Sunday, March 31 marks the Transgender Day of Visibility. It is an opportunity to raise awareness of trans, non-binary and two-spirit people and to celebrate them. This day was founded by trans advocate Rachel Crandall, head of Transgender Michigan, in 2009. It was created so that we should shift the view of trans people from the negative stereotypes and issues faced by the community to celebrate their lives, contributions and to empower them to live authentically.

We at the 2SLGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (ERG) show our support for our trans colleagues and students. If Humber can create a community where all of our trans students and colleagues feel that they can come out and live their lives fully, we will make Humber stronger and more accepting for everyone. For this Transgender Day of Visibility, we encourage all of our 2SLGBTQ+ allies to develop concrete steps to make their work spaces and classrooms more accepting to the full gender diversity of the Humber community.

As part of that commitment, we invite allies of the 2SLGBTQ+ community at Humber to join our Allies Mailing List. If you have any questions about the 2SLGBTQ+ ERG or this message, please contact matthew.harris@humber.ca or yanni.thepanya@humber.ca.

Humber College is excited to announce its new project to support the skills development in key economic sectors of Kenya's blue economy. Funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), Humber will partner with three institutions in Siaya County, Kenya, to deliver skills training programs under the Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training (KBEST-05) Institutional Partnership. Situated in the Lake Region of Kenya, Humber's partners include Bondo Technical Training Institute, Lucy Onono Vocational Training Centre, and Mahaya Vocational Training Centre.

The three-year (2024-2027) initiative will focus on developing and delivering gender-responsive and industry-relevant competency-based education and training curriculum and pedagogy in blue economy skills areas to tap into Siaya County's economic potential in areas including fisheries, tourism, marine transport, aquaculture, and renewable energy. KBEST aims to create industry linkages and pathways for internships and jobs and provide women, youth, and vulnerable populations with the knowledge and skills for employment and self-employment in the blue economy while preserving and maintaining our oceans for future generations.

For more information and how to get involved, please contact:

Vidushi Sanghadia
Project Lead, KBEST-05
vidushi.sanghadia@humber.ca

Faculty can use the Respondus Lockdown Browser for online examinations hosted by Blackboard Ultra to ensure students are not using other online tools while taking their exam. Here are some best practices to follow:

1. Please provide a mock test before the real exam. This gives an opportunity for you and your students to become familiar with the software (also see how to install lockdown browser) and resolve any issues that may arise before the real exam.
2. Please ask students to check if their devices satisfy the minimum requirements outlined here. You may also want to consider doing the exam in a Humber computer lab and run Respondus from MyApps.
3. If students are using a Chromebook, please ask them to do the following:
   1. Clear browser cache.
   2. Enable pop-up window.
   3. Close the browser, and re-open to start the test after installation of the Respondus software.

Learn more about using the Respondus Lockdown Browser.

This article is also posted at BBHub.

The Bhutan Education and Skills Training (BEST) project, funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, aims to transform Bhutan’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system.  

Aligned with the project goal, BEST partners organized an International Women's Day forum focused on creating an inclusive and accessible TVET system for all, especially women, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable populations. On March 12, 2024, the Bhutan Education and Skills Training (BEST) project was nationally recognized in Bhutan, profiling the Empowering All: Inclusive TVET for Sustainable Growth Forum on Bhutan’s national news station, Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) and headlining the front page of the Kuensel, Bhutan’s national newspaper.  

The publications shared how the forum brought together stakeholders to address and overcome the barriers to inclusivity in TVET by sharing insights, developing action plans, and showcasing best practices for creating equitable access and opportunities for all. 

National recognition of this forum in Bhutan is critical to harnessing the transformative power of TVET and creating an environment for all learners to thrive. 

Read the news article 

Watch the news segment

Learn more about the BEST project at idi.humber.ca.