The Niagara Community Foundation is giving a $100,000 grant to Niagara College to help expand its dental teaching and community care clinic.
The grant is being made to Niagara College’s Together Campaign and is coming from the Niagara Community Foundation’s David S. Howes Fund. The money will help to increase community access to low-cost dental care and allow more dental students to enter the workforce.
“NCF is honoured to support the expansion of the Dental Clinic at Niagara College,” said Niagara Community Foundation Executive Director Bryan Rose. “The priorities of the David S. Howes Fund specifically outline healthcare and post-secondary education as top priorities. This type of program alignment not only fulfills the philanthropic wishes of the late Mr. Howes, but supports the pressing needs of the community.”
David S. Howes was both born and raised in St. Catharines and was well-known in the community for his philanthropic efforts, including in the areas of healthcare and education. Howes passed away in 2015 after a battle with cancer and a fund was started in his honour.
The Niagara Community Foundation grant will filly equip a dental operatory, including an automated dental chair, modern delivery systems, sink, instruments, storage, and specialized clinical equipment. The new clinic will have 40 operatories, which is an increase from the present 24.
The expanded dental clinic will be part of the 75,000 square foot Health Education building, which is presently under construction at Niagara College’s Welland Campus. The building is expected to be completed next year. The new space will allow for the doubling of enrolments for the dental hygiene and dental assisting programs. It will also allow students to provide dental care for 3,000 community members, double the number who currently receive treatment.
Niagara College’s Dental Clinic offers hands-on training for students in both the dental hygiene and dental assisting programs, while offering low-cost dental care to the community. This includes preventative services and basic restorative services. While patient care is delivered by students, it is supervised by dental professionals as part of Niagara College’s applied learning approach.
“We are very excited about the future of our growing dental programs and community dental clinic,” said Associate Dean Michelle Thibault of the School of Allied Health Studies. “The new facility will support increased enrolment, enhance the learning experience of our students, and strengthen our ability to provide essential dental care, promote oral health, prevent oral disease, and improve the overall well-being of individuals and families across the Niagara region.”
The Niagara Community Foundation was established in 2000 and has raised over $100 million since then. It has also given more than $41 million to charities working in the arts, heritage, environment, social services, health, education, and community development sectors.
Jay Goldberg is the Canadian Affairs Manager at the Consumer Choice Center. He previously served as the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
