Loyalist College Bancroft Team Earns Provincial Award for Innovative Program Delivery
For the tenth time in as many years, Loyalist College has earned a provincial Conny Award in recognition of its innovative Continuing Education programming.
The 2011 Conny Award for Adult Education Strategies for Success was presented to Program Development Officer Marilyn Plunkett and her team from the Bancroft Campus. The provincial award recognizes their unique approach to successfully delivering learning opportunities to aboriginal and remote communities. Through developing strategic partnerships with these communities, Loyalist offered off-site programs including Personal Support Worker, Practical Nursing, Educational Assistant, Social Service Worker, Hospitality Fundamentals and Cultural Wilderness.
In 2005 Marilyn Plunkett worked with partners at Beausoleil First Nation to deliver the Practical Nursing program on Christian Island. The success of this initiative led Marilyn and her team to develop additional program delivery in Rama, Tyendinaga, Curve Lake, Barry’s Bay, Tweed, Campbellford, Picton and Napanee.
Loyalist Professor Mark Gallupe, Coordinator of the Social Service Worker (SSW) program, worked with Marilyn Plunkett on this project. “I’m immensely impressed with Marilyn’s understanding of the needs and challenges faced by adult learners – and by her desire to find a way to reach out to them. She has provided valuable support and expertise in this unique design and delivery of the SSW program to ensure that it meets the distinctive needs and circumstances of these learners.”
“New partnerships were made in each area and the ‘community’ in community college was demonstrated time and again,” said Kim Sutherland, Campus Manager in Bancroft. “By listening respectfully, and working with our partners, Marilyn and her team made it possible for the students to maintain a balance between their home lives and studies, completing post-secondary programs without having to leave family, friends and responsibilities behind.”
“We are very proud of our outstanding Continuing Education operation,” said College President Maureen Piercy, adding, “Our CE courses, programs, staff and teachers consistently rank at the top of our category in quality of programming and excellence of service to students in provincial evaluations. Our Bancroft Campus is an important part of our College and it is great to see campus programming and staff recognized in this way. ”
“The Conny Awards are like the Oscars of Continuing Education,” said Trudie Lake, Manager of Continuing Education. “The competition is very stiff, particularly in the programming area. This award is significant and acknowledges our continuing tradition of excellence. It is determined by the provincial Continuing Education organization, and includes submissions from all Ontario colleges. It is an honour for Loyalist, and our Bancroft Campus, to be recognized in this way.”
Media Contact: Marilyn Warren, Communications, Loyalist College (613) 969-1913, ext. 2332, email: mwarren@loyalistc.on.ca or Trudie Lake, Manager of Continuing Education, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2408