Okanagan College

Thank you to all of the community volunteers and members of the OC community for all of your efforts. We wish everyone well! ❤️

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Two granite bear sculptures by Cree artist Stewart Steinhauer are adding more Indigenous stories and teachings to Okanagan College campuses in Kelowna and Penticton.

A bear mother and her cubs arrived at the College’s Kelowna campus this spring while a second sculpture featuring a single grizzly bear was installed this summer at the Penticton campus. The sculptures reflect stories and teachings informed by Steinhauer’s decades of living in Syilx territory.

Steinhauer, who is from Saddle Lake Cree Nation in northeastern Alberta’s Treaty 6 Territory, has longstanding ties to the Okanagan and a strong connection to trades and skilled work. He has been carving stone for more than 50 years, and his work appears in public and private collections around the world.

Students, employees and visitors are encouraged to visit the sculptures, located in front of the Trades Building at Okanagan College’s Kelowna campus and in front of the Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence at the Penticton campus.

Learn more about the sculptures and their stories here https://www.okanagancollege.ca/news/bear-sculptures-invite-learning-and-reflection-at-okanagan-college

This past spring, high school students in Penticton, Kelowna and Vernon hopped on a video call to learn what it's actually like to work as a physician, or a nurse, or in medical device processing.

It was a highlight of OC's Health Care Sampler program.

From February to June, Okanagan College welcomed high school students from Penticton, Kelowna and Vernon into an immersive introduction to careers in medicine, rehabilitation and wellness. They didn't just hear about career pathways like Pharmacy Technician, Therapy Assistant, Certified Dental Assistant and Licensed Practical Nurse — they explored them, mixing classroom learning with hands-on lab sessions every week.

But here's a key takeaway: health care isn't a solo act. It's a team sport. And the best way to teach that? Show, don't tell.

The OC Health Care Sampler team turned to our regional partner, Interior Health (IH), who showed up in a big way. Over a dozen employees from departments across the organization volunteered their time to host an online 'Career Carousel' night, walking students through real career pathways and answering the questions that textbooks can't.

The stories from the IH health care professionals — the honest, in-the-trenches kind — gave the students a genuine feel for what different careers in health care actually look like.

A huge thanks to everyone from IH who showed up in this way for the next generation of health care workers. We are grateful for your support and partnership.

Learn more about Okanagan College sampler programs at: https://www.okanagancollege.ca/OC-early-start

Interior Health

Looking forward to graduating this fall? Make sure to register for the October 17 graduation ceremony by September 1. 🍂🎓

Steps: Apply to graduate in myOkanagan, register for a ceremony.

Okanagan College is launching careers for Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (Mechanical) - join us! We are currently looking for Vocational Instructors - Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (M License). We have full time and on-call positions in this growing program.

This could be the right role for you if you hold a Canadian Aircraft Maintenance Engineer License (Maintenance “M1”/“M2” rating), and you want to contribute to excellence in your field, instructional and professional duties, professional development and service.

See full job details and apply here: https://jobs.lever.co/okanagan/e3e65b4e-2e41-42ea-9d80-608994ea3dae

To our valued Camp OC families in Penticton:
As the wildfire situation in our region continues to impact communities across the South Okanagan we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel Camp OC Penticton for the remainder of the summer (Aug. 12 – 14 and Aug. 17 - 21).

We understand that this news creates challenges for families who had planned to attend camp in the coming days and/or week. Decisions such as these are never made lightly, and the safety and well-being of our campers, staff and the broader community remain our highest priorities.
Full refunds will be processed for all cancelled camps. Families can expect refunds to be issued through the original payment method. If you have specific questions regarding your registration or refund, please contact our team at [email protected] .

CampOC Penticton is cancelled on Aug. 10 and until further notice.

All other Camp OC locations have not changed.

We apologize for the inconvenience. Parents with questions can contact the Camp OC team.

Feeling overwhelmed? You're not alone. At Okanagan College, you get free access to TalkCampus, a 24/7 online wellbeing community to connect anonymously with other students across the globe. Sign up with your student email address at talkcampus.com/sign-up

Please note that all Okanagan College campuses will be closed Monday, August 3, for the B.C. Day long weekend. ☀️

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, we have officially reached the $14 million fundraising goal for the Don Folk and Family Recreation and Wellness Centre!

This fall, students will have access to a competition-size gymnasium, fitness suite and weight room, elevated indoor walking track, flexible fitness studios and seating for more than 700 spectators. It was created to build healthy bodies and minds, and forge friendships through sport that will last a lifetime.

To every donor, partner, volunteer, alum, business and community member who believed in this vision, thank you. Your support is helping build healthier bodies, stronger minds and a brighter future for our students and our community.

This is what happens when a community comes together. ❤️

Learn more about the new Recreation and Wellness Centre here https://www.okanagancollege.ca/news/community-helps-okanagan-college-cross-14m-finish-line-for-recreation-and-wellness-centre