Private donations fund new Fanshawe program

Fanshawe College's St. Thomas/Elgin campus is celebrating the generous private donations they recently received for their new program that will continue to grow Fanshawe's reputation as an innovative leader in the community. This money will support Fanshawe's Renewable Energies Technician program, providing students with both theoretical and practical understandings of evolving renewable energy technology, specifically focusing on systems that harness and generate solar, wind, biomass and geothermal energy. The program will introduce general concepts in global climate change and energy conservation.

The Dorothy Palmer Estate and the Alma College Foundation donated a total of $500,000. "This is a very exciting program announcement for the St. Thomas/Elgin Campus of Fanshawe College," said Heather Jackson-Chapman, the Mayor of St. Thomas. "It will provide opportunities for workers displaced due to plant closures in the region and will help us capitalize on new energy technologies. The investment from the Dorothy Palmer Estate and the Alma College Foundation will help to create a one-of-a-kind program that will attract students in a growing green energy field."

Dorothy Palmer was born in 1925 and lived and worked as a teacher in Elgin County up until her death in June 2010. Her estate donated $405,000 to Fanshawe College. "We are proud to share in Mrs. Palmer's legacy by building a program that will provide opportunities in St. Thomas, help create and respond to needs in the renewable energy industry and ultimately contribute to a healthier environment," said Lane Trotter, Fanshawe's Senior Vice President, Academic. "Mrs. Palmer has left an inspiring gift for all of us."

Alma College was founded in 1877 as a private school for girls that attracted students from around the world for 100 years. In 1976, it was designated a provincial historical site but was destroyed in a fire in 2008. The Alma College Foundation was raising funds to rejuvenate the facility before its main building was destroyed, leaving the foundation looking for another worthy cause to support.

The Alma College Foundation's dedication to growing education in the St. Thomas/Eglin region led them to make their donation to Fanshawe College. "Through this gift from the Alma College foundation we are creating a new program that will continue the fine legacy of education that was important to Alma College and its alumnae," said Catherine Finlayson, the Executive Director of the Fanshawe College Foundation.

Andrew Gunn is both a Trustee of the Estate of Dorothy Palmer and the President of the Alma College Foundation. "With the establishment of the Renewable Energies Technician program at the St. Thomas campus of Fanshawe College, the opportunity now exists for the City of St. Thomas to become recognized as a leading centre for the study of renewable energy in Ontario and indeed the whole country. As links are fostered with partners in the green energy industry, the economic benefit to our region should be substantial," he said. "I feel very fortunate to have been able to support this project. It is truly exciting to think of all the students from Elgin County and beyond who will benefit from this innovative and distinctive program."

This money will be used to provide equipment and facilities for the Renewable Energies Technician program, which will begin in September this year.