UNews - Lethbridge Polytechnic

Post-secondary pancake breakfast now in its third year

caroline.zentner — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 20:44:08 +0000

Once again, Lethbridge Polytechnic and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge are inviting the public to a free pancake breakfast during Whoop-Up Days.

The breakfast runs from 9 to 11 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 22, in Rotary Square outside of Casa (230 8 St. S.). Current and future students, alumni, employees and friends of both institutions are invited to don their school colours and attend the free event along with polytechnic and university mascots, Kodi and Luxie, who are known to gobble up flapjacks as fast as their paws will let them.

“We are excited to team up with Lethbridge Polytechnic for the third annual post-secondary pancake breakfast,” says Dr. Digvir Jayas, ULethbridge president and vice-chancellor. “Our two institutions are part of the fabric of Lethbridge and southern Alberta, and we will continue to work together for the benefit of this region we call home.”

The post-secondary sector in Lethbridge plays a vital role in the area’s economy. In addition to drawing top-notch talent to the area, the teaching and research efforts from both institutions lead to insights, developments and innovations that benefit everyone.

“The post-secondary breakfast is a great way to celebrate our shared commitment to community and collaboration,” says Dr. Brad Donaldson, president and CEO of Lethbridge Polytechnic. “Whether you’re a student, alumni or just love free breakfast, we hope to see you downtown to chat, celebrate and enjoy some post-secondary spirit.”

The breakfast, which includes pancakes and sausages, will be prepared by the Lethbridge Polytechnic Culinary program. Music students from ULethbridge will provide background entertainment, and outdoor games will be available.

Local researchers connecting physical activity to cognitive function invited to European conference

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 16:45:33 +0000

Three research projects exploring the connection between physical exercise and cognitive function, led by a Lethbridge Polytechnic instructor and two ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students, and supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Councill (SSHRC) Exchange grant, have been selected for presentation at the European College of Sports Science (ECSS) annual conference in Rimini, Italy next month.

Researchers involved in the study, from left to right, are Xander Fox, Simon Schaerz and David Selles.

The projects are a result of collaboration between the polytechnic’s Centre for Health and Wellness, Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and students and alumni from both Lethbridge Polytechnic and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Dr. Simon Schaerz, instructor, Lethbridge Polytechnic Centre for Health and Wellness, and researcher, Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, says all three projects demonstrate that physical activity aids in building cognitive skills, particularly in youth.

“Physical exercise teaches more than just running and sports; it teaches teamwork, focus, problem solving and adapting to changing situations,” says Schaerz. “These are key concepts in cognitive development that could increase proficiency in tasks among youth, adults and elders.”

Schaerz will present a research project he led that considered the use of physical activity to improve executive function, including inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility, for the polytechnic’s esports team. Following moderate intensity cycling, participants were given skill testing tasks and then engaged in simulated gameplay.

Physical exercise can enhance cognitive development.

“Preliminary results show inhibitory control and working memory saw noticeable improvements,” he says. “These improvements, while telling, highlight the need for further assessment of the connection and significance between the two tasks.”

David Selles, a Lethbridge Polytechnic graduate (Digital Communications and Media, 2018) and current kinesiology student at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, developed a separate project that focused on creating a framework to help teachers in training develop physical education programs that support students’ executive function. Selles says by designing activities that challenge both body and mind, teachers can contribute to the growth of both students’ physical and cognitive development.

He adds previous research has shown how curriculum development and content integration can help educators merge exercise science with classroom instruction.

"Our goal with this research is to better equip teachers with an understanding of activities that not only provide executive function benefits but also align with current physical activity curriculum standards.”

Xander Fox, a recent bachelor of science graduate of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s kinesiology program, completed a project examining the use of progressive overload in long term exercise intervention trials to improve executive function. He describes progressive overload as the process of increasing physical challenges over time to enhance outcomes.

“We know resistance training can improve executive function,” says Fox. “While many studies have looked at long-term effects of variables, like frequency, intensity, time and type of exercise, few have considered dynamic adjustments of these variables, known as progressive overloads, and how they impact executive function.”

Fox performed a scoping review of published research and noted a lack of content for resistance training. Out of 493 articles initially screened, just two articles were found to specifically investigate the issue.

“Most research in this area tends to focus on older individuals and youth, particularly looking at cognitive decline and development, respectively,” he says. “Our hope is this work brings to light the gap in existing research.”

The ECSS annual conference runs from July 1 to 4.

*This story was first published by Lethbridge Polytechnic

Second annual Lethbridge Post-Secondary Pancake Breakfast to take place Aug. 23

caroline.zentner — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 15:40:11 +0000

It’s official, the Lethbridge Post-Secondary Pancake Breakfast is now an annual event! Lethbridge Polytechnic and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge are once again inviting the public to a free pancake breakfast during this year’s Whoop-Up Days celebration.

Kodi and Luxie are ready to flip — pancakes, that is!

The second annual breakfast runs from 9 a.m., Friday, Aug. 23 while supplies last in Rotary Square outside of Casa (230 8th St. S.). Current and future students, alumni, employees and friends of both institutions are invited to don their school colours to attend the free event alongside polytechnic and university mascots Kodi and Luxie — the two biggest pancake lovers in southern Alberta!

“Our first celebration was such a positive way to connect with our community, we’re really looking forward to continuing this collaboration with Lethbridge Polytechnic and sharing the excitement we have for Lethbridge and southern Alberta,” says Dr. Digvir Jayas, ULethbridge president and vice-chancellor. “Our institutions continue to find new pathways to work with one another and enhance the long-established tradition of supporting our region economically, socially and culturally.”

Lethbridge and communities across southern Alberta (and beyond) have benefited greatly from the teaching, research and community outreach activities of ULethbridge and Lethbridge Polytechnic.

“We are excited to team up with our university colleagues once again to celebrate community, collaboration and the start of a new academic year during one of the biggest events of the summer,” says Dr. Brad Donaldson, Lethbridge Polytechnic president and CEO. “As post-secondary institutions, we are dedicated to preparing the leaders and builders of tomorrow, and we look forward to sharing this passion with the community over breakfast next Friday. This is also a great chance for the community to come out to talk about our redesignation as a polytechnic and how this can benefit our communities.”

Members of the polytechnic’s Culinary program will prepare pancakes and other breakfast foods for the event. Attendees will also have the chance to play some outdoor games, and music students from ULethbridge will provide background entertainment. Everyone is welcome to attend!

UNews - Lethbridge Polytechnic

Post-secondary pancake breakfast now in its third year

Related Topics

Local researchers connecting physical activity to cognitive function invited to European conference

Related Topics

Second annual Lethbridge Post-Secondary Pancake Breakfast to take place Aug. 23

Related Topics