2025 has been a banner year for Wider Horizons magazine: named the 2025 Magazine of the Year at the Alberta Magazine Awards; the silver recipient at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Circle of Excellence competition; and the winner of the Best of CASE District VIII award for alumni/general interest magazine. 

This Lethbridge Polytechnic publication is quite unique for an alumni magazine, in that it’s not only distributed to both alumni and to community members, but the wider appeal is part of their editorial goals. Their nomination for Magazine of the Year describes how “the goal when planning, writing, illustrating and editing Wider Horizons is to tell great stories. Because of our diverse audience, we strive to make sure that even if someone picks up the magazine and has no connection to the Polytechnic, they are still drawn in to read it.”

We connected with Tina Karst, Wider Horizons senior writer and editor, about how the magazine is resonating with the community. There’s the broad appeal of “The Human Future of AI” in the Fall 2025 issue, a Q & A with Juno Award-winning musician David Usher from when he was on campus for a presentation (also open to community members). As Tina wrote in her Editor’s Message for the issue: “His work invites us to see AI not as a threat, but as a tool to amplify what makes us human: curiosity, imagination and connection with others.”

And while the other features in the Fall 2025 issue—“Beyond the Uniform” about veterans pursuing new education and careers, and “Safe, Seen, Supported” about campus-based peer support recovery groups—are a bit more Polytechnic focussed, but the storytelling is equally engaging, “while also offering practical service information that readers can use,” shares Tina. 

The Spring 2025 issue includes the eye-catching photo essay “Polytech After Dark” about the activities taking place on campus after hours. While many of the photos are specific to students and student activities, the accompanying story shares the many ways the Lethbridge community is accessing campus spaces and programs through fitness classes, wellness services, the Community Integration Through Art – Pissatsinaskssini peer support program, and with club meetings throughout the evenings. As Tina describes it, “the feature is an open invitation to the community to check out everything we have going on after hours.”

The Wider Horizons community isn’t limited to Lethbridge or the Polytechnic either! The Fall 2025 and their issue archive is available for free online for anyone to enjoy. Take a read and be part of the conversation.