NorQuest earns gold and silver from Colleges and Institutes Canada

April 27, 2021

NorQuest’s International Team earned gold for Internationalization Excellence and our Community Studies Team earned silver for the Program Excellence Award.

The CICan Awards showcase the extraordinary contribution of individuals to their college/institute communities and highlight the role of our institutions in social, cultural and economic development. The Internationalization Excellence Award recognizes a college or institute that has shown leadership in the internationalizing of their entire institution for the benefit of its learners and community. The Program Excellence Award recognizes a program that is innovative, portable, sustainable, and effective, and involves at least one external industry or community partner.

Internationalization Excellence – Gold

In 2019 NorQuest College identified internationalization as a main priority and undertook the process of designing a college-wide strategy to transform itself into a globally engaged institution that develops workforce relevant education and creates training opportunities for learners worldwide. To achieve this vision three pillars of action were identified:

Invite the World to NorQuest: We open our doors to a diverse array of students and partners from across the globe to enrich and strengthen our institution.
Take NorQuest to the world: We provide opportunities for NorQuest employees to get engaged globally and share their talent and expertise across borders.
Think global, act local: We promote opportunities for NorQuest employees to gain global and cultural awareness, to increase their intercultural competency, and to have an impact on the world through local action.

Why did we win the award?

“I really think it’s down to NorQuest not being the biggest college doing the most international activities, but being a mid-sized college truly dedicated to making a difference,” says Nancy Thornton, Director, International Markets. “The other big key is our team. We have a phenomenal team at NorQuest, and their talent is only outstripped by their passion. Finally, we have great executive support for all of our international efforts, and that makes a big difference.”

Program Excellence Award – Silver

NorQuest’s Early Learning and Child Care program curriculum has been adapted to a robust set of options for online and in-person learning. Continuous collaboration ensures that curriculum is responsive, authentic, and meets the needs of community and government. Utilizing robot technology has enabled the program to reach regional students. In addition, a well-equipped play and documentation lab that simulates a child care centre contributes to hands-on learning that makes the program interactive and distinct. The program participates in the community by providing networking, professional development, and research collaborations to the early learning community in Edmonton, across Alberta, and internationally in countries including Jamaica, Uganda, and Ukraine. A diverse instructional team from Alberta, across Canada, and around the world supports the diversity of students taking the program.

Why did we win the award?

“This award demonstrates the strength of collaboration,” says Becky Kelley, Program Chair, Early Learning and Child Care. “Our collaborative team is passionate about local and global partnerships that can create innovative and responsive experiences for our learners. NorQuest recognizes that early learning is invaluable and has supported the creation of amazing learning spaces and opportunities that meets our students where they are. The creation of this unique program is all thanks to our diverse, high-performing team.”

NorQuest has previously been awarded a Gold award for Leadership Excellence Award for Faculty in 2020 and Leadership Excellence for Staff, Non-Managerial in 2018.

Media enquiries

Mike Reeves

External Media Consultant

Phone: 780.288.3651

Email: Mike.Reeves@NorQuest.ca

Media enquiries

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