Become a VCC Student

ACCESS and VCC have partnered to offer the Aboriginal Gateway to Health Career program. It encourages Aboriginal people to explore and pursue careers in the health care field while offering essential skills, upgrading, health career preparation courses, and individual support. The intake dates are:

• November 1, 2009 - May 1, 2010
• May 31, 2010 - October 2, 2010
• November 1, 2010 - March 4, 2011

For more information please contact: Elaine Clare at 604.913.7933, ext 29.

Both one week camps allowed participants to explore Aboriginal culinary arts and received their first level of training of Food Safe, which is a requirement for the Aboriginal Culinary Arts Program.

Participants said that "it was fun", that "the time flew by", that "they were busy and never bored", even the classroom sessions and Food-Safe program (about 6 hours) was interesting for them. Other comments were:

- "I had a lot of fun during this course meeting new Native people, Laughing and enjoying the food we produced.", expressing a true sense of belonging;
- "It was a really fantastic program. We received good instruction but also didn't have our hands held as we cooked.
- "I had fun , learned new things, how to cook things differently. It was quite an experience."
- "We liked having 2 instructors", whose different teaching styles accommodated both group and individual discussion and teaching;
- "I enjoyed myself a lot , I've learned to get along with others and work as a team..."; and
- "The camp is too short".

The Aboriginal Trades Discovery Youth Summer Camp was a 3 week discovery camp that explored Heavy Duty, Auto Service, and Auto Collision with 12 young Aboriginal women and men in fun, interactive, and educational activities with Elders. The goal of this program was to encourage paths towards trades training and higher learning where there is an increasing skills shortage and high paying employment opportunities for youth.

Instructors Comments:
"Besides the exposure to our trades, this camp allowed the students to realize that they can learn skills in areas in which that they had no prior experience. We saw their confidence grow over the three weeks allowing them to take the chance to explore and try new things. This camp also proved to show the young women in the group that they can do what have been traditionally 'male' skills. For instance, one of the top welders was a female, who had no prior experience working with metal. Many also said that this was the best learning environment they have ever experienced. They felt that they were treated with respect and in turn treated others accordingly" (Brian Haugen).

The Aboriginal Graphics Program is a workshop series delivered on Saturdays over a 9 week period from Nov. 29, 2009 - Feb. 6, 2010, teaching students to work with Adobe Illustrator CS4 Software. By the end of the workshop, the students will have created a final portrait of their heritage or personal journey that will be collected and combined into a small book entitled: "Our Journey".

The Digital Graphic Design Camp runs Monday, June 28 to Saturday, July 3, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the VCC downtown campus, room number 721.

This free discovery camp is intended to support Aboriginal learners exploration of graphics design to enhance their learning and discover potential education pathways. This course will provide you with the skills for Adobe Illustrator CS4. All costs are proudly sponsored by the Coastal Corridor Consortium.

Call 604.443.8484 to register today and quote course code CRN 20499.

The Aboriginal Culinary Camp runs Monday, July 5 to Friday, July 9, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This course will be delivered in Lil'wat, includes meals and bus tickets.

The Aboriginal Culinary Arts Summer Camp will be a free, fun, hands-on one week interactive camp designed for 12 Aboriginal learners, targeting youth who are interested in exploring the opportunities in the hospitality industry. Meals and bus tickets are included. Participants will learn about future paths from renown Aboriginal Chef Andrew George. In this fun and exciting camp you will learn about contemporary and traditional foods, preparation, and education/ career opportunities in the industry, with the support of the VCC Aboriginal Education and Services Department and the Tzeil Learning Centre.

For more information call Laara Mixon, Interim Director of Aboriginal Education & Services at 778.783.5047. To register call 604.443.8300 today and quote course code CRN 20530.

The Vancouver Aboriginal Culinary Arts Discovery Camp runs Monday, July 12, 2010 to Friday, July 16, 2010, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. This offering includes meals and bus tickets.

The Aboriginal Culinary Arts Summer Camp will be a free, fun, hands-on one week interactive camp designed for 12 Aboriginal learners, targeting youth who are interested in exploring the opportunities in the hospitality industry. Meals and bus tickets are included. Participants will learn about future paths from renown Aboriginal Chef Andrew George and Chef Hans Olpeka. In this fun and exciting camp you will learn about contemporary and traditional foods, preparation, and education/ career opportunities in the industry, with the support of the VCC Aboriginal Education and Services Department Aboriginal Advisors and Elders.

For more information call Laara Mixon, Interim Director of Aboriginal Education & Services at 778.783.5047. To register call 604.443.8300 today and quote course code CRN 20531.