General News

Algonquin College Receives $25,000 Grant from Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund

Student leaning against postThanks to $25,000 in funding announced this week through Bell Let’s Talk, Algonquin College will be conducting an audit to assess its current mental health support services and the mental health needs of students.

“Algonquin is extremely thankful for Bell’s contribution – it will help strengthen mental health supports and services to our learners, at a time of heightened need,” said Laura Stanbra, Algonquin’s Vice President, Student Services.

The funding comes as part of $3 million in Bell Let’s Talk grants awarded to 123 Canadian colleges and universities to support them in the initial implementation of the National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students. The Standard has been established by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) in partnership with the Canadian Standards Association.

“One of the first steps recommended by the MHCC is to perform an overall assessment to measure how well our current level of service is meeting the needs of our students. The information we derive from the audit will better position the College to conform with the Standard,” said Doug Stringer, Manager of Algonquin’s Counselling Services and Spiritual Centre.

The Standard is a first of its kind in the world, and helps post-secondary institutions increase awareness, reduce stigma, improve life and resiliency skills, and create a healthier and safer educational environment overall. Bell Let’s Talk funding helped enable the creation of the Standard.

Algonquin College Advancement VP Named ‘Professional of the Year’

Mark SavenkoffAlgonquin College’s Vice President Advancement, Mark Savenkoff, has been recognized with the 2021 ‘Professional of the Year Award’ by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

“This recognition acknowledges the generosity of our donors and the pride demonstrated by our graduates during an unprecedented year,” he said.

Savenkoff, who joined the College in 2019 as its first Vice President of Advancement, attributes his success to the hard work of his team and the vision and leadership of College President and Chief Executive Officer, Claude Brulé.

A global non-profit association dedicated to educational advancement, CASE had a 26 per cent increase in nominations for its awards this year, and the long list of Algonquin’s accomplishments in 2020 drove Savenkoff’s candidacy to reach the top.

Along with shepherding the transition from an externally–governed Foundation to an internal Advancement Division, Savenkoff and his team oversaw double-digit percentage increases in both the number of donors and the total funds raised. In the same timeframe, the newly established Advancement team completed 11 fundraising campaigns, including the introduction of successful initiatives such as the College’s first ‘Giving Tuesday’ campaign in 2020.

CASE reviewed submissions from across eastern North America, and its criteria was based on program innovation in any area of institutional advancement (fundraising, alumni relations, communications and partnership development), contributions to the advancement profession and volunteer service to the community.

“The unique thing about Algonquin College this past year is that we didn’t just innovate in one area of advancement. We challenged ourselves to innovate in all areas,” said Savenkoff.

Making a foundational shift in operations and looking to innovate in every area is challenging at the best times. What’s more remarkable is that all this was achieved with the added challenges of a global pandemic. Savenkoff was in his new position for only two and a half months before the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the College immediately moving to a remote, work-from-home environment in March 2020.

While the pandemic necessitated changes in the approach, Savenkoff said ultimately the question for his team remained the same: ‘How can alumni and donors help?’

“What changed in some cases was their ability to help. We were mindful to the needs of our campus community, but also to the challenges facing our alumni and donors. We enter into those conversations aligned with two of the College’s values: Caring and Respect,” he said.

The award and success at Algonquin are additional milestones in a more than 17-year career in the post-secondary education field for Savenkoff. Prior to joining Algonquin College, he helped spearhead Carleton University’s Collaborate Campaign, which ended in 2019 after raising more than $308 million. He also led programs at the University of Saskatchewan in the areas of student recruitment, student retention and alumni relations.

Looking ahead, Savenkoff said the Advancement team will remain focused on engaging alumni, donors and external partners in alignment with the needs of students and academic priorities of the College.

“Partnering with individuals and organizations that share the College’s mission, vision, and values, not only builds strong communities, but truly transforms hopes and dreams into lifelong success,” said Savenkoff.

Lincoln Heights Ford Donation Supports Algonquin College Automotive Student

Algonquin College’s School of Advanced Technology received a generous donation of a Lincoln Corsair and Ford F-150 from Lincoln Heights Ford this week that will be used by Automotive Service Technician students learning their trade.

The vehicle donation also includes access to Ford Canada’s Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) program for Algonquin faculty and students. ACE includes many online courses taken by Ford technicians to attain speciality certifications and will give students the opportunity to receive current industry-level training.

“Lincoln Heights Ford is delighted to partner with Ford of Canada to provide these vehicles to Algonquin College’s automotive program,” said Evan Bell, Operations Manager of Lincoln Heights Ford. “The Lincoln Corsair and Ford F-150 are equipped with some of the latest technology available, and will give students invaluable hands-on experience on their path to becoming certified automotive technicians.”

In accepting the donation, Algonquin President and CEO, Claude Brulé, thanked Lincoln Heights Ford for their generosity and acknowledged that Ford Canada and its local dealerships have a long history of supporting the College, having donated vehicles for training purposes in the past.

“We are grateful for our community partners at Lincoln Heights Ford and Ford Canada. The donation of these vehicles and the resources provided through their innovative online training program are evidence that they share Algonquin’s passion for giving our learners the most comprehensive training experience possible,” said Brulé.

Algonquin’s Chair, Mechanical and Transportation Technology, David Thibodeau, acknowledged the significance of the donation.

“We are delighted that Ford and Lincoln Heights continue to invest in our mutually beneficial relationship. Having vehicles that feature current industry technology and access to online course material for Ford certifications allows our faculty to teach the skills students need to enter the workforce with added confidence,” said Thibodeau.

Algonquin College Alumnus Created Bursary to Empower Black Students

During last summer’s Black Lives Matter movement protesting racial injustice and police brutality against Black people, Carl Clergé, a 25-year-old risk analyst at Export Development Canada and an Algonquin College graduate, wanted to do his part to help. Clergé decided to reach out to Algonquin and donate funds to a bursary for Black students. Turns out, no such thing existed.

Clergé was not deterred.

“I reached out to Advancement over the summer to donate to a bursary for Black students,” said Clergé. “There wasn’t one, so I asked how I could go about creating one. For me it was remarkable how fast everything went – from my first email to when the bursary was created—it was about a month.”

Clergé pushed forward with an ambitious objective that he quickly reached. “I had a goal of fifteen thousand for the bursary and it took a month and a half to get over that amount,” he said proudly. He was happy with the wide-ranging support. “My employer was on board, one of my former profs made a donation; everyone’s support was appreciated,” he said. “For me personally, and for Black students, I was very appreciative of that of how everything transpired.”

When asked why Black History Month is important, Clergé is quick with his response. “For me, it means celebrating everyone in the past to benefit people in the future. People my age 50 or 60 years ago wouldn’t have had the opportunity to create this bursary,” he said. “We are celebrating people paving the way with [these] actions. I think it’s important and it means a lot to me.”

Clergé studied Business Administration with a concentration in Finance at Algonquin from 2013-2016. He had a positive experience as a student. “I loved my time there,” he said. “It prepared me more for real life than university. I still have connections with certain profs.”

He appreciated the willingness and openness of the College to create a grant for Black students. “The College did a great job of understanding and asking questions,” he said. “When I reached out to the Advancement team and was told there wasn’t a bursary, they called, asked questions and listened.” He said they were open to the idea from the beginning.

His advice from the experience is “never think that anything is not possible. If you have an idea or a vision, try everything you can to make sure it happens. You never know how far you can go.”

To make a donation to the Empowering Black Students Bursary, visit this link.

Leacross Foundation Donates $60,000 for Women in STEM Initiatives

On this day celebrating International Day of Women and girls in Science, Algonquin College is pleased to announce that the Leacross Foundation has donated $60,000 to support women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs at Algonquin College. In total, Leacross has donated over $600,000 to Algonquin College over the past 16 years.

“The Leacross Foundation continues to be a strong supporter of promoting and enhancing opportunities for women in STEM-related fields,” said Mark Savenkoff, Vice President, Advancement. “Through their generosity and support, they are ensuring women have the tools they need to succeed in their chosen fields here at Algonquin, and we are thrilled they are leading the way to ensure female learners are set up to succeed.”

Students are grateful and appreciative of the donation. “The Leacross Foundation Bursary provided not only financial relief, but also mental relief, which directly affected my success in the career path I had ahead of me,” said Meredith Kucey, a 2014 recipient of the bursary. “I will be forever grateful for the generosity of the Foundation.” Kucey is a graduate of the Welding and Fabrication Techniques program. She merged her welding skills and creativity as a jeweler, with her Meredith Kucey Jewelry Design line.

These funds will support two goals; providing bursaries for women in the We Saved You a Seat program in financial need and purchasing take-home kits for female learners to support their remote learning activities.
The kits reduce the reliance of hands-on lab activities traditionally performed on campus and complements remote learning activities. Each kit includes essential tools for our learners to conduct their electrical experiments from home: a PC-based oscilloscope, a multi-meter, electronic parts, tools, a power supply, and circuit prototyping supplies.

We Saved You a Seat (WSYAS) is a program at Algonquin College that actively recruits and supports women pursuing education in STEM.

WSYAS aims to create an environment where women feel a sense of true belonging. WSYAS achieves this through active and intentional recruiting, building awareness with women about the value of STEM programs, connecting students to female mentors and equipping instructors to teach in gender inclusive classrooms.
The program serves to allocate 30 percent of available seats in Algonquin’s Electrical Engineering Technician, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technician, Computer Systems Technician, and Powerline Technician programs for women who meet admission standards.

To learn more visit: https://www.algonquincollege.com/future-students/we-saved-you-a-seat/

To read coverage about the donation in the Ottawa Business Journal click here.