SMART | schools In case you missed anything – a roundup of facts we picked up last month School Zone Len Evans.


Nonsie Sibanda, Tess Longley, and Jillian Beever (clockwise from top-right) formed CMU’s winning entry in the MEDAnext Talks competition at the 2015 MEDA Convention in Richmond, Virginia.


Canadian Mennonite University


CMU students win competition at 2015 MEDA convention Jillian Beever, Tess Longley, and Nonsie


Sibanda won the MEDAnext Talks competi- tion at MEDA’s 2015 convention, “Growing Business, Building Community”. Styled after TED Talks, the MEDAnext


Talks provided an opportunity for students to present on a topic that fell into one of the following categories of how to be, do, or care “in the next.” The topic chosen by the students was


“Empowering Millennials for the Future,” in response to the ‘Do’ category questions: What can we do to utilize the power of change for good? What can we do to em- power others in the future? Te students’ presentation included an


introduction to the millennial generation and offered suggestions for how businesses and the field of academics can empower millennials by drawing on the generation’s strengths and characteristics. Te students express appreciation for the


opportunity, which provided “a platform to talk about something interesting that we wanted to share, meet new people and network, and practice skills that we learned in class,” said Longley. “Attending the MEDA convention pro-


vided an opportunity for the students to draw on the leadership studies that we’ve incorporated into the business program,” says Craig Martin, Assistant Professor of Business at CMU. “Tey did really well on their presentation.” All three are taking the course Leader-


ship Development, taught by Dr. Vonda Plett, which they credit with helping them develop skills such as active listening, team building, and presentation techniques, all of which they utilized while preparing their presentation. “When I began [the Leadership Develop-


ment] course, I had leadership goals. Taking up public speaking was one of my goals and this was an opportunity to practice that,” says Sibanda. Te convention included opportunities


for networking with MEDA supporters, staff, and convention attendees, including those from other universities and colleges. Tis is the fourth year CMU has attended


the MEDA convention and the students hope that more students will be able to participate in the future. Tey’ve already begun planning for next year. “You’re there to connect, to meet people,


to learn about new things, and to come back next year and hear what you’ve done since,” says Beever. “It took our degree and shaped it in a whole new light.” .


All Post-Secondary Institutes in Mani- toba


Historic partnership between Manitoba's educational institutions Every post-secondary institute in Mani-


toba, as well as the Manitoba School Boards Association, met in Migizii Agamik – Bald Eagle Lodge on Dec. 18 to sign the Indig- enous Education Blueprint. Tis transformational framework is the


result of an unprecedented partnership between Manitoba’s public school boards and the post-secondary education sector,


10 Smart Biz


now united in their efforts to advance In- digenous education and reconciliation, and to make Manitoba a global centre of excel- lence for Indigenous education, research, languages, and cultures. Tis Blueprint takes action on the Truth


and Reconciliation Commission’s recom- mendations. It will translate into success for Indigenous students and their families, enriching the lives of all Manitobans. Next steps include action items such as


establishing a steering committee with all signatories, creating a collaborative website and social media platform, and hosting an Indigenous education conference. This new collaborative endeavor will


continue to grow as more stakeholders and community groups are asked to join in the education partnership. Te educational partners who signed the


historic Blueprint in Migizii Agamik – Bald Eagle Lodge, at the University of Manitoba, include: University of Winnipeg, Brandon University, Université de Saint-Boniface, Canadian Mennonite University, University College of the North, Red River College, Manitoba Institute of Trades and Tech- nology, Assiniboine Community College, Manitoba School Boards Association, and the University of Manitoba. By signing the Indigenous Education


Blueprint– formally the “Manitoba Col- laborative Indigenous Education Blueprint For Universities, Colleges and Public School Boards: Making Excellence in Indigenous Education a Priority” – the signatories commit to: 1. Engaging with Indigenous peoples in


respectful and reciprocal relationships and to realize the right to self-determination, and to advance reconciliation, language and culture through education, research and skill development; 2. Bringing Indigenous knowledge,


languages and intellectual traditions, models and approaches into curriculum and pedagogy; 3. Promoting research and learning that


reflects the history and contemporary context of the lives of Indigenous peoples; 4. Increasing access to services, pro-


grams, and supports to Indigenous stu- dents, to ensure a learning environment is established that fosters learner success; 5. Collaborating to increase student


mobility to better serve the needs of Indig- enous students; 6. Building school and campus commu-


nities that are free of racism, value diversity and foster cultural safety; 7. Increasing and measuring Indigenous


school and post-secondary participation and success rates; 8. Showcasing successes of Indigenous


students and educators; 9. Ref lecting the diversity of First Na-


tions, Inuit and Métis cultures in Manitoba through institutional governance and staff- ing policies and practices; and 10. Engaging governments and the


private and public sectors to increase la- bour market opportunities for Indigenous graduates.


University of Winnipeg


Members of UWinnipeg’s community recognized with the Order of Canada Te University of Winnipeg would like


to congratulate the four members of its community – Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, Retired


Justice Richard Scott, Ms. Odette Heyn and Ms. Faye Tompson – who were among the 69 to be appointed to or promoted within the Order of Canada, as announced on December 30, 2015. Admission into Order of Canada is one of the highest honours a Canadian Citizen can receive. “We congratulate these four honourees.


Te individual connections they have with UWinnipeg differ, but each of them exem- plifies the qualities that make this learning community so special,” said Dr. Annette Trimbee, President and Vice-Chancellor of Te University of Winnipeg. “Tey are passionate, they are leaders with inf lu- ence, and they have made a major impact on their world.” Te Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, P.C.,


C.C., O.M., who served as UWinnipeg Presi- dent and Vice-Chancellor from 2004 – 2014, was promoted within the Order of Canada to its highest grade, Companion of the Order of Canada, for “his principled con- tributions to international human rights and for his leadership in post-secondary education, particularly in support of Abo- riginal students.” The Honourable Richard Scott, O.C.,


O.M., an alumnus of The University of Winnipeg Collegiate, Class of 1955, was appointed to the level of Officer of the Order of Canada, for “his contributions to the administration of justice and for his service to the community.” Scott, who was appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench in 1985, served as Chief Justice of Manitoba from 1990 until he retired in 2013. Odette Heyn, C.M., and Faye Tompson,


C.M., are founders and co-directors of Te School of Contemporary Dancers, which partners with UWinnipeg’s Department of Teatre and Film to offer the Dance Pro- gram Stream of the Teatre and Film Major to students working toward a professional career in dance. Tey were appointed to the level of Member of the Order of Canada, for “their contributions to contemporary dance in Canada and to the development of the next generation of dancers.” As described by the Governor General


of Canada’s office, the Order of Canada “recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. Te Order recognizes people in all sectors of Canadian society. Their contributions are varied, yet they have all enriched the lives of others and made a dif- ference to this country. Since its creation, more than 6 000 people from all sectors of society have been invested into the Order.”


Brandon University


New scholarship honours memory of for- mer BU faculty member Len Evans A $10,000 donation gives the Len Evans


scholarship at Brandon University (BU) a significant kickstart. As part of a provincial post-secondary


funding announcement yesterday after- noon, the Government of Manitoba an- nounced a $10,000 pledge to a scholarship fund set up in Len Evans’ name at BU. Evans, a 30-year MLA for Brandon East,


who was also a former faculty member in the Department of Economics and a mem- ber of the University’s Board of Governors, passed away last Saturday at the age of 86. “Len Evans was an important member


of the BU community,” said BU President Gervan Fearon. “His contributions and


www.smartbizwpg.com RRC's James Culleton's design February 2016


efforts on behalf of the University and City will be much missed, and the government’s support of a scholarship in his name is wel- comed across the entire campus.” Te scholarship fund was set up at the re-


quest of Evans’ family. Brandon University also flew the Canadian flag in front of Clark Hall at half-mast in his honour. Members of the Evans family expressed


their profound gratitude for the govern- ment’s generous contribution. “We are so pleased that deserving stu-


dents will be helped to pursue their studies at Brandon University through the scholar- ship fund. It carries on the spirit of generos- ity that was so important to our father,” they said in a statement. “We are humbled and grateful for the honour bestowed upon our father by the Province of Manitoba. Dad would have been deeply moved.” Donations for the Len Evans scholarship


fund are being accepted in the Institutional Advancement office on the main floor of Clark Hall at the University. Donations can also be mailed, with cheques made payable to “Brandon University Foundation” and sent to the Foundation at 270–18th Street, Brandon MB, R7A 6A9. Donations via credit card can also be made online at brandonu. ca/give/donate or by telephone at 1-877-BU- 2-GIVE. DI)


Red River College


James Culleton Wins Pinnacle Award for Motion Upholstery RRC graphic design instructor James


Culleton has won a prestigious design award. Te winner of the Pinnacle Award for Motion Upholstery was the M1 series, designed by JCulleton for Palliser Furni- ture. Te American Society of Furniture De-


signers handed out its prestigious Pinnacle Awards to sixteen furniture designers on Monday, October 19th. Te event, held in High Point, North Carolina, drew record crowds for what was their 20th Anniversary of the celebrated furniture awards. “It was an honour to be nominated and to


win the Pinnacle Award in the category of Motion,” said James Culleton on his award. “ Special thanks to all the talented people at Palliser who made it happen and to the Defehr Family for supporting me through- out my design career.”


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