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As part of its popular Perspectives: Canada in the World speaker series, Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) is excited to welcome the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould. She will speak at a public event on October 23 at Westerner Park. As a former Member of Parliament, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Wilson-Raybould will discuss Being an Agent of Change and the Nature of Integrity, sharing valuable insights about creating meaningful change and fostering ethical environments. Wilson-Raybould will share her experiences and transformative journey in Canadian politics. She will explore the fundamental changes needed in our political culture and inspire audience members to advocate for change. “This is a marquee event in the Red Deer Polytechnic calendar and for the region,” says Dr. Jonathon Penny, Dean, School of Arts and Education. “We are excited that on the heels of a very successful event in January, the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould will come to Red Deer to share her perspective, wisdom and advice on how we can broker positive change with integrity.” For more than two decades, RDP has provided opportunities for students, faculty, staff and community members to engage with impactful, national speakers who have included Margaret Atwood, Amanda Lindhout and

At its fifth annual Building on Excellence event, Red Deer Polytechnic celebrated a talented group of apprentices who showcased exceptional knowledge and skills in various Skills competitions over the past year. In 2024, Red Deer Polytechnic apprentices earned one gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the Skills Canada Alberta competition. After winning RDP’s fifth straight gold medal at last year’s Skills Canada National competition, Ben Rainforth (Welding) was given the opportunity to compete at the 47th WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France this year. With the help of Lee Yasinski, Welding Instructor and Skills Coach, Rainforth came home with a bronze medal which is a first for an RDP apprentice. “We were proud to gather as a Polytechnic community with industry partners, alumni and supporters to celebrate the remarkable achievements of RDP apprentices at Skills competitions,” says David Pye, Dean, School of Trades and Technology.” The continued success of our apprentices highlights the expertise and commitment of RDP’s instructors, as well as industry-relevant learning opportunities offered at our institution, which are further strengthened by the support of employers.” Red Deer Polytechnic apprentices consistently rank among the top post-secondary achievers in Alberta and across Canada. Since 2003, the Polytechnic’s apprentices

Red Deer Polytechnic brought practitioners last week to host a sold-out workshop focusing on Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience Scale Masterclass in collaboration with the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC), Sheldon Kennedy Centre of Excellence and the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur throughout a child’s life, which can have significant and lasting effects on their overall well-being and development. Throughout the workshop, Resilience Reboot: Empowering Minds, Strengthening Spirits, people gained valuable insights and tools from experts, including Red Deer Polytechnic instructors. Attendees learned about resilience through research and evidence-based materials that will help people explore the lifelong impact of resilience on individuals and communities. Dr. Anomi Bearden and Dr. Jamie Prowse-Turner, two RDP Psychology instructors, contributed to the workshop by displaying their research in their field of study. Bearden presented how the use of psychology can lead to positive youth development and promote resilience following childhood trauma while Prowse-Turner spoke on post-secondary students’ procrastination and self-efficacy in relation to Adverse Childhood Experiences. RDP students, Seyi A. Alabi and Jocelyn Wynnychuk, also showcased their applied research at the workshop. Alabi, a Social Work student, presented on turning challenges into opportunities

This past weekend at the Girls in Aviation event, Red Deer Polytechnic faculty, staff and alum were excited to showcase our STEM and aviation-related programs and applied research opportunities. The Girls in Aviation Alberta Day is a premier event dedicated to inspiring and empowering young women to explore careers in aviation and aerospace. This annual event brings together industry professionals, educational institutions and aviation enthusiasts from more than 30 Alberta organizations to provide a hands-on, immersive experience focused on exploring the world of aviation. The tradeshow aims to spark interest in aviation careers among girls and young women, providing them with the resources and connections necessary to pursue their dreams in this dynamic field. “Red Deer Polytechnic is committed to empowering the next generation of women to explore careers in aviation and STEM,” says Lindsay Engel, Vice President Academic and Student Experience. RDP’s booth was a hub of innovation and learning, designed to engage visitors with a variety of interactive and educational experiences. Some key features at the RDP booth included program demonstrations, an overview of the Polytechnic's Red Hot Science Program and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences. The VR experiences allowed visitors to experience aviation technology and STEM applications in

With a commitment to reconciliation through action, Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) will offer a range of Indigenous initiatives and events on campus leading up to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. On Monday, September 23, the Polytechnic’s Truth and Reconciliation Week (September 23-26) begins with an Indigenous Flag Raising Ceremony on main campus at 9 am. Then, the film nanekawâsis will provide attendees with a deeper insight into the life and work of nêhiyaw artist Dr. George Littlechild. Dr. Littlechild is an RDP alum and an honourary degree recipient of RDP’s 2024 Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies degree. The documentary will be shown in the Polytechnic’s Arts Centre at 10 am. “Throughout Truth and Reconciliation Week, RDP will provide a variety of immersive learning opportunities for students, employees and community members to advance their knowledge about Truth and Reconciliation,” says Lloyd Desjarlais, Dean, Indigenous Initiatives. “These initiatives will create opportunities for the RDP community to gather together and collectively acknowledge Truth and Reconciliation and continue to progress on the journey of respect and understanding.” Some of the other opportunities available at RDP during Truth and Reconciliation Week include Story Sharing sessions and Arts and Crafts

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) has advanced its commitment to global engagement by entering into partnership agreements with two German post-secondary institutions. In conjunction with a major International Education Conference held in Toulouse, France, Red Deer Polytechnic leaders formalized partnerships that will offer new international opportunities for students and faculty. Alberta’s Advanced Education Minister, the Hon. Rajan Sawhney was in attendance to celebrate these new agreements. In 2022, RDP initiated a Student Exchange Agreement with German university, Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF), for students enrolled in RDP’s Bachelor of Education program. A new Letter of Intent expands the availability of the exchange opportunity to eligible students in all programs and commits RDP and EUF to developing a cooperative Guest Lecture Series. The Letter of Intent also states that the two institutions will create Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects. Through the COIL projects, faculty at RDP and EUF will teach the same course -- or a specific project within a course -- to students from both institutions. This will create opportunities for RDP students to gain an international experience without having to leave the country. The second agreement is a Memorandum of Understanding with Hochschule Bielefeld, University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSBI)

Today experts in applied research across Alberta convened for the second annual Alberta Corridor Technical Symposium, titled Research Matters: Empowering Alberta Through Innovative Solutions. This event organized by the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) brings together students and applied researchers from colleges and polytechnics across Alberta to present their cutting-edge, industry and community facing applied research projects. With the aim of creating innovative solutions to support Alberta’s diverse economy, the research projects explored a wide range of topics including medical device innovation and assistive technology for long-term care patients. Students also had a chance to showcase their research, providing essential capacity and industry partnerships that fuel a thriving economy. Students from all three post-secondaries exhibited their research findings on topics such as parasport equipment design and energy innovation. “Alberta’s polytechnics are at the forefront of applied research, providing essential capacity and industry partnerships that fuel a thriving economy,” says Dr. Tonya Wolfe, Associate Vice President, Applied Research, RDP. “Red Deer Polytechnic, a leader in advanced manufacturing, sustainable energy and social and healthcare innovation, is proud to collaborate with SAIT and NAIT to showcase the groundbreaking research shaping

Ben Rainforth, a Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) welding journeyperson, can add WorldSkills bronze medalist to his resume. Lacombe’s Rainforth demonstrated his world class welding knowledge and skills, ranking third among his peers at the 47th WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France. Only Sanghyeok Lee (gold) from Korea and Zehong Hu (silver) from China placed ahead of Rainforth in welding at the prestigious event which took place from September 10 to 15. “I want to congratulate Ben and Lee. To place third in the world is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to Ben's dedication,” says David Pye, Dean, School of Trades and Technology at RDP. “Along with numerous hours Ben trained for WorldSkills, his path to success was supported by his trainer Lee Yasinski, RDP faculty and staff, industry partners and members of our communities.” Rainforth trained diligently for WorldSkills. Along with working as a journeyperson, Rainforth dedicated approximately 40 hours per week to prepare for the global competition. “We are extremely proud of Ben earning a bronze medal at WorldSkills,” says Stuart Cullum, President, Red Deer Polytechnic. “This not only reflects the dedication and hard work from Ben and his Skills Coach Lee, but also the world class skilled trades

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) has been awarded a $3.25 million Mobilize grant, the largest one-time applied research grant in the institution’s 60-year history. The Mobilize grant provided to RDP by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) will enable Red Deer Polytechnic to leverage data-driven solutions to foster regional innovation and prosperity across RDP’s applied research pillars: Manufacturing & Advanced Manufacturing, Energy Innovation, Healthcare & Health Technology and Social Innovation. “Data-driven innovation will be a cross-cutting applied research theme, enhancing synergies across the existing applied research pillars and positioning Red Deer Polytechnic and our students at the forefront of digital transformation to increase regional productivity and enhance social innovation,” explains Dr. Tonya Wolfe, Associate Vice President, Applied Research. “Over the next five years, our data-driven strategy will result in cutting-edge interdisciplinary applied research and the adoption of digital technologies by multisectoral organizations with direct benefits to regional prosperity, including improved regional productivity, revenue generation, and job creation.” The grant’s flexibility will allow the Polytechnic to enhance the use of data to support applied research with resources where they are most needed. As examples, the Mobilize grant will permit RDP to develop and improve health care devices and

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) has recognized 11 outstanding faculty and staff who have made impactful contributions in serving students, the institution and communities throughout the past year. The awards were presented at the annual RDP Awards of Excellence event held August 28 on RDP’s main campus. “We are proud of our faculty and staff who consistently demonstrate excellence in their roles. The Awards of Excellence celebrate the dedication, expertise and innovation that our team embodies every day,” says Cristal Glass-Painchaud, Chief Human Resources Officer and Executive Director of People and Culture at RDP. “This year’s recipients have set a remarkable standard, inspiring us all to strive for greatness in service, teaching, leadership and collaboration. We are honoured to celebrate their achievements and are grateful for their unwavering commitment to advancing education and fostering a vibrant learning environment at RDP." This year, there were 34 nominations. Faculty and staff were nominated by colleagues and students for demonstrating excellence in innovation, leadership, service and teaching. Support staff were recognized in two categories – the Grace Taylor Memorial Award of Excellence and Vicki Mix Administrative Excellence Award. The Grace Taylor Memorial Award of Excellence is awarded to support staff who embody competence, humour

Red Deer Polytechnic’s 60th Anniversary Golf Classic proved to be a hole-in-one, bringing together community members, staff, and partners for a day of camaraderie, competition, and charity. Held at the picturesque Red Deer Golf and Country Club on August 26, 2024, ideal weather conditions set the stage for a day filled with activities that appealed to golfers of all skill levels. The day kicked off with a breakfast courtesy of FortisAlberta, followed by opening remarks that established an upbeat atmosphere for the event. Participants eagerly awaited the shotgun start, which launched the Texas Scramble format, offering a fun and inclusive experience for all. As golfers made their way through the course, they encountered unique challenges and entertainment at various holes. One highlight was the “Hockey Putt Playoff” on Hole 2, where participants used a hockey stick to sink their putt, vying for a special prize. The excitement continued on Hole 15, where players had a thrilling opportunity to win a $35,000 cash prize for the first hole-in-one, sponsored by Beyond Insurance. Excitement carried on throughout the day with engaging activities like the "Closest to the Pin" challenge on Hole 17, where golfers competed against RDP President Stuart Cullum for a

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) will recognize employees who have made extraordinary contributions serving students, the institution and communities over the past year at the 2024 Awards of Excellence.   The Awards of Excellence are given annually as formal recognition for remarkable contributions from faculty and staff that extend beyond their job requirements. These contributions may be through innovation, leadership, excellence in service or teaching, and make a positive impact at the institution, in communities or in their profession.   This year, there were 34 RDP nominations in six categories:   Innovation Jennifer Dornstauder, Engineering Technical Lead, has consistently explored creative ways to enhance manufacturing designs in RDP’s Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing-Technology Access Centre (CIM-TAC). In addition to being a role model to students, she has helped to enrich the teaching, learning and applied research opportunities at the Polytechnic. As a respected Design and Fabrication Lab Technician, Blair Foster has helped to create enhanced prototypes in the CIM-TAC, advancing the Polytechnic’s applied research and manufacturing capacity. His expertise, positive demeanour and ability to teach have provided valuable mentorship to students and colleagues, enhancing innovation and opportunities at RDP. Leanne LaBrash, Training Development Lead, has explored the development of new programs in RDP’s Continuing