Celebrating a Hall of Fame Award

Lakehead University's Orillia campus is feeling a lot of love right now.

Its Office of Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (CELL) received the highest honour possible in the 2025 OrilliaMatters Community Builders Awards.

CELL has been inducted into the Community Builders Hall of Fame for its profound and lasting impact on the broader community.

"This award recognizes that CELL fosters relationships between countless instructors and countless lifelong learners of all ages," says Lakehead Orillia Principal Dr. Linda Rodenburg—and CELL's first director.

"We're always focused on being responsive to industry and community needs and interests," agrees current CELL Director Nicky Locker. "CELL allows people to forge new learning pathways, which may eventually lead to more formalized and degree programs, although that's not our main focus," she says.

CELL Director Nicky Locker (left), Bob Bowles (centre), and Lakehead University Administrative Officer and Executive Assistant Leigh Kenderdine (right) celebrate at the 2025 OrilliaMatters awards ceremony. Bob, who runs CELL's Ontario Master Naturalist Program, received a Community Builders Award for his environmental work.

Community is a Two-Way Street

CELL's programs, courses, and workshops have become hugely popular with Simcoe County residents—whether it's the Third Age Learning Lakehead (TALL) lecture series for seniors or the Ontario Master Naturalist Program for community members who want to learn more about the natural world and environmental stewardship.

Community members learn about spring wildflowers during a May 2025 Ontario Master Naturalist Workshop.

Locker is just as enthusiastic about CELL's programming for local high school students. "Our tourism Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) and environmental sustainability SHSM really help young people zero in on their career pathways."

CELL also offers professional development opportunities, including the Executive Leadership Program, and responsive programming for municipal and regional economic development offices and local organizations. 

Putting the Human in the Humanities

One of CELL's flagship programs is Humanities 101. "It gives people facing socioeconomic barriers a taste of the university experience and empowers them to become lifelong learners," Dr. Rodenburg says. "It's a true reminder that access to education enables people to change their lives, and the world around them, for the better."

 The 2025 graduates of the Humanities 101 program proudly hold up their certificates of completion.

"Humanities 101 is very dear to my heart because it welcomes people to campus who might otherwise not find opportunities to engage," Locker says. "Access and inclusion are at the forefront of everything we do."

Dr. Rodenburg says that Humanities 101 graduates have inspired her both as an educator and as a human being.

"One student taking the course was staying at a women's shelter. Afterwards, she was empowered to earn honours and master's degrees in social work at Lakehead. During her social work program, she chose to do a placement at the same shelter so she could help other women in crisis."

It's All About Connection

"Every day I meet new people and organizations and find new opportunities to create innovative programming," Locker says.

Recently, CELL partnered with Inclusive Orillia for Pride Month and this August, the Orillia Museum of Art and History will be hosting a children's day camp on Lakehead's campus for the first time.

This spirit of friendship and curiosity has driven CELL since its beginnings.

"I don't think Lakehead Orillia ever decided to 'start CELL,' but rather CELL grew out of a genuine desire to meet the learning needs of diverse members of our community," Dr. Rodenburg explains.

"As a founding Lakehead Orillia faculty member, I led the inaugural 'Meet the Professors' lecture series. It was a forum for faculty members to share their research and teaching interests with the community."

Dr. Linda Rodenburg (right) presents Anne Hilliard (left) with the Orillia Civitas Award at Lakehead’s June 2025 convocation ceremony. Anne is the community advisory committee chair of the CELL program, Third Age Learning at Lakehead (TALL).

CELL blossomed from this community-outreach initiative. Now, almost 20 years later, being given the OrilliaMatters Community Builders Hall of Fame award is a moving affirmation that Lakehead remains a community university at its core.

"We're committed to serving beyond the walls of the campus in this wonderful community we call home," Locker says.