Making Changes: An Employment and Life Skills Program for Immigrant Women

Are you an immigrant woman who feels the need for a better future?
Do you need information about education and work opportunities?
Do you wish to improve your job search skills?

This is an opportunity to:

• Increase your confidence
• Identify and learn to market your skills
• Practice job interviews and telephone situations
• Learn about Canadian Business Culture
• Further develop your English language skills
• Develop a plan to reach your goals

Fee: FREE

Place: Calgary Immigrant Women's Association - 200, 138 - 4 Avenue S.E.

Classes begin: Monday, November 1, 2010; every Monday for six weeks (November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 & December 6)

Time: 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (bring your lunch)

Childcare: FREE (you must register for free childcare)

FOR MORE INFORMATION and TO REGISTER CONTACT:

Elaine - phone 403-262-5776 or e-mail employmentlifeskills@makingchangesassociation.ca

Silvia - phone 403-263-4414 (extension 118) or e-mail employment@ciwa-online.com

Making Changes is offered through the Calgary Immigrant Women's Association and funded by Alberta Employment & Immigration and the Government of Canada

BVC Alumnus and Interior Decorator, Alykhan Velji to offer Decor Tours through Continuing Education

You have probably seen him on Breakfast Television or HGTV ... Calgary's local celebrity decorator, Alykhan Velji (Interior Decorating & Merchandising 2003) has teamed up with Continuing Education at Bow Valley College to offer Decor Tours to help do-it-yourself decorators give their homes the look and feel of a professionally decorated space.

Aly will be doing four Decor Excursions to local retailers and offering his keen eye and professional advice to participants as part of Continuing Education's Live a Better Life series beginning September 25.

The first 5 alumni who register will also receive a free entry to this year's Home + Interior Design Show - where you can also see a display by current Interior Decorating and Merchandising Diploma students.

Register today and Live a Better Life!
Decor Excursions are $49 each
Register online or by phone: 403-410-1400 or www.bowvalleycollege.ca/apply

Support the BVCAA and get magazine subscriptions for LESS!!!

Attention BVC Alumni and Friends!

The BVCAA has entered into a partnership with QSP to offer BVC Alumni and friends the opportunity to buy your favourite magazine subscriptions at a discounted price. Subscriptions are great gifts (or even a nice treat to give yourself)! Check out http://www.qsp.ca/ for prices and available subscriptions.

4th Annual International Thanksgiving is just around the corner ...

Back in 2007, when the Bow Valley College Alumni Association (BVCAA) was created, the first official alumni event was a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for 30 International alumni. The dinner was planned in acknowledgement of the support and continued engagement shown to the College by International alumni.

In the years since, the International Alumni Thanksgiving dinner has become a permanent fixture in the BVCAA event calendar and has more than doubled in size. We are currently planning for the 4th annual dinner and invite all International and Corporate Readiness Training Program Alumni to attend. This year's event details are as follows:

Tuesday, October 5

Fort Calgary, Sanders Room

750 - 9 Avenue S.E.

6:30 - 9:00 p.m.

International and CRTP Alumni are invited to RSVP by September 30 to reserve a seat.

Calgary Vipers are play-off bound!

The Vipers led the second half of the 2010 season in the North division of the Golden Baseball League with an 8-2 record in their last 10 games.

On September 7, the Vipers began the defense of their 2010 Golden Baseball League Championship in the North Division Championship Series on the road against the Chico Outlaws, overall leaders in the North division.

The Vipers bring it home on Friday, September 10 in the best of five series; first pitch at 7:05 p.m., Foothills Stadium. Due to heavy rain on Wednesday, September 8 game two in Chico, California was cancelled. The remainder of the series will be played at Foothills Stadium in Calgary September 10-13; currently the Outlaws lead the series 1-0.

Plan a family night out and catch some professional baseball play-off action by taking advantage of special ticket pricing for BVCAA members by showing your alumni card!

Check out player stats here.

Check out league standings here.

Check out the play-off schedule here.

Check Calgary Vipers main website for the latest Vipers news here.

Cirque de Soleil "KOOZA" is coming to Calgary!

Get inspired with Cirque du Soleil!

Experience the acrobatic adrenaline rush of KOOZA from Cirque du Soleil, for less.

As a member of the Bow Valley College Alumni Association, you can take advantage of:

~ Family 4-pack - two adult and two child tickets for one great price (packages starting at $138)

This exotic visual world full of surprises , thrills and chills will spark creativity in all who experience it. KOOZA explores themes of fear, identity, recognition and power, and highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility.

KOOZA opens in Calgary under the Grand Chapiteau at Stampede Park on September 16.

Book your tickets today for your KOOZA experience, click here for details.

The BVCAA goes on the road for Rewards of Recognition and Rejuvenation

As part of an ongoing initiative to strengthen our ties with alumni in helping professions with the help of funding from RBC Foundation, the BVCAA has been taking nominations from supervisors, clients and co-workers of BVC Alumni who are working as LPNs, Health Care Aides, Education Assistants, Early Learning and Child Care workers or Personal Care Attendants. On Thursday, June 17 the BVCAA awarded Amanda LeClaire (Practical Nurse program, 2003) with the first official BVCAA and RBC Foundation sponsored Reward of Recognition and Rejuvenation.

The following letter was submitted on Amanda's behalf by her co-worker, Marie Boczkowski, at Lethbridge Community Care. It speaks to the good work being done in the community by Bow Valley College Alumni.

I would like to tell you about an awesome person that I work with, her name is Amanda LeClaire. I work with Amanda is Community Care in Lethbridge. She goes the extra mile and is the sweetest, smartest, most caring LPN. She always has a kind word and helping hands for whoever needs them.

She recently had the opportunity to care for an elderly man who had undergone treatment for cancer, this gentleman had a difficult time talking after he returned home and had a tube feed. Amanda would spend extra time assisting him and caring for the tube dressing; she would give him the attention he required to allow him to let her know what he needed, even when he just wanted to tell her about himself and his life. Amanda would place calls to Calgary to arrange for dressing supplies and tube feeds and make calls to arrange his follow-up appointments.

This client thinks she is the best. I did not have the opportunity to ask him if I could add his name to this nomination letter, but I know that he would not have hesitated in letting me do so. This gentleman no longer has his tube feed and is doing quite well, I know that he looked forward to Amanda's home visits and will miss her.

Amanda is a credit to the LPN profession and she will do great things during the course of her career. I am priveleged to be able to work with her.

Amanda graduated from the Bow Valley College Practical Nurse program which was brokered to Lethbridge College in 2003.

Sincerely, Marie Boczkowski
Marie (left) and Amanda (right) are show above at the celebration for Amanda on June 17 at Lethbridge Community Care - Lethbridge Centre location

The staff at Lethbridge Community Care celebrated the award alongside Amanda by gathering for the presentation (and delicious Crave cupcakes) and presenting her with a card signed by everyone in the office. Alberta Health Services also had members of their communications team out to write an article on Amanda and her work as an LPN in the Lethbridge community.

Nominations for the Rewards of Recognition and Rejuvenation program will be accepted on an ongoing basis. If you have an employee, co-worker or are a client of an exemplary BVC Alumnus working in a helping profession please contact the BVCAA at alumni@bowvalleycollege.ca