Day camp for kids raises awareness
July 21, 2010
Aboriginal children from Port Hardy, Nanaimo, Chemainus and Comox are getting a taste of university life this week. Vancouver Island University is hosting its first summer camp for Aboriginal children in partnership with Snuneymuxw First Nation, TD Bank and TD Friends of the Environment. Faculty and students from a variety of VIU departments strived to make the camp interesting, informative... Read more
$50,000 grant for climate change awareness group
July 17, 2010
Vancouver Island University students and graduates will step up their efforts this fall to educate others about the science of climate change. That’s because the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada has awarded the Awareness of Climate Change through Education and Research (ACER) group a $50,000 PromoScience grant over three years to help promote scientific literacy, and... Read more
Baking grad places among top five in Canada
July 17, 2010
Vancouver Island University baking student Kristina Dyrblom, 26, placed fifth in Canada in the national post-secondary Skills Canada competition held recently in Waterloo, Ontario. “The national competition was tough, intense and exciting,” said Dyrblom. Dyrblom earned the right to compete nationally after winning gold in the provincial Skills Canada competition last April. It was her first... Read more
Student faces few financial worries thanks to scholarship
July 16, 2010
Clayton Cameron will start the academic year at Vancouver Island University with few financial worries. That’s because the 18-year-old Grade 12 graduate won a full tuition entrance scholarship. Cameron is one of four students to receive a Chancellor’s Entrance Scholarship for Aboriginal Students. A Metis First Nations student from Nanaimo, Cameron will receive approximately $3,500 per year for... Read more
MBA students give back to community through Silly Boat Regatta
July 14, 2010
Students enrolled in Vancouver Island University’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program will act silly this weekend while raising funds for charity. MBA students will utilize their leadership and management abilities during the annual Silly Boat Regatta on Sunday, July 18 at Maffeo Sutton Park in Nanaimo to raise money for the Child Development Centre (CDC). This year, MBA students... Read more
GrandKids University proves popular
July 10, 2010
Ice cream treats were handed out along with diplomas for 77 participants in a popular program for grandparents and their grandchildren at Vancouver Island University. GrandKids University ran for two days at the Nanaimo campus of VIU. Participants earned their diplomas through hands-on learning experiences in Field Biology, Anthropology, Fisheries & Aquaculture and Earth Sciences. Many... Read more
Teacher returns to school at VIU
July 7, 2010
Life-long learning keeps a person young in heart, mind and spirit. So says Barbara McLaughlin, Vancouver Island University’s first recipient of a Governor General’s Gold Medal for academic achievement. McLaughlin graduated recently from VIU’s Master of Education in Educational Leadership degree program with a perfect grade point average of 10. “I can’t say enough about the program, the faculty... Read more
President’s scholarships give VIU students head start
July 7, 2010
Some of the brightest minds among high school graduates from Port Hardy to Duncan will be attending Vancouver Island University this fall. Twelve top students from Vancouver Island high schools have accepted President’s Entrance Scholarships to VIU in Nanaimo, along with four Aboriginal top scholars and seven scholar athletes. The suite of entrance awards are offered to top scholars from each... Read more
Budding artists learn new skills at VIU
June 29, 2010
Vancouver Island University Education professor Heather Pastro is doing her part to teach and support budding artists. A grade five/six class from McGirr Elementary School recently visited Pastro’s classroom at VIU to learn about Gyotaku, an ancient form of Japanese printmaking. “It was discovered when fishermen came back with their catch,” explained Pastro. “Fish were weighed on scales, and... Read more
Automotive Service Technician grad puts her skills to work
June 25, 2010
In high school, a career in trades was the farthest thing from Zabrina Peters’ mind. But five years later, much to her surprise, she’s a certified Automotive Service Technician working for Tim’s Automotive in Nanaimo. “I love working with vehicles,” she says. “It’s a great career and I’m good at it.” Peters was among 250 graduates from Vancouver Island University’s Trades and Applied... Read more