School of Wellness, Public Safety & Community Studies

The School of Wellness, Public Safety and Community Studies is the place for people who are passionate about making a difference. Whether that be by providing excellence in patient care, offering superior client service, protecting communities, or advocating for healthy living, you’ll find a program that will help you achieve your dreams. All of our programs focus on helping people and are founded on the principles of respect, integrity, compassion and collaboration. In addition to the technical and industry-specific skills you will learn, our programs will help you build confidence and embrace your leadership ability.

Blending theory and hands-on learning, you’ll benefit from the collective wisdom of experienced faculty who are active in their industries, and practice your skills in our state-of-the-art facilities with cutting-edge equipment and technology. Gain exposure to real-world environments while studying and working in our learning enterprises and alongside employers through work integrated learning opportunities. Develop the knowledge and skills you need to succeed in your wellness, public safety or community studies career.

"The profs are wonderful; they’re very engaged and there to help you a lot. I want to work with youth to create better, healthy living on the reserve."

- Dakota Ostrowski, Student, Recreation and Leisure Services

Success Stories

Board of Governors Recognize Students with Student Changemaker Award

Four Recreation and Leisure Services (RLS) program students were awarded the Student Changemaker Award for their outstanding work in raising awareness for youth mental health.

Every year, second-year students from the Recreation and Leisure Services program in the Community Development course work with community partners to host fundraising events and raise awareness for projects they are passionate about. The Fall 2021 Term saw RLS students raise approximately $7,700 for local charities — $4,173 of which was raised by the four honoured students for Ottawa-based charity Do it for Daron (DIFD). Since 2011, the program has raised over $18,000 for various causes.

Programs

Find our Wellness and Community Studies programs below. Learn more about our Public Safety programs by exploring our Police and Public Safety Institute.

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Diploma

Advanced Diploma

Degree

Certificate

Graduate Certificate

Explore our Facilities

Community and Social Services Virtual Tour

Take a virtual look inside our welcoming facilities that support our Community and Social Services programs.

Experience the Virtual Tour

Our students learn in a variety of impressive labs and classrooms, outfitted with leading-edge equipment. Just some of our many highlights are outlined below:

Set up like a small apartment, the Garbarino Girard Centre for Innovation in Seniors Care provides students with a learning lab, applied research facility, and an opportunity to collaborate with the Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre.
Our Veterinary Learning Centre and Clinic includes a reception area, exam rooms, husbandry area, surgical suite, dental suite, radiography room and more. Similar to a real-life small animal clinic, it enables our learners to gain experience with the latest equipment used in the field.
Our Early Learning Centre Lab School provides high quality, culturally-diverse and inclusive programs licensed under the Ontario Ministry of Education. It serves as a model of early learning programs, designed to demonstrate best practices to our students.

Community Partnerships

Work Integrated Learning

The School of Wellness, Public Safety and Community Studies has a great reputation and strong community partnerships that provide students with dynamic work integrated learning opportunities. These experiences help students build confidence and practice their hands-on skills in both simulated lab environments and real-life scenarios. Examples include student-powered learning enterprises, field placements, community service learning, applied research, community projects, and more. It’s a hands-on approach that prepares learners for their chosen career and in many cases, leads to employment opportunities upon graduation.

Community Partnerships

Living Classrooms

Students in select programs are offered unique experiences in shared learning environments. Exposed to theory classes and lab demonstrations in the integrated classroom, students immediately practice their skills with people in the community in real working environments. Some of these innovative labs and clinics on campus include our Student Massage Clinic and the Early Learning Centre.

Community Partnerships

Partners in Learning

Our partners in learning help us ensure students gain industry connections and experiences during their studies, guiding students to better understand their career options and prepare for job opportunities post-graduation.

The Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre hosts day programming for seniors with early onset dementia, teaching students practical skills in the on-campus Garbarino Girard Centre for Innovation in Seniors Care. We are grateful for the critical support the WOCRC and our other partners provide to our learners.

Police and Public Safety Institute

Part of this School, the Police and Public Safety Institute is the home of our public service programs from Paramedic and Police Foundations, to Community and Justice Services, Victimology and more.

Learn More

Student Massage Clinic

The Algonquin College Student Massage Clinic provides professional treatment to the public at a fabulous price, while giving students an opportunity to develop and apply their classroom knowledge.

Book an Appointment

Early Childhood Education Grant

You may be eligible for an Ontario ECE grant, which provides financial support to individuals working in the early learning field to obtain their ECE diploma.

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