CityLAB Hamilton and Mohawk College have been awarded the gold medal in Program Excellence by Colleges & Institutes Canada (CICan).
The Program Excellence Award recognizes programs across Canada that demonstrate innovation, portability, sustainability and effectiveness. Mohawk College nominated CityLAB Hamilton after seven years of successful collaboration. The award was announced on April 30, 2024, during the CICan national conference in Calgary.
Originating as a pilot project in 2017, CityLAB Hamilton is a collaborative innovation program between the City of Hamilton, Mohawk College, McMaster University and Redeemer University. This program unites students, faculty, and civic leaders to develop innovative solutions to city-identified projects that align with the City’s Strategic Priorities.
CityLAB officially transitioned to a permanent program in 2022 with support from Hamilton City Council. Annually, the CityLAB program engages approximately 450 students in experiential learning projects that meaningfully address civic challenges, yield tangible community benefits, and cultivate a long-term sense of civic responsibility. CityLAB projects tackle complex challenges and pioneer new solutions while mentoring and inspiring the next generation of leaders. Experiential learning through CityLAB allows students to explore careers of interest while developing transferable interpersonal skills and work habits that will benefit them in the future.
At the same event, two Mohawk College employees, Tara-Lyn Dinyer and Greg Gagnon, were honoured yesterday with the CICan Award of Excellence Gold medals in their respective fields from Colleges & Institutes Canada, the national association for publicly supported colleges, institutes, CEGEPs, and polytechnics.
Dinyer, a professor in the college’s School of Health and Community Services was the Gold medal recipient for CICan’s Award of Excellence in the Faculty category at the CICan’s conference. She has developed innovative teaching solutions and created unique partnership opportunities in the Health, Wellness, and Fitness industry, including coordinating the annual Fit-to-Pitch capstone project for students in the Health, Wellness, and Fitness program.
Gagnon, a technician with Mohawk College’s Accessible Learning Services received the Gold medal in the Non-Managerial Staff category. Working with students who are overcoming physical or learning disability challenges, Gagnon’s expertise, and his kind, caring and compassionate approach to students, made him
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