Humber College, Newell Rubbermaid and Terracycle have partnered to take recycling to another level. As you can imagine, the Humber community goes through a large amount of writing instruments (pens, pencils, markers, etc…) connecting with and supporting more than 27,000 full-time and 55,000 part-time students across all of our campuses. Starting today, we can now recycle all types and brands of writing instruments instead of throwing them away, and help support Humber’s Student Awards program in the process!

Help us divert waste from landfill sites by collecting used writing instruments.

Here is how it works:

1. Don’t throw away pens, pencils, highlighters or markers once they have reached the end of their usable life
2. Place them into the collection bins located in your school or department’s main office (If you don't have a collection bin in your office yet, contact Lindsay Walker and she'll help you get one!)
3. Spread the word and encourage your colleagues to do the same

Once your collection bin is full, all you need to do is contact your campus representative and they will arrange for the contents to be sent to Terracycle, the partner company that has developed this exciting recycling initiative.

What type of writing instruments can be recycled? ALL TYPES!

• All pen, pencil, marker brands
• Any ink colour
• Markers including dry erase, permanent, mechanical pencils, etc.
• …if you write with it, it can be collected for recycling in this program!

When your box is full, simply contact:

• North Campus: Lindsay Walker lindsay.walker@humber.ca or ext. 5829
• Lakeshore Campus: Wanda Buote wanda.buote@humber.ca or ext. 3332
• Orangeville Campus: Joe Andrews joe.andrews@humber.ca or ext. 5904 

TD Friends of the Environment has awarded a grant to Humber to support a new research facility to study the effects of children’s engagement with the natural world.

The innovative play space will function as an interdisciplinary living research lab: a facility in which students and faculty from a variety of programs will be able to study the impacts of nature-based play and teaching strategies on factors such as early child development, environmental education, injury prevention, and endemic childhood health concerns including obesity. Humber is excited to participate in the growing body of research surrounding children and nature. The outdoor learning environment will be one of the first of its kind in Ontario. It will function as an on-going teaching and learning facility for staff, faculty and researchers to collaborate on the exploration of emerging socio-environmental theories.

The foundational research for this project was supported by a Humber Staff Initiated Research (SIRF) grant to Julie Valerio, a faculty member in the School of Health Sciences, and a Colleges Ontario Network for Industry Innovation (CONII) grant. Industry partner Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds is working in collaboration with the Humber School of Health Sciences and the Humber Research Office to build the new research facility. Construction of the new outdoor learning environment will take place over the summer. Dean of Health Sciences, Jason Powell, confidently expects a September opening.

Adam Bienenstock, founder of Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds, incorporates his love of nature into his designs. Believing that outdoor play spaces have been flattened and sterilized in recent decades, he approached Julie Valerio, Professor of Early Childhood Education at Humber, to research the differences in child play patterns in ‘naturalized’ and more ‘traditional’ or manufactured play spaces. With the support of Bridget Woodcock, Director of the Humber Child Care Centre, and the Child Care staff, students in the ECE diploma and degree programs are collecting and coding data on how children use the current playground; this will provide a baseline for comparison with behavior in the new outdoor play environment.

Students in the Interior Design program are competing to design a component to be included in the new facility. A unique, inclusive element of the new outdoor learning environment will be supported by the Humber Aboriginal Resource Centre. Students in the School of Applied Technology will participate in the building of the new facility. The build of Bienenstock’s design on site at Humber is greatly anticipated.

Thank you and congratulations to the administration, faculty, staff and students who have collaborated and are continuing to work together on this project.

2013 Premier's Awards

The Alumni Office is working on nominations for the 2013 Premier's Awards. The Premier’s Awards for graduates of Ontario’s colleges honour the important social and economic contribution college graduates make to Ontario and throughout the world.

Presented annually, the Premier’s Awards, administered through Colleges Ontario, recognize graduates in the following six categories:

• Business
• Community Services
• Creative Arts and Design
• Health Sciences
• Recent Graduate (2008-2012)
• Technology

Do you know an outstanding Humber graduate we should consider nominating who has:

• made a significant impact to his/her chosen career
• made a significant contribution to his/her sector
• been recognized by others in their industry and/or profession
• helped shape or change the lives of others
• made a significant contribution to his/her community

Share your recommendations with us by April 30, 2013. Each year Humber can only nominate one graduate in each category.

Contact: Adelia Marchese, Manager, Advancement & Alumni Relations
adelia.marchese@humber.ca or ext. 5110
Room LX101

Click here to view Humber alumni who have been previously nominated.

To learn more about last year's nominees click here.

Humber College is committed to providing a learning, working and living environment free from discrimination and harassment. Key to maintaining this commitment are Humber employees’ awareness and observation of their responsibilities as outlined in section four (4), page four (4) of Humber’s Human Rights Policy. Humber employees’ are required to:

1. Foster a climate of understanding and mutual respect for the dignity and rights of each individual;
2. Familiarize themselves with Humber’s policies, procedures and practices and exhibit the appropriate behavior for dealing with human rights;
3. Prevent, report and discourage discrimination and harassment by others; and
4. Participate in ongoing professional development education and training that may enhance their ability to act in an anti-discriminatory manner.

The Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Diversity | HR Services is available to all employees to provide support and advice in the area of human rights.

If you suspect that an issue you are dealing with in the classroom or in your department is human rights related, please contact: Nancy Simms, Director, Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Diversity for a quick consultation at nancy.simms@humber.ca or 416.675.6622 ext. 4425. 

For further information about the responsibilities of the College community members under Humber’s Human Rights Policy please visit the following website address: humber.ca/policies/human-rights-policy-0