Academic and student experience
NSCC provides our students with industry-driven training that sets them up for success and strengthens Nova Scotia’s economy.
Through the Covid-19 pandemic, it has become evident how sustainable development issues can alter industry operations and economic structures. Embedding education for sustainability development (ESD) and sustainable literacy into student learning profiles better prepares them for resilient careers. It also enables systemic changes in our societies that will address the most pressing social and environmental issues.
As a result, the Sustainability Team has been working alongside stakeholders throughout the College to make educational resources for sustainable development available. In partnership with the Centre for Teaching and Learning, the Sustainability team is developing a number of SDG Resources including the NSCC SDG Subject Guide and the NSCC Sustainability Hub (log-in required).
The NSCC Sustainability Hub acts as a central resource for students and staff, convening learning materials, workshop guides and events. The Sustainability team is continuing to work towards creating an SDG Curriculum Toolkit. The toolkit will make an assortment of SDG resources available to faculty that will support their professional development and the integration of sustainable development education into their courses. The SDG Curriculum toolkit will focus on building faculty capacity to integrate ESD in a wide range of NSCC programs.
Goals for 2022/23
- Launch an educational SDG campaign across the college
- Continue to work collaboratively with college stakeholders to align academic portfolios with sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Recap of 2021/22
- New educational resources for Sustainable Development were developed
- Student opportunities for Co-curricular programming relaunched after COVID
The College strives to deliver state-of-the-art education by integrating innovative teaching aid such as simulators and hands-on learning tools. By doing this the College is able to provide access to quality education that prepared students for industry-leading technology.
NSCC’s Coastal Protection Environmental Technologies program is a first-of-its-kind program offered at the Strait Area Campus. This program blends technical skills with indigenous two-eyed seeing principles (etuaptmumk) for a holistic approach to managing coastal environments.
Co-Curricular
Co-curricular undertakings like innovative competitions, workshops, guest speakers, conferences and campus events have motivated learners to contemplate sustainability and their entrepreneurial aspirations. These opportunities are integral to the NSCC student experience, allowing students to engage in curricular experiences that meet specific course outcomes while speaking directly to opportunity recognition and idea generation. Over the past academic year, students have engaged in a multitude of co-curricular entrepreneurial activities supporting their education in sustainable development such as Enactus and Challenge NS.
Ivany, Akerley and IT campuses all have honeybee apiaries. Students are welcome to get involved; at IT, the honey is sold to support student food security.
Enactus at NSCC
Enactus students turn problems into opportunities with transformational projects. Enactus NSCC had great success this past year with two of our Enactus teams competing in Enactus Nationals. All Enactus teams work with the SDG framework and collaborate a great deal within their local communities. Many of their projects focus on SDG 2: Zero Hunger, as this is an issue plaguing many Nova Scotians.
One of these projects is Planting Roots, a social enterprise which sells raised garden beds that are made using local reclaimed wood. Using a sell-one donate-one model, the donated garden beds provide a food security solution for communities in need. This project has taken 400 volunteer hours, employed and empowered 10 local youth and has diverted 1570 kgs of CO2.
Enactus in action
Challenge NS is a 12-hour competition where students are challenged to work through a current social issue facing Nova Scotia. In 2021, after facing multiple waves of the pandemic, many local businesses were struggling. Premier Tim Houston and NSCC President Don Bureaux had this in mind when posing this year’s question. They asked students to present a solution which would support local businesses, stimulating economic growth. More than 200 NSCC students took part in the competition, understanding the role of local businesses in ensuring our communities across the province are resilient and sustainable. The winning team proposed a vibrant online space featuring local businesses, where users can filter their search based on their unique needs, such as accessibility or dietary requirements. Users of this space will also be presented the opportunity to donate to local grant funds of their choice which support future entrepreneurs.
NSCC International
NSCC International provides leadership for international learning at NSCC, towards the vision of students and employees having a strengthened global world view through experiential learning opportunities at home and abroad, and creating welcoming communities for immigrants. Focus areas of work include externally funded technical assistance programs with partner colleges and institutions around the world, programs to enhance immigrant and international student experience, and global skills opportunities. Through these programs, NSCC engages local, international and immigrant students in a multitude of co-curricular activities in which they gain valuable global employability skills.
NSCC International co-curricular activities take many forms, including the International Student Ambassadors (ISA) program, and Global Skills Opportunities. Whether at home or abroad, virtual or in-person, these are opportunities for students to gain skills in global citizenship, appreciation for cultural diversity and culture’s contribution to sustainable development.
Global Skills Opportunities
In 2022 NSCC International was able to restart in-person study abroad programs with funding support from the Government of Canada/Colleges and Institutes Canada “Global Skills Opportunities” program.
Global Skills Opportunities Facts
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