NIAGARA COLLEGE HOLDS SPRING OPEN HOUSE

SPRING OPEN HOUSE IS ONE OF THE COLLEGE'S BIGGEST ANNUAL EVENTS

Niagara College is set to swing open its doors and welcome prospective students this weekend.

Campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake are hosting open houses Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There, potential students and their families can tour the facilities, talk to professors, learn about life as a Niagara College Knight and get some tips on how to make college life the best it can be.

"They're not only going to see classrooms and lecture

halls, but we provide our guests with experiences so that they can see firsthand

the unique hands-on experiential education Niagara College offers," said

Dorita Pentesco, senior director of marketing and student recruitment.

The college typically holds open houses in the fall and spring, though those were hampered somewhat during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pentesco said they're happy to be able to offer essentially the full open house again and hope to see another 3,000 prospective students this weekend.

Beyond touring the campuses, visitors will be able to take in demonstrations. At the Welland campus, that includes massage therapy demonstrations and watching paramedic students using stretchers and mannequins, and more. At the Daniel J. Patterson campus, there's a gnocchi production demonstration, deconstructed Riesling tasting and wine faults triangle test, and more.

Additionally, Pentesco said visitors will be able to get some of their most burning questions answered. Historically, Pentesco said those questions have fallen into three categories: Academics, financials and life on campus.

"We want to make that a comfortable experience because there's a lot to consider when you're choosing a post-secondary (school) and what it's going to be like. Open house is great for that," she said.

While people are welcome to stop by during the open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Pentesco is encouraging prospective students to register in advance to both save time and enter a chance to win a prize. Anyone who registered by Thursday will be entered to win one of 10 $100 Amazon gift cards or a $3,000 tuition credit for the 2023-24 school year.

For more information or to register, visit niagaracollege.ca/openhouse.