Okanagan College launches ‘Our Students, Your Health’ campaign

Okanagan College has launched a new fundraising campaign called “Our Students, Your Health.

Money raised will support the completion of the new, multi-million dollar Health Sciences Centre, already under construction at the Kelowna campus.

“The total cost is $21.4 million.  We’ve secured $15.4 million from the province, and we have a $5 million dollar goal,” Helen Jackson, Executive Director of the Okanagan College Foundation said.

The new building will replace the current Health Sciences Centre, which was built back in 1963.

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Not only will the new space allow the college to accept more students into its eight health care programs, but it will improve how the students learn.

“So, for labs, we have to push the tables out of the way.  Sometimes we have to do physio training in the hallway with little gym mats,” Coral Russel, a first year Therapist Assistant student said.

$1.5 million of the $5 million dollar goal will go towards upgrading technology and equipment, as well as creating new bursaries for students entering in-demand health care professions.

“We know in the Okanagan, over the next few years, we’re going to need to recruit 10 thousand front line health care workers.  We need to attract new tallent and new students to the region,” Jackman said.

Okanagan College is growing quickly, with a 70 per cent increase in enrollment since the 2005-2006 school year, so this project is just the latest in an ongoing series of building replacements and expansions planned over the coming years.