RDP & The Brenda Strafford Foundation Sign MOU

Aug 21, 2025
Dr. Tonya WOlfe, Tony Weeks, and Catherine Laing stand smiling in front of RDP and CLIQ banners

(l-r): Dr. Tonya Wolfe, Associate Vice President, Applied Research, RDP; Tony Weeks, President & CEO, Brenda Strafford Foundation; Catherine Laing, Vice President, Dr. Barrie Strafford Centre for Learning, Innovation & Quality

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) and the Dr. Barrie Strafford Centre for Learning, Innovation, and Quality (CLIQ) at The Brenda Strafford Foundation have entered into a strategic partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This collaboration aims to advance applied research, training and economic development with a shared focus on improving care for Alberta’s aging population.

Central to this partnership is Project CARE (Co-Creating Advancement in Resident Experience), an initiative designed to enhance the quality of life for individuals living in continuing care. By bringing together academic expertise and real-world insight, the project will address complex challenges in senior care through innovative, individualized approaches.

“We are dedicated to collaborating with industry partners to foster dynamic education, training and applied research opportunities for RDP students,” says Dr. Tonya Wolfe, Associate Vice President, Applied Research. “This partnership with The Brenda Strafford Foundation will focus on resident-centered care, integrating technology and data with applied research to help elevate the care experience, both from a resident and care worker perspective.”

Through Project CARE, CLIQ will work alongside RDP students, faculty, and staff to develop inventive, evidence-informed solutions that improve aging care, senior living, community support systems, and international health care. This collaboration strengthens the Polytechnic’s applied research ecosystem while contributing to broader health care innovation.

“Partnerships like this are essential to advancing the future of continuing care,” said Catherine Laing, Vice President of CLIQ. “By working alongside RDP through Project CARE, we can connect research and innovation directly to the lived experiences of residents and care teams.”

This initiative exemplifies RDP’s commitment to fostering social development across Alberta through responsible stewardship, while furthering CLIQ’s mission to deliver innovative, high-quality, person-centred care that supports overall well-being and enriches lives.

In addition to local impact, findings from Project CARE will be shared with organizations across the sector, extending the reach of its outcomes and fostering knowledge exchange that benefits the wider community.

This MOU aligns closely with the Polytechnic’s 2030 Strategic Plan: Productivity and Social Impact. It supports strategic drivers such as enhanced partnerships, learner impact, research and creation, program mix and delivery, and innovation ecosystem spaces.

Students from a range of disciplines including nursing, psychology, kinesiology, business, computer science, and engineering technology will have opportunities to participate in Project CARE with CLIQ, gaining real-world experiences while making meaningful contributions to the future of continuing care. The students will be supported by research staff from the Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing – Technology Access Centre (CIM-TAC), Data Driven Innovation Research, and HealthTech Innovation Research.

Learn more about research and innovation at RDP

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