Oleksandr (Sasha) Kondrashov, PhD

Last Updated: March 2020

Course History

The course was first delivered in winter 2017 at TRU, once per week for 1 hour (12 hours in total). In 2018 the course was delivered both in Kamloops community and TRU and in 2019 the course was offered online and in person at TRU. In 2020 the course was scheduled to be delivered at Hills of Peace but was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Course Description

This course explores the challenges and opportunities that are experienced by people living in Kamloops, BC. The range of topics covered in the course is structured around finding resources to meet everyday needs and learning how to fully actualize oneself while living in Kamloops, BC. Course participants will acquire the knowledge and skills that are needed for active living in Kamloops, BC using available community resources. Each class focuses on how to utilize local resources to meet selected everyday needs. The course target group are people of Kamloops who are interested in learning about the city and its community resources to meet everyday needs. The topics include: History of the city, Housing, Banking, Shopping, Healthy Eating, Arts, Social Services, TRU, Recreation, Tourism, Health care and Child and Family Services in Kamloops.

Educational Objectives/Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Identify community services in Kamloops to meet everyday needs
2. Create an asset-map of local resources to address selected community concerns
3. Write professional reviews for selected community services
4. Connect with local community resources.

Course Materials

Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training (2015). British Columbia newcomers’ guide to resources and services. Kamloops Edition. Retrieved online from https://www.welcomebc.ca/getmedia/f2734a06-906d-48cd-8d74-4de88a65431e/Kamloops-NG-2015.pdf.aspx

Kondrashov, O. (Ed.) (2020). Welcome to Kamloops. E-book.

Student Evaluation & Assessment

Topics Covered/Course Content

Welcome to Kamloops: History of the city. Indigenous People of Kamloops
Housing in Kamloops: How to rent, buy or sell house/apartment in Kamloops
Banking in Kamloops: How to satisfy all the banking needs in the city
Health Care in Kamloops: Where you can meet all your health needs in Kamloops and area
TRU and Kamloops: University role in meeting community needs.
Child and Family Kamloops: How to raise children successfully using local resources.
Social Services in Kamloops: How to meet your basic needs for Kamloops residents and newcomers
Shopping in Kamloops: Best places to shop locally and enhance food security
Arts in Kamloops: Best places to learn about arts and meet local artists.
Healthy Eating in Kamloops: Practical tips for healthy eating using local resources
Recreation in Kamloops:  Tips for active living in Kamloops
Tourism Kamloops: Popular tours and local hidden gems in Kamloops area. Class Potluck

Course Schedule