Top good news stories of 2020
Dec. 23, 2020
Despite spending most of the year in a global pandemic, a lot of good happened at Georgian in 2020. Here are some of our favourites.
Nursing student and sister create mask prototype
Kayla Tomkins, a Practical Nursing student at Georgian, and her sister Amanda, an electrical and biomedical engineering student in the iBioMed program at McMaster University, create a mask prototype to fight against COVID-19.
Georgian community garden – successful harvest!
Close to 400 kgs. of potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, beets, herbs and cabbage were harvested from Georgian’s community garden. Food grown in the garden has been used in Georgian’s culinary labs and donated to local charities, including Georgian’s on-campus food bank, Georgian FoodLocker.
Georgian the first Ontario college to waive tuition for eligible learners from foster care
Georgian College becomes the first Ontario college to offer free tuition to learners in/from extended society care (foster care), with no age restriction. The funding will help improve access to postsecondary education and assist our students on their education journey.
Georgian loans hospital beds to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre
Georgian College loans 69 hospital beds, some with IV poles, from our Health and Wellness clinics at the Barrie Campus to our neighbour, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH), to help with the rising number of patient increases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pepper the robot makes its first appearance and gets a ONEcard
“Lil G”, one of our Pepper robots – the world’s first social humanoid robot able to recognize faces and basic human emotions – made its first appearance at Georgian’s Barrie Campus in the Welcome Centre and even got its very own ONEcard!
Georgian takes the lead in advanced technologies thanks to partnership with global innovator Magna International Inc.
Magna – a Canadian mobility tech company with comprehensive global presence – will make a $1 million investment in Georgian College to help bridge the skills gap, drive change in the field of mechatronics, and prepare students for industry 4.0 opportunities.
Georgian receives federal funding for pandemic research project
Georgian College and 51 other esteemed research institutions will receive close to $28 million in research infrastructure support through the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI). The funding will cover projects that address the urgent need for equipment for ongoing research related to COVID-19.
Georgian partners with International Language Academy of Canada
Georgian College enters into a partnership with International Language Academy of Canada (ILAC), one of the most awarded language schools in the world. This exciting partnership will allow Georgian to expand its presence and quality programs into Toronto.
Two new programs will address critical skills gap in advanced technologies
Georgian College is launching two new programs, Electromechanical Engineering Technology – Mechatronics and Building Automation and Systems Integration. The programs will help bridge the skills gap in these critical areas and prepare students for industry 4.0 opportunities.
Stand-alone nursing degrees at Ontario colleges will strengthen health-care training
Ross Romano, Minister of Colleges and Universities, visits Georgian’s Owen Sound Campus to announce a new nursing education policy that will give students more choice around accessing a high-quality education to pursue a rewarding career in registered nursing.
Georgian launches new AI graduate certificate
Georgian College’s new graduate certificate program, Artificial Intelligence – Architecture, Design and Implementation, will help prepare the next generation of graduates for careers in one of today’s fastest-growing transformational technologies. It starts January 2021 at the Barrie Campus.
Hairstyling program goes green
Georgian’s Hairstyling program uses approximately 4,664 pounds of tinfoil each year. Thanks to Green Circle Salon, a company that provides the world’s first – and North America’s only – sustainable salon solution to recover and repurpose beauty waste, the college can now recycle all of the hair studio’s waste and have it repurposed into useful materials.