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At an event earlier today, Red Deer Polytechnic celebrated its national and international recognition for the sustainability of its Studio Residence building. Since 2019, the Polytechnic’s newest Residence building has received or contributed to RDP being honoured with five sustainability awards. This recognition includes the 2019 Canadian Wood Council Award , 2020 Prairie Wood Design Award : Industry Award of Excellence, 2021 Canada’s Clean 50 Top Project ( www.clean50.com ) and 2022 Canadian Green Building Award : Residence Large. The Studio Residence building was a contributor to RDP earning Colleges and Institutes Canada's (CICan) 2023 Excellence in Sustainable Development silver . The facility was also named a 2021/2022 International Union of Architects 2030 Award Finalist . “At Red Deer Polytechnic, our Studio Residence building employs globally recognized sustainable technologies and contributes to our institution’s larger Alternative Energy Initiative,” says Jim Brinkhurst, Vice President, Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer of Red Deer Polytechnic. “While this innovative facility provides a modern living and social space for RDP’s learners, it also creates education and applied research opportunities for students to gather and analyze data about solar generation in the Alternative Energy Lab.” The five-story building, which features 145 studio suites, including

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) Apprentices continue to demonstrate their industry-leading knowledge and skills on the provincial stage. RDP Apprentices earned five medals, including two gold, two silver and one bronze, at the Skills Canada Alberta Competition, which was held at the Edmonton Expo Centre May 3-4. Jared Quast (Sprinkler Systems Installer) and Ben Rainforth (Welding) were the top achievers from the Polytechnic, both winning gold medals. Quast and Rainforth will represent Red Deer Polytechnic and Team Alberta at the Skills Canada National Competition , which will take place in Winnipeg May 25-26. Jared Gamble (Plumbing) and Joseph Saunderson (Sprinkler Systems Installer) won silver in their respective trades. Ryley Bakken (Steamfitter/Pipefitter) earned bronze. “These recent achievements reinforce the high-quality experiences available to apprentices at Red Deer Polytechnic and throughout the region,” says Joel Gingrich, Dean of School of Education and Trades. “Along with receiving enhanced education, training and support from RDP instructors, Skills Coaches and technicians, our apprentices receive industry-relevant opportunities from our region’s employers. This support and collaboration prepare our apprentices to excel in their fields.” RDP Apprentices have built a legacy of excellence on the provincial and national stages. Since 2003, Red Deer Polytechnic Apprentices have earned 78 medals

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) and the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce are partnering with Mount Royal University's Growth Catalyst program to create a first-of-its-kind business accelerator for central Alberta. Designed for enterprises with $2 to $100 million in sales, Growth Catalyst is a scale-up accelerator program, not for start-ups. The program is based on the research of MRU Professor Simon Raby, Ph.D. and his team, who identified gaps for serving small to medium-sized businesses that still have exponential growth potential. Growth Catalyst's hybrid model combines in-person learning with real-time coaching and implementation, supported by a variety of highly regarded local experts. This program allows companies to reimagine, rediscover and realize new growth opportunities over seven months. With a commitment to serving all of Alberta, the program’s fourth cohort will focus on central Alberta, from Rocky Mountain House to Ester, and operating from RDP. Businesses are invited to apply now for a September start. Designed for a team of up to four people, this is a highly subsidized (but not free) indisputably valuable accelerator that is helping drive the Alberta business economy. Interested companies are encouraged to visit the Growth Catalyst website or join an upcoming Chamber lunch and

Red Deer Polytechnic is pleased to announce the appointment of Blayne Meek as Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “I am delighted to welcome Ms. Meek to the Red Deer Polytechnic leadership team,” comments Patrick Machacek, Vice President, Development and Partnerships. “Blayne brings extensive marketing and brand development experience to RDP and will provide exceptional leadership to her team and the Polytechnic as we strive to grow and enhance our profile at a provincial, national and international level.” Among her areas of expertise are brand development, traditional and digital marketing, strategic communications and change management in the post-secondary, public and private sectors. Most recently, she worked as Director of Marketing and Communications at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology where she played an integral role in evolving the brand of the institution into a national leader in agriculture technology education and applied research. “I am thrilled to join the Red Deer Polytechnic team,” comments Ms. Meek. "RDP is an institution with strong regional roots and global impact. I’m looking forward to working with the team to continue our brand evolution through compelling content creation that tells the story of our students, employees and partners.” Ms. Meek began her new

Educators focused on ensuring rich career path-way experiences for K-12 students are applauding the provincial government’s investment into a multi-partner Central Alberta Collegiate Institute (CACI) programming model. Currently, the CACI partnership involves Chinook’s Edge, Red Deer Public, Red Deer Catholic and Wolf Creek school divisions, along with Red Deer Polytechnic, Olds College of Agriculture & Technology, and CAREERS: The Next Generation with plans to involve additional Central Alberta school divisions as programming and facility is established. The partnership has received an announcement from Alberta Education that it has been granted collegiate status, and that the partnership will receive $8.7 million in funding for the first stage of CACI, beginning in the 2023-24 school year. The provincial criteria for approval included: partnership agreements, the need for specialized programming, the strength of post-secondary pathways, experiential learning opportunities, and cost-effectiveness. “This is a collaborative partnership of school divisions and post-secondaries, which has been forging strong links between high school students and their career connections for over a decade,” says Kurt Sacher, Superintendent, Chinook’s Edge School Division. Sacher says, “Our history of success with career programming shows that when high school students have a deeper experience with a career pathway, they are more likely

Thousands of post-secondary leaders from around the globe gathered in Montreal, QC this week at the World Congress hosted by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP). A team from Red Deer Polytechnic was in attendance to receive three CICan Awards of Excellence in Indigenous Education (Gold), Sustainable Development (Silver), and Student Leadership (Bronze). In addition, Red Deer Polytechnic received international honours with a silver WFCP Award in Indigenous Education Excellence. “These awards recognize the strong programs and talented people that makeup RDP,” says Stuart Cullum, President of Red Deer Polytechnic. “The awards for Indigenous Education, sustainability and student leadership, reflect the impact RDP delivers for our communities -- regionally and globally -- and position us well for the future.” Red Deer Polytechnic was named the gold recipient of the CICan Indigenous Education Excellence Award for its commitment to reconciliation, respect of Indigenous cultural traditions, and creation of supportive learning environments. RDP is among 71 post-secondary institutions that are signatories to CICan’s Indigenous Education Protocol , which affirms its responsibility to Indigenous Education. In addition, Red Deer Polytechnic received silver for an international WFCP Award in Indigenous Education Excellence. This award recognizes actions

Red Deer Polytechnic will once again be celebrating its graduates on the main campus this June. This year is the institution’s 59th Convocation and also the second at Red Deer Polytechnic. “Convocation is one of the most important days in the Academic Year when we gather as a community to honour the achievements of our students and commemorate this important step in their lives,” says Dr. Paulette Hanna, Interim Vice President, Academic. “Our faculty and staff are so proud of what our students have accomplished, and we look forward to celebrating with our graduates and their families again this year.” Convocation 2023 Friday, June 2 Fas Gas – On The Run Gymnasium, Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre (see map) There will be a morning (9:30 am) and an afternoon (2:00 pm) ceremony. Students must apply to graduate and register to attend the Convocation Ceremonies.

The Market@Red Deer is very happy to announce its new home at Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP). The 52-year-old Farmers’ Market will be held at Red Deer Polytechnic’s main campus from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm every Saturday from May 20 to October 7. “We are so excited to have RDP as our new home. Along with the location and space for vendors and customers, there are some great opportunities to explore with RDP that may not have shown themselves at our last location,” says Patrick Moffat, Co-Manager of the Market@ Red Deer. “We really believe this is a good fit and a great location.” The new site will give the Market a larger footprint with up to 320 stalls and room for growth if needed. This does not include the plenty of nearby customer parking stalls, including accessible stalls. “We are excited to welcome vendors and visitors to Red Deer Polytechnic’s main campus for the Red Deer Public Market in the weeks and months ahead,” says Patrick Machacek, Vice President of Development and Partnerships at Red Deer Polytechnic. “This is an example of how RDP is deepening our community partnerships and supporting central Alberta’s entrepreneurs. Markets like this are incubators

Red Deer Polytechnic is preparing to welcome youth and adult participants on campus this summer for a variety of popular returning camps and some exciting new ones. Beginning in July, youth from across the province will be able to participate in Summer Adventures Camps, which include Day Camps and Overnight Camps, expanding their knowledge, skills, and connections in a supportive environment. “We are excited to continue the long-standing tradition of offering dynamic camps and workshops to youth of many ages at Red Deer Polytechnic during the summer months,” says Dr. Maureen Toews, Associate Vice President, Teaching, Learning and Research. “With camps in science, cooking, music, fine arts, and sports, youth will be able to develop their talents in an area of interest while connecting with their peers and creating memorable experiences.” The Polytechnic will offer an array of day camps that will entertain and educate students of different ages, interests, and abilities. Youth can enroll in camps that include Arts, Crafts, Superheroes, Babysitting, Dance, Junior Chefs, Wizard Academy, Science, Technology, and Sports. A new Esports Day Camp has been added this year for youth aged nine to 18 at RDP’s Downtown Campus. With beginner and advanced camps, students will be

Red Deer Polytechnic is expanding its capacity to offer training opportunities in high-demand, industry-relevant programs starting in Fall 2023. New seats are being added with funding provided by the Government of Alberta’s Targeted Enrolment Expansion (TEE) Grant, which was announced in the recent provincial budget. Today, the provincial government confirmed RDP will receive more than $1.3 million to add 180 new seats in three programs over the next three years. With support from this grant, Red Deer Polytechnic will begin offering a new Medical Device Reprocessing Certificate through a curriculum-sharing partnership with Lethbridge College. The program will train students in central Alberta to safely clean and repurpose medical devices in hospital settings and in dental and veterinary clinics. This program will be offered for the first time at RDP in Fall 2023 with an initial intake of 20 seats, growing to 60 seats by 2025/2026. In addition, over the next three years, the Polytechnic will add 48 more seats to its existing Pharmacy Technician Diploma program and 72 new seats in the Administrative Professional Certificate program. “We thank the Government of Alberta for supporting Red Deer Polytechnic in delivering more applied learning opportunities for more students and for collaborating with

In conjunction with Campus Alberta Central, Red Deer Polytechnic will host two information sessions about its Health Care Aide Certificate and Practical Nurse Diploma programs in Drumheller. Tuesday, April 25, 2023 Health Care Aide Certificate presentation | 5 PM Practical Nurse Diploma presentation | 6 PM Drumheller Community Learning Society 250 Centre Street | Drumheller, AB “The Health Care Aide Certificate and Practical Nurse Diploma Information Sessions will provide prospective students the opportunity to connect with instructors and program developers, and to learn more about curriculum, program workload and career opportunities,” says Dana Davidson, Drumheller Community Learning Society Site Manager, Campus Alberta Central. “The ability to offer these programs in Drumheller helps learners in the region to conveniently achieve their career goals near the support of family and friends.” Health Care Aides are integral members of healthcare teams, providing expertise and front-line care to clients in several different healthcare settings. Throughout the eight-month Health Care Aide Certificate program, students will grow their competencies through online readings, lessons and assignments, and in-person labs and clinical placements. “The health care industry is seeing a significant demand for certified Health Care Aides right now,” explains Kalcy Dube, Program Coordinator for the Health Care

Today, Red Deer Polytechnic signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Trinidad and Tobago’s NESC Technical Institute and the University of Trinidad and Tobago ( UTT ) to grow opportunities in training, research and innovation. The new MoU expands on the 2015 agreement between the three institutions, which collaborated in the training, development and certification of workers in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. “Through this expanded collaboration, RDP’s strength in applied technical and trades education is making a difference on an international scale,” says Stuart Cullum, President of Red Deer Polytechnic, who signed the agreement in Trinidad and Tobago. “Our three institutions are committed to serving industry and training job-ready graduates, many of whom go on to work for companies with a presence in both our countries.” The MoU promotes the future of Technical and Vocational Educational Training in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean region. The enhanced agreement also advances knowledge and cultural exchange. As well, it increases opportunities for staff and student mobility between Trinidad and Tobago and Canada by working with both public and private organizations in relevant industries. As a polytechnic, RDP offers industry-relevant programming, training, and applied research opportunities that make an impact