And The Oscar^® Goes To…Sheridan

Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, founded in 1967, has been producing innovative animators and digital media pioneers since the early 1970s.  Sheridan is one of Canada's premier polytechnic institutes and is dedicated to exceptional applied learning and graduate success.  The school serves close to 15,000 full-time students annually at its campuses in Oakville and Brampton, Ontario.

Sheridan is an award-winning school that prides itself on a reputation for leadership in the field of digital media studies.  Graduates of Sheridan include two Academy Award^® winners, Jon Minnis (1984) and Eric Armstrong (2003), and three nominees, Steve Williams (1994) James Straus (1996) and Erin Faith Young (2005).  Also in 2005, animation professor Kaj Pindal won an Emmy Award.

Stephen Mottershead, a 2002 Sheridan graduate, won at the November 2006 inaugural Hollywood Post Alliance Awards in Los Angeles.  Hollywood Post Alliance is the trade association representing Southern California-based businesses and individuals who create and finish motion pictures, television, commercials and digital media.  In addition to his television commercial credits, he also applies his craft to the production of music videos, often in partnership with fellow Sheridan graduate Chris Sargeant.

Innovation recognized in Canada too

A graduate and a faculty member of Sheridan were among the winners of the 21^st Annual Gemini Awards in November 2006.  Ericka Evans, a 2000 graduate, won a Gemini, and she is head of pre-school programming at TVOntario in Toronto.  Bob Culbert, a part-time instructor at Sheridan, won the Gemini Academy Achievement Award.  A 29-year CBC veteran, he is currently Vice President of Documentaries at CTV in Toronto.

Sheridan has won more—11 in total—Ontario Premier’s Awards than any other of Ontario’s 23 colleges.  The annual Premier’s Awards were introduced in 1992 (the 25^th anniversary of Ontario’s colleges) to honour the important social and economic contributions made by college graduates to the province.

Well-educated, loyal workforce

This culture of innovation is alive and well across Ontario.  Like the other 23 colleges in Ontario, Sheridan offers a wide range of programs and credentials including pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship training, certificate and graduate certificates, two- and three-year diplomas, and Bachelor's degrees in applied areas of study.

Along with Ontario’s 20 universities, these post-secondary institutions help students to reach their full potential and take on the world.  In fact, a higher percentage of Ontario workers have post-secondary education than in any G7 country.  Ontario is investing in the skills and future of students with the Reaching Higher Plan, a $6.2 billion investment in higher education.