Georgian reflects on one year since pandemic pivot
March 12, 2021
A year ago, our world changed
March 13 marks one year since we announced, due to concerns related to the spread of COVID-19 and the World Health Organization pandemic declaration, all in-person classes would be suspended for one week while we took time to retool our programs to move to remote delivery.
Since then, our students, graduates and employees have demonstrated exceptional resilience and innovation. We continue to get through this ― together.
“In many ways, this experience quickly became the ultimate lesson in the classroom of life: things don’t always go as planned. What matters is how we respond and the mindset we choose to adopt.”—Dr. MaryLynn West-Moynes, President and CEO
Message from our president
What’s one lesson you learned this year?
The value of self-care? How important it is to stay connected? Share your lesson on social media and tag @georgiancollege.
Ways we gave back
We’re proud to be connected – to our communities and each other – and during this challenging time those connections have become stronger than ever. Here are a just a few ways Team Georgian gave back this year.
Georgian donated critical supplies and used the skills of our Research and Innovation team to manufacture temporary face shields.
Our students also collaborated with Orillia-based Kubota Materials Canada Corporation. The company put its two 3D printers to use to produce and supply parts for masks and face shields.
Georgian donated hospital beds from its Health and Wellness Clinics to the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, one of our key community partners located next door to our Barrie Campus.
Students in the Georgian Enactus club connected with seniors in long-term care homes through an innovative project called Stories for Seniors.
The students delivered special video stories and team member Dawn Boonstra gave each senior a handmade crocheted blanket in their favourite colours ― and with their name on it!
Georgian has a green thumb! Food grown in the Barrie Campus Community Garden was distributed to a few local charities such as the Elizabeth Fry Society Simcoe Muskoka, The Salvation Army Barrie Bayside Mission Centre and to Georgian’s Food Locker, our on-campus student food bank.
Georgian’s Continuing Education and Corporate Training department offered free podcasts and webinars to support individuals and businesses in our community throughout these challenging times.
Ways we were there for our students
What makes Georgian so great is our people! Our team of dedicated faculty and staff are here for our students every step of the way with high-quality learning experiences, connections to industry, career advice, tutoring, personal and academic counselling, technical help, financial assistance, and so much more. This year was no exception.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a challenging and unique environment for postsecondary students in Ontario who’ve had to navigate uncharted waters of social isolation, financial pressure, and the move to remote program and service delivery.
Recognizing this, Georgian developed a $1-million COVID-19 Hardship Bursary to help ease the financial burden our students are experiencing as a result of the pandemic.
The bursary provides assistance to registered domestic and international students with demonstrated financial need and was made possible due to college funding, and generous contributions from Georgian donors, including employees, alumni and friends.
The Georgian College Students’ Association at the Barrie Campus also made a significant contribution to support their members during these difficult times.
Students can learn more about the bursary on the portal. Applications will be accepted once again for the summer semester.
We want students to succeed. Rest assured, we’ve got their back – so much so that if they choose to withdraw from their program by a certain date each semester, we’ll apply their tuition fees to the first semester when they return. All they have to do is reapply and be accepted.
We got through this year by taking care of ourselves and each other.
Georgian launched a holistic mental health and well-being strategy as well as online facilitated mindfulness sessions.
We also shared tons of tips. Here’s our most popular post.
Yes, there was lots of fun to be had – even remotely. We included something for everyone – from eSports and eGaming, to fitness challenges, paint and talent nights.
No student should go hungry. The Georgian Food Locker, our on-campus food bank, is managed and run by the Georgian College Students’ Association.
Student leaders work to ensure their peers who require food assistance are provided with temporary relief. But the program extends far beyond groceries. There’s an educational component that promotes food literacy skills and understanding the barriers to food security.
Over a very short period of time before the holidays in December, employees and our partners generously raised $7,650 along with boxes full of physical donations.
Our Georgian community is full of unique perspectives, and we’re sharing a different one each week.
Check out inspiring features on people like Indigenous Elder Ernestine Baldwin, alumna Lala Kelsy-Braide, our VP Human Resources David Coward, or Georgian student Frankie Von Dahlen-Klaus.
Ways we innovated
COVID-19 made it increasingly difficult for students to complete in-person co-op work placements. In response, Georgian piloted an innovation co-op, which allowed students from all disciplines to work together on products or services for industry partners or community needs with the help of faculty mentors.
We had to find new ways to connect with each other, and creative ways for our students to complete learning required to graduate. Here are two great examples:
Twenty-one graduating students from the Communicative Disorders Assistant program took a unique approach to their final clinical requirements this summer, offering virtual care to their clients through Webex appointments, rather than in-person therapy. Read the story.
Georgian’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing students gained a special clinical experience using telehealth with older adult volunteers in the North Simcoe Muskoka region.
Lisette Verzijlenberg was one of the students who completed clinical hours in the pilot project: “It was a great experience and the perfect solution to enable us to acquire critical skills in an alternate format during the pandemic.” Learn more.
Georgian launched a number of new programs:
> RapidSkills microcredentials to support the auto and manufacturing sectors
>Two programs addressing the critical skills gap in advanced technologies
Magna – a Canadian mobility tech company with comprehensive global presence – made a $1 million investment in Georgian to help bridge the skills gap, drive change in the field of mechatronics, and prepare students for industry 4.0 opportunities.
The five-year, multi-faceted agreement will lead to the creation of a new, state-of-the-art facility and new scholarship opportunities for both future and current Georgian students. The partnership also includes exploration of innovative research and development opportunities, programming around co-op and post-graduate employment, and exciting new collaborations in the area of corporate training and recruitment.
Georgian received a $33,476 grant through the Canada Foundation for Innovation. The funding covers projects that address the urgent need for equipment for ongoing research related to COVID-19.
Led by Eli Kane, a professor in Georgian’s Big Data Analytics program, the project is a collaboration between the college and 360 Technology and Innovation Group Inc. (360 Technology) to develop a state-of-the-art mobile COVID-19 screening station that builds on 360 Technology’s existing COVID-19 monitoring platform. Learn more.
Georgian is also using $150,000 in applied research grants in partnership with Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care for two projects that aim to benefit health-care workers.
The funding comes from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada special College and Community Innovation Program – Applied Research Rapid Response to COVID-19 fund. All projects are intended to address topics of immediate relevance to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Georgian and Waypoint identified two project ideas – one focused on health-care workers in the return-to-work period, and the other on an online mindfulness training program for health-care professionals. Get the full scoop and learn about outcomes from the first project.
In November 2020, Georgian launched a bold strategy aimed at providing the best student experience by developing and implementing innovative methods of academic delivery and leveraging technology to provide exceptional service throughout the student journey.
Through this multi-phase, multi-year project, Georgian intends to enhance digital learning resources and student services to position the college for success during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is our chance to deliver big: our opportunity to build on our brand of offering MORE to our students, graduates, employers and communities.
The business community has been hit hard. Our Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre has been there to offer support.
Initiatives included:
> A Coffee Talk series every Monday morning, where companies connected with our business mentors and each other live online
>The creation of a business hub to make it easier for local companies to find quality information and resources
Talk to Georgian live chats covered everything from student services and financial aid, to changemaking and what to expect if on campus completing required learning outcomes. On average, each live chat got about 2,000 views across social media.
We still wanted to connect, for people to experience Georgian, and to celebrate various achievements.
We had record attendance at our Virtual Open House, and held a virtual celebration for our graduates as well as convocation.
“The past year has been strange and challenging for all of us, so we wanted to do something fun and unique for some of our newest Georgian Grizzlies by delivering their acceptance offers by drone,” says Cindy Mutchler, Georgian’s Registrar. “We chose three applicants to our new Mechatronics program and delivered the special packages to their doorsteps – to brighten their day, and help create the first of many unforgettable experiences at Georgian.”
Marco D’Agnillo of Orillia, Ryan Little of Gilford, and Daniel Podgorny of Newmarket all applied to Georgian’s new Electromechanical Engineering Technology – Mechatronics three-year diploma program, which starts this fall.
Marco was happy to receive his Georgian acceptance offer – and especially via drone. “I love technology and futuristic kind of stuff, and I’m super pumped about using robots at Georgian,” he says. “I know Georgian also has a good reputation and it’s local.”
Thank you
Heartfelt appreciation to our community, industry and government partners, and our generous donors, for continuing to support Georgian and our students. We couldn’t do this without you.
One of the biggest lessons we learned this year was that a pandemic doesn’t stop the need for education or skilled workers and professionals; it heightens it!
Now, more than ever, we need Georgian grads.
“Georgian graduates will be the resilient leaders who define and influence a better future for us all. These changemakers offer our world immense hope – hope for a more just society, hope for creating flourishing businesses and workplaces, hope for a stronger, safer, and healthier planet. I’m confident of this because I’ve seen firsthand what Georgian students are capable of during this pandemic.” – Dr. MaryLynn West-Moynes, President and CEO
The Georgian flag has been lowered at all campuses in remembrance of those who lost their lives due to COVID-19. Our hearts go out to their family, friends and other loved ones. We recognize many members of our Georgian community are experiencing grief due to the pandemic and losses of other kinds. If you wish to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Free and confidential counselling is available to all students and employees can access the Employee and Family Assistance Program.