Whitehorse – Students and staff at Yukon College will be commemorating Earth Day by holding green activities at the various 12 community campuses across the territory. Activities will take place at the Whitehorse campus and span as far as the remote campus located in Old Crow. The following are some of the activities that will take place on Thursday, April 22:

Ayamdigut Main Campus, Whitehorse:

·         Bookstore bans the purchase of bottled water for the day and promotes the sale of water bottles

·         A lunch-hour litter pick-up

Whitehorse – Yukon College, working with the Government of Yukon, Department of Justice, has developed an FASD and Justice Training Program for the Northern Institute of Social Justice, located at Yukon College. The training is being piloted with a group of frontline workers drawn from justice, education, and health and social service departments in the Yukon government and some First Nation governments, The pilot focuses on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) in youth and adults. Working together through a series of modules, participants have an opportunity to increase knowledge, and develop new perspectives and practical skills.

Today YC announces that Dr. Chris Hawkins has accepted the position of Vice President Research at Yukon College. He will begin officially in June. Hawkins comes to YC from the University  of Northern BC, where he fulfilled responsibilities in Forest Renewal BC - Slocan Chair of Mixedwood Ecology and Management. Two decades in forest research, instruction, continuing education and administration have developed in Hawkins a strong track record of scholarship, with over 100 publications to his name, presentations delivered across Canada and throughout the world, and an impressive list of committee participation and offices held. He has been employed by UBC, SFU, MacMillan Bloedel and the BC Forest Service as both a scientist and a professor.

The annual Yukon College Biodiversity Forum takes place this Saturday, April 10th from 9:00 AM - 4:15 PM. Everyone is invited to join us to discover some of the excellent research being done in the Yukon. The format will be similar to previous years - a series of 15 minute talks covering a wide range of Yukon plants and animals by 16 biologists. Speakers use plain language so everyone can follow the talks.

There is a poster display in the main corridor outside the Lecture Hall with more Yukon related research on plants, animals and special habitats.

Please register beforehand so that organizers can prepare for the venue and food. Email: sgilbert@yukoncollege.yk.ca or Phone: 668 8776 There is no cost for registration and lunch will be provided.

Yukon Science Institute talk Friday, April 9, at 7:30 PM in the Lecture Hall.  John Acorn from University of Alberta will give a public presentation titled,  Counting Species: Not As Easy As It Seems

Yukon College is hosting a Business After Hours event on Thursday, March 25th, in partnership with the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce. The event will serve as the opener for the Chamber’s Economic Summit conference the following day.

“The BAH event is a valuable opportunity to show off the College and its services and to further build our connections with the Yukon community,” said Karen Barnes, Vice President of Education and Training. “We’re pleased to be working with the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce and the City of Whitehorse, to host the Economic Summit Opener and facilitate the previewing of the City’s new business development DVD.”

March 22-26 is National Social Work Week and the 2010 theme is Social Workers Speaking Up: Poverty Costs. During this week, social workers are calling upon citizens to recognize the impacts of poverty and to support its eradication. The Association of Social Workers in Northern Canada (ASWNC), in partnership with Bachelor of Social Work students of Yukon College, will be hosting a number of events open to the public, highlighting the issue of poverty.

Events will begin on Monday, March 22 with the opening of a guerilla photography exhibit by Mark Kelly and friends at the Yukon College Pit. The photos depicting poverty and homelessness within our community will be on display throughout the week.

Yukon College is a contributing partner in the Northern Cultural Expressions Society’s cultural resilience programs. The Society (formerly the Sundog Carving Studio program) along with Yukon College’s First Nations Initiatives and the School of Access join together to provide courses in drum making and regalia design. Yukon College provides its space with the industrial sewing machines and funding for materials.

Yukon College welcomes 400 national cross-country ski athletes by providing a dinner at the College during their two week stay in Whitehorse. The athletes are invited to see the College, stay for a pasta dinner, and see an indigenous games demo.  While Yukon College does not have a college cross-country ski team, it is proud to be in a city that provides world-class accessible ski trails. Some of the College’s extra-curricular activities have been to the Mount Mac ski trails to introduce students to the sport. Yukon College is providing the dinner to the athletes to show its support of young people who are actively involved in sport and leadership.