(Edmonton, November 28, 2011) The King’s University College Environmental Studies (ENVS) program has been granted professional accreditation from Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) Canada, the certifying body of the Canadian Environmental Accreditation Commission (CEAC).  This Professional accreditation is in addition to the academic accreditation already granted by the Campus Alberta Quality Council. King’s University College is the only post-secondary institution in Canada to receive such professional recognition for an environmental studies program that includes BA and BSc degrees.   

The Eco Commission’s granting of accreditation to King’s encourages all future and past graduates of the ENVS program to apply for the designation “Environmental Professional” and put the letters  “EP” behind their names, along with their degrees.

We are delighted at this recognition of the quality of our environmental program,” says President Harry Fernhout.  Doubly so as it came only after an accreditation team from across the country visited us for two days, reviewed all our material, and interviewed numerous faculty and students.  They were impressed with what they saw and heard, and confident our program truly measured up to their rigorous professional standards.

Dr. Michael Ferber Director of Environmental Studies for the university says:

For our graduates, accreditation of King’s ENVS program will mean increased employment opportunities—employers will know the program meets national standards. The site evaluation team had no knowledge about King’s before their arrival, and were quite taken by the quality of our programs, professors and students overall.  This is just another example of what a hidden gem we are, and the high quality of what we do here.

The King’s evaluation team concluded all the criteria have been met and there were no specific recommendations for changes to the programs or their implementation. King’s ENVS program is now listed on the ECO Canada website as having national accreditation.

About King’s University College

The King’s University College in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada offers fully accredited Bachelor degrees in the arts, humanities, music, social sciences, natural sciences and commerce/management, as well as an education after degree. King’s currently serves almost 700students from across Canada and abroad, representing more than 16 nations. Faculty are highly qualified, committed to academic excellence and communicating a Christian perspective in their teaching. Students are challenged both inside and outside the classroom to apply what they learn to their life and their future career.

ENVS – ECO CANADA ACCREDITATIONBACKGROUNDER

• The professional accreditation process is a rigorous process. The applying institution prepares a comprehensive and detailed Self Study Report, which was made available to the Site Visit Evaluation Team (SVET) in advance.
• The four-¬member SVET visited King’s for two days this past September. The team interviewed everyone involved with the delivery of the program. They also meet with current students, alumni of the program and employers.
• The team prepared a 36-¬page report evaluating the program on the basis of an extensive set of criteria.
• As the accreditation team concluded in its report:  “It is clear that King’s students have a remarkable education experience as a result of very close interaction with the faculty. This is an institution where faculty members even know all of their first year students by name.” (The Globe university report recently gave King’s an A+ for exactly the same kind of attributes – for the fifth year in a row.)

Highlights from the Site Visit Evaluation Team’s Report:

King’s University College (King’s) is to be commended for having a dedicated and passionate faculty and staff who take the time and effort to get to know and engage their students, and tailor their needs in their program planning.

• Administration, faculty and staff are commended for their commitment to STARS (Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System) to encourage sustainable practices at King’s University College (King’s) and to exercise leadership in greenhouse gas emissions and environmental stewardship as part of its strategic direction to care for creation.
• The accreditation team recognized that student remedial support was a particular strength of the program and commends the faculty and staff in providing exceptional support and guidance to their students.
• The SVET commends the program and institution for the dedicated and passionate faculty and staff who take the time and effort to get to know and engage their students, and tailor their needs in their program planning.

For more information contact:

Dan VanKeeken
Institutional Advancement
King’s University College
(780) 465-3500 Ext. 8087
dan.vankeeken@kingsu.ca

Dr. Michael Ferber
Director of Environmental Studies
780-465-3500
Michael.ferber@kingsu.ca

Starting a small business has its challenges in any environment,” says Cathy Goulet,
Executive Director of The Business Link. “For new Canadians, learning about business protocols and the marketplace in their new country adds yet another level of complexity.

That’s where The Business Link and its Immigrant Entrepreneur Mentorship Program
(IEMP) can help.

The IEMP initiative works to increase Alberta competitiveness through support to immigrant
entrepreneurs already in business, looking to enhance their business skills and improve
their operations. Program components are mentoring, networking, business education and
promotion through social media. Rural participants outside Edmonton, Calgary or Grande
Prairie can participate in the program through virtual/phone mentoring and video
conferencing.

The Program will connect mentees with mentors through one-on-one meetings and
networking events. Program mentees will learn about marketing in a western culture and
doing business successfully in Canada. Mentors will share their knowledge, experience and
expertise to help immigrant entrepreneurs meet their business goals.

Program coordinators will provide continuous support, ongoing promotion of program
participants’ businesses and a comprehensive social media campaign for an entire year.
This profile will help bring more customers and increase business activity for both mentors
and mentees.

Specialized resources for immigrant entrepreneurs have been developed by The Business
Link, the Canada Business service centre for Alberta, to assist newcomers as they start and
grow their business in the province.

IEMP Coordinators are actively looking for mentors and mentees for the program.
Applications are being accepted until September 15, 2011.

Full program information and application forms are on the program website at www.iemp.ca.

For more information about The Business Link’s Immigrant Entrepreneur Mentorship Program, please contact:

(IEMP for Edmonton, Grande Prairie and rural areas)
Marie Gervais
Program Coordinator
Immigrant Entrepreneur Mentorship Program
Marie.Gervais@canadabusiness.ab.ca
Cell 780 993-1062

(IEMP for Calgary)
Farah Mocquais
Calgary Program Specialist
Immigrant Entrepreneur Mentorship Program
Farah.Mocquais@canadabusiness.ab.ca
Cell: 403 390-8273 

Entering it 11th season the Edmonton Corn Maze have become a favorite tradition for many Edmontonians. Each year a new and exciting maze design in unveiled and look forward to getting thousands of visitors lost. This years maze design promises to provide an amazing aerial view as well as a challenging maze. Though the correct pathways can be walked in under 30 minutes, most directionally-challenged visitors – adults and children alike – will require about one hour to travel through the maze of more than 5 km of twists and turns and 85 decision points.

In addition to a 12 acre maze the Edmonton Corn Maze also offers non maze activities for all ages, including a bounce-infused jumping pillow, pedal carts, hay bales, friendly farm animals, and a farmyard with ample space for picnics. For an extra twist visitors are welcome to visit in the evening and attempt to conquer the maze in the dark.

The maze is open now through the middle of October. Admission is $10 for General, $8 for youth(aged 5-12) & under 5 are free. Located only minutes from west Edmonton.

Detailed information including hours of operation, directions, special events, & other information can be found on our website. A high resolution aerial photograph can be forwarded by request.

Contact:
Jesse Kraay
780-288-0208
www.edmontoncornmaze.ca
edmontoncornmaze@gmail.com
twitter.com/corn_maze
facebook.com/cornmaze

ESO Musician Showcase
Tuesday, August 16 at 12 pm
ESO musicians and friends ? Michael Massey, Mikiko Kohjitani, Nora Bumanis and others ? share their favourite pieces in this unique chamber music event. Pieces include Mozetich?s Songs of Nymphs and Mozart?s Clarinet Trio.

Music of the Davis Concert Organ
Sponsored by the Dr. Stuart Davis Organ Performance Trust
Tuesday, August 23 at 12 pm

With 6,551 pipes, the Davis Concert Organ bursts with both mighty and minute sounds, creating stunning music.Both concerts are free ticketed events where seating is general admission and subject to availability. The lobby doors open at 11:30 am.

The Winspear Centre thanks its funders for making these concerts possible:

For more information please contact:

Melissa Di Natale
Education, Media and Community Relations Coordinator
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra | Winspear Centre
Direct: (780) 401-2531
MDiNatale@winspearcentre.com

Here’s an example of what’s in store. Come September 2011, we’ll be posting articles here that promote our mission while serving the needs of our clients and mediainalberta.ca subscribers:

Now entering its seventh year, Alberta’s Top Employers is an annual competition organized by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. This special designation recognizes the Alberta employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. Employers are evaluated by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers using the same eight criteria as the national competition: (1) Physical Workplace; (2) Work Atmosphere & Social; (3) Health, Financial & Family Benefits; (4) Vacation & Time Off; (5) Employee Communications; (6) Performance Management; (7) Training & Skills Development; and (8) Community Involvement. Editorial partners on the Alberta’s Top Employers project are the two largest newspapers in Alberta: the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal. Each year, both newspapers announce the winners in special editorial supplements, which also include our reasons for selecting each employer. This year’s winners were announced in special features published by the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal on February 1-2, 2011: Download (PDF 10.7Mb). See more and download the Top 50 Employers in Alberta list.