D17_01_OCT21_SIER_Newsletter_FA

SIER 

THE 

DISPATCH 

3rd Edition • November 2021

Contents 

EARTH DISTRICT 

OFFICIALLY 6 LAUNCHED 

9 

DAIR RECEIVES $246,000 

in partnership with Ontario 

Aerospace Council (OAC) 

1 

ABOUT THE OFFICE 

OF STRATEGIC 

INITIATIVES 

AND EXTERNAL 

RELATIONS (SIER) 

What we do. 

2 

MEET THE 

SIER TEAM 

Who we are. 

3 

A NOTE FROM 

THE EXECUTIVE 

DIRECTOR 

Welcome to the 

third edition of 

The SIER Dispatch. 

4 

STRATEGIC 

INITIATIVES 

Impacts and 

measurable benefits 

delivered across 

the institution. 

12 

STRATEGIC 

PARTNERSHIPS 

Strengthens industry 

and community 

engagement. 

18 

PROJECTS 

AND GRANTS 

Provides a platform 

to collaborate, 

incubate and 

actualize innovative 

project ideas. 

22 

GOVERNMENT 

RELATIONS 

Acts as a bridge 

between the College 

and key influencers 

from all three levels 

of government.

About the Office of Strategic 

Initiatives and External 

Relations (SIER) 

SIER is a catalyst for building collaborative relationships 

with industry, community and government to advance 

transformational projects and expand opportunities for 

Centennial students and graduates. 

Strategic 

Initiatives 


is comprised of 

4 portfolios 

Strategic 

Partnerships 

Projects and 

Grants 

Government 

Relations 

The SIER Dispatch 3rd Edition 

1

Meet the SIER Team 

Andrew Petrou 

Director, SIER and Chair 

of the Board, Downsview 

Aerospace Innovation and 

Research (DAIR) 

Carolyn Ritchie 

Senior Manager 

Manjeet Kang 

Manager of Strategic 

Partnerships 

Mezart Daulet 

Manager of Grants and 

External Relations 

Nancy Wun 

Project Manager, 

Environmental and Related 

Technologies Hub (EaRTH) 

Samia Khandakar 

Manager of 

Government Relations 

Alec Dare 

Research Analyst 

Charlene D’Costa 

Communications and 

External Relations Officer 

(on contract with SIER while 

Melanie McCormick is on maternity leave) 

Christine Morrell 

Project and Events 

Coordinator 

Jennifer Gawor 

Department Assistant 

Peter Groot 

Grants Coordinator 

Rachel Polsinelli 

Industry Liaison 

(on contract with SIER while 

Jessica Vella is on maternity leave) 

Currently Vacant 

Project Lead 

(contract position with SIER while 

Vikramjit Singh is on paternity leave) 

2 

The SIER Dispatch 3rd Edition

A Note from the 

Director 

Hello, and welcome to the third edition of 

the SIER newsletter. It’s my great pleasure 

to share with you a snapshot of the SIER 

team’s activity over the past year. 

Unprecedented change due to COVID-19 

and a shifting higher education landscape 

has reinforced the importance of 

strengthening engagement with industry, 

community and government. 

Now more than ever, innovative and agile 

approaches are needed to respond to 

the evolving needs of businesses and 

local communities. It’s clear that as a 

comprehensive and community-focused 

learning institution, Centennial College has 

a vital role to play in this new reality. 

In this newsletter, you’ll gain a glimpse 

into the ways SIER is building powerful 

partnerships and enabling greater 

collaboration to support businesses, gain 

deeper insight into industry needs and 

address local and national priorities for a 

strong and sustainable recovery. 

I cannot end this note without recognizing 

the SIER team who makes all of this 

possible and whose collective creativity 

and passion for collaboration continue to 

energize me. 

I hope you enjoy the read and encourage 

you to reach out with your questions, 

comments, ideas, or just to say hello! 

Kind Regards, 

ANDREW PETROU 

Director 


3

Strategic 

Initiatives 

Strategic Initiatives are defined as 

projects that are College-wide in 

scope with resulting impacts and 

measurable benefits delivered 

across the institution. 

4 The SIER Dispatch 3rd Edition

The Environmental and 

Related Technologies Hub 

(EaRTH) District 

Introducing EaRTH District: A New Green Tech Hub 

to Advance Climate Action Solutions 

As the global climate crisis accelerates, Centennial College, University of Toronto 

Scarborough (UTSC), Ontario Tech University, Durham College and Trent University 

have joined together to advance clean, green, sustainable solutions, such as 

net-zero vertical farming and technology to reverse groundwater pollution. 

On October 28, the institutions officially announced the launch of the Environmental 

and Related Technologies Hub (EaRTH District) in the eastern GTA region. 

Dedicated to fueling sustainable, resilient communities locally and around the 

world, EaRTH District will develop the region’s sustainable technology sector through 

research, academic programming and commercialization of advanced technology. 

Click here to view the official news release. 

Photo credit: Trent University, EaRTH District Partner 


5

EaRTH District Teams up with the 

Ontario Chamber of Commerce 

Click here to view the seminars and policy report. 

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce 

highlighted the EaRTH District at 

its Climate Action Series in early 

November. The series included 

seminars on sustainability and 

the launch of a new policy report 

that explored the impacts of 

climate change in Ontario and 

opportunities for local businesses 

to lead the green transition. 

Clean 

Technology 

Facility 

Planning is officially underway for Phase 2 of the EaRTH District: The Clean 

Technology Facility (CTF), as the Joint Programming and Collaborative Research 

(JPCR) Committee concluded its high-level visionary meetings in May 2021. 

Six working groups – comprised of experts from Centennial College and the University 

of Toronto Scarborough –have been created to focus on fundamental topics including 

Sustainable Agriculture; Sustainable Energy; Integrated Community Development; 

Biological and Environmental Sciences; Water and Soils Systems; and Building 

Management/Sustainable Architecture to inform priority programming and research 

initiatives as well as the design of the facility. 

Looking ahead, the joint Project Planning Committee will officially kick-off this Fall 

with representatives from both Centennial and UTSC. The Committee will make 

recommendations for a detailed space program and functional layout of the facility. 

6 


United Nations Sustainable 

Development Goals 

The Sustainability Office, Centre for Academic Quality and SIER are collaborating on 

an exciting exercise to map the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals 

to the academic programming offered by the College. 

The results will be used to support the College’s submission to The Association for 

the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education to gain accreditation 

for performance in sustainability. 

To stay connected on EaRTH District news and updates, please visit 

www.earthdistrict.ca and follow @earthdistrictca on Twitter. 


7

Downsview Aerospace Innovation 

and Research (DAIR) 

DAIR Welcomes New Members 

This year DAIR welcomed new members from industry, academic 

and aerospace-adjacent organizations including: 

8 


DAIR Receives $246,000 in 

Funding in Partnership with the 

Ontario Aerospace Council (OAC) 

DAIR applied for the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development 

(MLTSD)’s Skills Development Fund in collaboration with Ontario Aerospace 

Council (OAC)’s Competencies Online Advancement Skills and Training 

(COAST) Workforce Development Project. The project is an expansion of the 

OAC COAST programming and will include a research component to advance 

alternative methods of delivery for critical aerospace technical training, with 

immersive or extended reality (XR) methods evaluated against traditional 

technical skills training methods. MLTSD approved $1.9 million for the 

delivery of the project, of which DAIR will receive $246,300. 


9

DAIR Project Pitch 

Session Series 

DAIR hosted two Project Pitch Sessions 

bringing together leading post-secondary 

institutions to showcase trailblazing R&D 

projects. 

On March 31, 2021, Centennial College, 

Ryerson University, University of Toronto 

Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) and 

York University showcased the R&D projects 

that they were currently working on. Of the 

147 attendees that joined, 98 represented 

the aerospace and aviation industry and 

there were over 120 requests to collaborate 

and learn more about the projects that were 

presented. 

On June 23, 2021, Ryerson University, the 

University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace 

Studies, and York University showcased 

5 R&D projects. Of the 67 attendees that 

joined, 32 represented the aerospace and 

aviation industry and there were 31 requests 

to collaborate and learn more about the 

projects that were presented. 

10 


Bombardier President Éric Martel 

tours DAIR Hub 

On September 28, 2021, DAIR leaders and Board 

Members Maryse Harvey, Phil Arthurs, Dr. Paul Walsh 

and Dr. Christopher Damaren met with the Bombardier 

President Éric Martel and his team to present and 

discuss their activities, highlighting key infrastructure 

and growth plans for the future of the aerospace hub. 

To stay connected on DAIR news and updates, 

subscribe to its newsletter Connections, visit 

www.dairhub.com and follow @DAIR_Hub on 

Twitter and LinkedIn. 


11

Strategic 

Partnerships 

The Strategic Partnerships 

portfolio strengthens industry and 

community engagement across 

the college to grow mutually 

beneficial partnerships that meet 

business needs and support 

student success. 


Solv. 

Total number 

of partners: 

campaigns conducted: 

Total number of outreach 

840 * 31 ** 

*Data as of September 2021 **Data from March 2020 to September 2021 

9 

Total number of internal areas supported 

through targeted industry outreach: 

1. Co-op Education and Career Services 

2. Global Citizenship, Education and Inclusion (GCEI) 

3. Office of Development, Alumni and Engagement (ODAE) 

4. School of Advancement 

5. School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design 

6. School of Community and Health Studies 

7. School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science 

8. School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts 

9. The Business School 


13

Expanding Solv.’s Digital Presence 

Recognizing the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on small 

businesses, Solv. significantly scaled up its services to support the pressing 

needs of local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 

In March 2020, Solv. launched a LinkedIn page and digital newsletter to better 

inform and connect businesses with vital services and resources offered at the 

College, such as talent, research and development, funding, equipment and more. 

These channels have amassed a reach of over 600 industry partners spanning 

several sectors. 

14 


New Industry Partner Highlights 

Solv. continues to build partnerships to grow 

and enhance opportunities for Centennial 

students and graduates. The service 

has recently connected several leading 

companies to collaboration opportunities 

across the College, including hiring, 

work-integrated learning, micro-credential 

development and guest-speaking. 


15

Annual Industry and Community 

Partners Survey 2021 

In collaboration with the Office of Development and Alumni Engagement, 

Career Services and Co-operative Education, the Centre of Academic 

Quality, and the Centre of Part-Time and Online Learning, SIER conducted 

Centennial College’s 2021 Industry and Community Partners Survey in 

June. The survey collected data from over 500 of Centennial’s external 

partners, gathering information on the status of their organizations and 

how we can better prepare our students for the workforce. 

Organization Outlook 

SOME 

HIGHLIGHTS 

OF THE 

SURVEY 

99% 

outlook 

of businesses were somewhat 

or very optimistic about their 

over the next 12 months 

Anticipated Opportunities for New Grads – by Sector 

The greatest increase in new grad opportunities is anticipated in Health Care. 

4% 

20% 

30% 

46% 

Health 

care 

5% 

13% 

54% 

28% 

Transportation 

5% 

19% 

49% 

26% 

Manufacturing 

36% 

24% 

Education 

18% 

39% 

30% 

12% 

Arts and 

entertainment 

Significant increase Slight increase No change Slight decrease Significant decrease 

9% 

27% 

6% 

38% 

31% 

22% 

Professional 

services 

Why do 

you choose 

Centennial 

grads? 

46% 30% 7% 

7% 

5% 

5% 

Relevant technical skills 

Ongoing relationship 

Global mindset and strong values 

Strong soft skills 

Unsure 

Other 

16 


Industry and Community Partner Profiles Dashboard 

SIER developed an Industry Partners Profile Database and an interactive Dashboard 

to access Centennial’s industry and community partners, highlighting various 

information, including the company size, sector, location, and multiple areas of 

partnership with the College. The database hosts information on more than 5500 

partners connected with the College through Solv., the Office of Development and 

Alumni Engagement, Career Services and Co-operative Education and the Program 

Advisory Committee members. This database and dashboard will lead to enhanced 

partner outreach, increased data sharing among departments across the institution, 

and a holistic view of industry engagement for better-informed decision-making. 

Solv. Sector Sessions (SX3) 

Climate change represents the largest threat to our modern way of life and 

the time for transformative action is now. With this in mind, the Sustainability 

Office and Solv. Sector Sessions (SX3) created “The Resilient Community: 

Adapting to a Changing Climate” virtual event series. The series, which took place 

February 23-25, 2021, included 5 sessions and discussed how we can become 

resilient to the impacts of climate change through the lens of business, healthcare, 

infrastructure and food security. 

Throughout the three days, over 185 participants joined to listen and engage 

with a line-up of experts. Click here to view the sessions. 

A resource guide was also created to highlight a variety of ways to reduce 

your environmental footprint and adapt to a changing environment. 

Click here to access the resource guide. 

BUILD BACK BETTER 

For more information on the Strategic Partnerships portfolio, please contact 

Manjeet Kang at mkang@centennialcollege.ca 


17

Projects and 

Grants 

The Projects and Grants portfolio provides a 

platform for faculty, staff, students, industry 

and community partners to collaborate, 

incubate and actualize innovative project 

ideas. These projects have the potential 

to acquire various types of funding from 

government, private and community 

foundations, and Corporate Social 

Responsibility (CSR) programs. 


Acquiring Funding to Grow 

New Learning Opportunities 

Over the past year, SIER’s Projects and Grants portfolio has supported 12 funding 

proposals. 

A highlight included assisting the School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design 

in successfully acquiring $186,000 from Canada History Fund to implement 

a collaborative project titled A Cultural Learning Toolkit: Fostering Growth and 

Sustainability in National Indigenous Cultural and Historical Education, in partnership 

with Woodland Cultural Centre. The goal of the project is to advance national recognition 

of Indigenous creativity and culture: grieving its loss through residential schooling, 

celebrating its vibrancy through Indigenous artists, and honouring its future through 

Indigenous cultural leadership. The key project activities include the development and 

dissemination of three sets of educational resources that will contribute to achieving 

the project goal of advancing national recognition of Indigenous creativity and culture. 

Other funding highlights include the Ontario Aerospace Council COAST Workforce 

Development Project (awarded $246,300 by Skills Development Fund) and 

Centennial College Centre for Simulation Training and Technology (requested 

$1,000,000 from College Equipment and Renewal Fund’s Competitive Stream). 


19

COVID-19 Vaccine Engagement 

Capstone Project 

Over the past year, SIER’s Projects and Grants portfolio has supported 22 projects across 

the College. 

A highlight included a COVID-19 vaccine engagement capstone project with the School of 

Community and Health Studies and the North Scarborough Vaccine Engagement Team – 

the project received $13,552 from the City of Toronto. Through SIER, Centennial College 

is actively involved with the North Scarborough Vaccine Engagement Team, a consortium 

of North Scarborough community organizations, led by Agincourt Community Services 

Association and Malvern Family Resource Centre, to increase residents' confidence in 

vaccines and address barriers to acceptance and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. As part 

of this work, SIER is working with the Community Development Work Program to develop a 

capstone project, providing students with the opportunity to research various community 

engagement tools, carry out an engagement process with a community organization and 

analyze and report back on the experience. 

Other project highlights include the development of an Injection Molding Lab proposal 

with the School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science. 

20 


Funding Database! 

Grant Writing: Get Your Idea 

Funded Workshop 

SIER’s Projects and Grants portfolio offers 

Grant Writing: Get Your Idea Funded Workshop, 

a two-hour introductory training to develop 

College capacity in pursuing funding applications. 

The workshop provides participants with a package 

of practical tools for project ideation, logic model 

development and grant writing. The workshop has 

been positively received by the College community 

with feedback such as “(the workshop) broadened 

my perspective on funding opportunities” and 

“(the workshop) made me feel more confident in 

writing a grant application”. 

SIER is currently developing a funding database and will be rolling it out in several 

phases. This database includes key information for past, present and future funding 

opportunities that are relevant to the college and its partners. Data from publicly 

available resources will be gathered regularly, resulting in an updated funding 

database approximately every 4-6 weeks. Eventually, this resource will be accessible 

to the College community, ensuring that a wide range of funding opportunities can be 

found in one accessible location. 

COMING 

SOON 

For more information on the Projects and Grants portfolio, please contact 

Mezart Daulet at mdaulet@centennialcollege.ca 


21

Government 

Relations 

The Government Relations (GR) team acts 

as a bridge between the College and all 

three levels of government. The team actively 

works to advance the College’s priorities 

and promote Centennial’s reputation as a 

comprehensive and community-focused 

world-class learning institution. 

22 


2020-2021 Highlights 

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, 

the GR team has maintained consistent 

communication and deepened engagement 

with government partners to promote 

awareness of the College’s activities, as well 

as the needs, priorities and experiences of 

Centennial and the local areas it serves. 

As a result, key decision-makers – including 

Ministers, MPs, MPPs, Councillors and their 

staff regularly participated in meetings, 

on-site tours, College events, and social 

media interactions with Centennial and its 

community. The GR team has also been 

involved in sector-wide advocacy efforts 

to continue urging government actions to 

support students’ needs and appreciate 

the unique and essential role Colleges are 

playing to support a resilient recovery. 


23

August 14, 2020 

MPP Mitzie Hunter 

and Councillor Paul Ainslie 

toured the Centennial 

Progress Campus 3D 

Printing Lab and met 

with SETAS students and 

faculty who worked to 

mobilize all of Centennial’s 

3D printers to produce 

PPE for local hospitals. 

February 26, 2021 

President Stephenson and Centennial 

representatives joined local MPPs 

Christina Mitas and Vijay Thanigasalam 

to announce $372,372 of funding the 

province provided to increase mental 

health services for Centennial students 

during the pandemic. 

24 


March 8, 2021 

Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, 

Christine Elliott, Ontario’s Minister of 

Health, Sylvia Jones, Solicitor General 

of Ontario, and Retired General Rick 

Hillier, who was leading Ontario’s vaccine 

distribution rollout – toured Centennial’s 

Progress Campus Vaccine Clinic during 

its launch. 

March 8, 2021 

Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, Monte McNaughton 

and Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Training and 

Skills Development – toured the Ashtonbee 

Campus to highlight $467,810 of funding the 

province has provided to implement COVID-19 

safety measures for apprentices. 


25

March 18, 2021 

President Stephenson and SIER 

representatives met with local 

MP Gary Ananadasangaree 

to discuss Centennial’s 

infrastructure plans to provide 

greener, more energy-efficient 

facilities that can support 

the inclusion of Indigenous 

learners, and Indigenous values 

and principles. 

March 19, 2021 

President Stephenson and 

Centennial staff joined local 

MPPs Christina Mitas and 

Vijay Thanigasalam to announce 

$8.4 million of funding to help 

Centennial College address the 

financial impacts of COVID-19. 

July 7, 2021 

Senior leaders from Centennial 

and the City of Toronto met 

to explore mutual priorities 

and forge a closer working 

relationship to pursue 

collaboration opportunities. 

26 


July 16, 2021 

The Hon. Jill Dunlop, 

Minister of Colleges 

and Universities toured 

Centennial’s Progress 

Campus to learn more 

about the activities and 

priorities of the College. 

September 11, 2021 

A celebration was held for the 

winners of the Scarborough Hero 

Awards – an initiative jointly 

launched by Centennial College, 

Scarborough Health Network, 

Toronto Zoo and University of 

Toronto Scarborough to recognize 

everyday heroes who helped their 

community in impactful ways 

during COVID-19. The event was 

hosted by Randell Adjei, Poet 

Laureate of Ontario and attended 

by local dignitaries including 

Mayor John Tory. 


27

PARLIAMENT 

HILL BUILDING 

ONTARIO 

LEGISLATIVE 

BUILDING 

TORONTO 

CITY HALL 

28 


How to Engage with the GR Team 

We encourage you to reach out to the GR team for assistance 

with the following: 

1 

2 

3 

When inviting an elected official to visit the campus 

for a meeting or event. Our team is available to help 

navigate and advise on the process and logistics of 

planning the visit. 

When interpreting or encountering new government 

programs, legislation, policies or emerging issues. 

Our team can support by providing analysis, 

recommendations and conducting inquiries to 

key contacts and decision-makers. 

When considering advocacy to government 

decision-makers. Our team can guide and support 

outreach and advocacy efforts and inform you of 

the transparency and accountability obligations 

associated with these activities. 

For more information on the Government Relations portfolio, please contact 

Samia Khandakar at skhandakar@centennialcollege.ca 


29

For more 

information on 


Please contact: 

Jennifer Gawor 

Department Assistant 

jgawor@centennialcollege.ca 

D17_01_OCT21

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