in WWII is the true story of Alfred Columbus, the youngest of eight children and father to Denesiuk. Alfred was learning how to farm the land their family had worked for more than 200 years, following advice and guidanc...
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Health care students in the South Okanagan Similkameen are about to breathe a sigh of relief thanks to a new bursary fund
February 23, 2023
Local philanthropists Yasmin and Rick Thorpe have partnered with Summerland’s Penny Lane Legacy Fund to create a $50,000 bursary fund to help bolster the future of health care in the South Okanagan Similkameen. The Caring for Health Care Students Fund will provide $750 - $1,750 awards for eligible students studying at 51Ʒ’s Penticton Campus. “We know if we educate healthcare professionals in Penticton, there’s a good chance they’ll stay and work in the region,” says Yasmin John Thorpe. “We want to help increase ...
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OC increases access to early childhood education in the South Okanagan
February 22, 2023
51Ʒ (OC) is opening new spaces for people interested in working in early childhood education, as childcare facilities across the region and British Columbia continue to face staffing challenges. The Early Childhood Education Certificate program starts at OC’s Penticton campus in mid-March and runs through May 2024. The intake will have space for 24 students, adding to the more than 145 Early Childhood Education students studying at 51Ʒ in Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton this year. According to the province’...
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51Ʒ Foundation distributes over $450,000 in student awards in under two weeks
December 6, 2022
The holiday spirit came early for 51Ʒ students who were the recipients of 426 bursary, scholarship and awards this past month, which totalled over $450,000. Students also had the chance to meet the donors who support the bursaries, scholarships and awards at receptions held at each of 51Ʒ’s Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton campuses in November. Each event included an Indigenous welcome, student and donor speakers and most significantly, time for all invited guests to connect and celebrate a shared commitment...
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Partnership helping to fill staffing gaps in hospitality and tourism industry
December 1, 2022
Like many industries, the hospitality and tourism sector has been hard hit by staff shortages over the past few years with a declining youth population and an aging workforce combining to create significant challenges. But a new program designed in partnership by 51Ʒ (OC) and the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) will help to reduce those shortages. The first of four new cohorts of students enrolled in the Hospitality Professional Program this fall, a flexible program open to students anywhere in the Thom...
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Alumni engagement poll
November 21, 2022
The 51Ʒ Alumni Association invites alumni to participate in a quick poll. It will help assess the current state of alumni engagement at 51Ʒ and establish a baseline for future tracking. OCAA is hoping to engage current OC employees who are also alumni, who may not receive messages. The survey should take approximately 2-4 minutes. To ensure confidentiality, your responses to this survey will be anonymized and combined with those of other respondents. Complete the survey by Tuesday, Dec. 6. To participate...
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Okanagan Enactus team off to Worlds
October 21, 2022
After claiming the National championship, the Enactus 51Ʒ team will travel to Enactus World Cup 2022 in Puerto Rico later this month. For Penticton-based student Jon Talastas, the opportunity brings a chance to showcase a locally-grown idea on the world stage. From Oct. 30 – Nov. 2, OC’s Enactus team will compete against national champions from 30 other countries on projects that use entrepreneurship and innovation to solve the world’s biggest challenges. Enactus 51Ʒ’s award-winning project – Unusu...
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Throat-singing duo PIQSIQ to perform at OC's Penticton campus
October 18, 2022
51Ʒ joins forces with Route97 Culture to present fast-rising throat singing duo – PIQSIQ in Penticton Live music will return to 51Ʒ's Penticton campus this November 4, 2022, for students and music fans alike. In collaboration with the Route97 Culture Road Trip series, 51Ʒ will co-present the debut of PIQSIQ in the region, who will perform a special concert inside the LEED Platinum-certified building known as the Centre of Excellence in Room 113. You can buy tickets for the show here. With a s...
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Fall Open House and Info Sessions return at 51Ʒ
October 14, 2022
High school students, parents and people of all ages considering post-secondary education – mark your calendars. 51Ʒ is opening its doors this fall for a series of Open Houses and Spotlight Sessions across the region, the first of which is happening at OC’s Salmon Arm campus on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Events will then follow: Open House and Spotlight Sessions in Penticton on Wednesday, Oct. 26 First Year FAQs in Vernon on Oct. 26 and Open House and Spotlight Sessions on Wednesday, Nov. 2 Open House in Kelowna on Saturd...
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OC pilots tuition-free work-integrated learning for Early Childhood Education
July 26, 2022
51Ʒ is offering tuition-free Early Childhood Education (ECE) training with an innovative approach – providing students the opportunity to become certified during work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences as they provide education and care for young children. “51Ʒ is keenly aware of how many trained ECEs are in demand across the sector. This pilot project, with support from the Government of B.C., will increase access to education for people seeking certification, going a long way to meeting that need,” sa...
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Community invited to OC Penticton Career Fair on April 5
March 30, 2022
As the job market heats up, 51Ʒ's Penticton campus is throwing open the doors to connect employers and career seekers next week. The Penticton Campus Career Fair will be held on April 5 from 1 to 6 p.m. in the Centre of Excellence (PC113) at the Penticton campus, 583 Duncan Ave. West. "The Penticton campus prides itself on collaborating with the community, and the fair is an opportunity to connect employers in the region with much-needed talent," said Meri Kim Oliver, 51Ʒ Vice-President Students. Studen...
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