News

Meet the CEN: Shayla Walker, Fund Program Manager

Shayla Walker manages our two funding programs—the CUES Fund and the PRE Fund—and plays a key role in bridging UBC with community partners across BC.

Celebrating Our Work Learn Students’ Journeys: Q&A with Lucy Forderer

In this latest Work Learn Q&A, hear from our Communications Assistant, Lucy Forderer, who reflects on her time with us from September 2024 to April 2025.

Apply for the 2025 Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund

Get up to $1,500 to fill small resource gaps so community partners can build reciprocal relationships with UBC students, faculty and staff.

Stories of Partnership: Central Okanagan Food Bank and UBC Okanagan Faculty of Management

In the fourth episode of our Stories of Partnership series, the Central Okanagan Food Bank and UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Management talk about how their partnership began and has evolved, share key practices that have helped sustain their work, and deeply explore the important role of research for nonprofits, mutual benefits and ripple effects for universities, and how flexibility and frank, proactive communication are a bedrock for healthy, reciprocal partnership. 

Meet the 2025 Recipients of UBC’s Community-University Engagement Support Fund 

This year, $727,014 was awarded to 30 community-led projects across B.C., supporting community-driven initiatives that advance collaborative research, teaching, and learning.

Challenges in Partnered Research: Achieving Sustainability in Engaged Research

In this episode, discover strategies to tackle financial challenges, ethical considerations, and trust in engaged research. Learn about the importance of community involvement, the difference between reciprocity and transaction, and visions for the future of community-based research.

Meet the CEN: Angela Han, Community Engagement Strategist, UBC Okanagan

Angela Han is the Community Engagement Strategist with UBC Okanagan’s University Relations team. Learn how Angela helps build respectful, reciprocal partnerships across the Okanagan, how listening to community needs informs her work, and how a collaboration with the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce is helping local businesses navigate U.S. tariffs.

Bringing Together Nations for Grizzly Bear Stewardship: A Collaborative Summit in Southern British Columbia

The Joint Nations Grizzly Bear Summit, held in June 2024, brought together Indigenous leadership, settler scientists, and governmental agencies to explore approaches for grizzly bear recovery.

Stories of Partnership: hua foundation and UBC ACRE + ACAM

Listen to the third CEN “Stories of Partnership” podcast, produced in partnership with UBC’s ACAM. This episode features christina lee from hua foundation, John Paul (JP) Catungal from ACRE, and Szu Shen from ACAM. Hear how they co-deliver ACAM320J and about their decade-long partnership.

Meet the CEN: Karen Chu, Innovation Partnerships Manager

Karen Chu serves as the Innovation Partnerships Manager at UBC’s Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation. In this interview, Karen shares her insights on building effective partnerships and aligning mutual goals to address critical societal challenges.

Challenges in Partnered Research: The Power of Storytelling in Collaborative Research 

In this episode, learn how storytelling though a variety of mediums, namely comics, podcasts, and apps, are powerful tools for engaging audiences, securing research funding, and delivering impactful messages. 

Creatrix Rising: Exploring Stories Through Art 

The Archway Society for Domestic Peace collaborate with UBCO student to launch Creatrix Rising. This transformative program combined art workshops and a public exhibition to support and celebrate women survivors of domestic and sexual violence. 

Supporting Climate Resilience in Vancouver’s DTES through Peer-Led Cool Down Stations and Kits

EMBERS Eastside Works, UBC Learning Exchange, and partners across Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) collaborated to provide crucial support to vulnerable DTES residents during the summer’s hottest days.

Community Engagement’s 2024 Annual Report

In 2024, the office engaged over 1,600 community partners, faculty, staff, and students through funding, programs, and events. Learn more in our inaugural annual report.

Challenges in Partnered Research: Should I Start a Non-Profit?

In this episode of “Challenges in Partnered Research,” Dr. Paul Kershaw & Dr. Elaine Leung discuss how starting a non-profit organization could advance their policy-relevant research and community change initiatives.  

Meet the CEN: Donna Langille, UBCO Open Education Librarian

Donna Langille is the Open Education Librarian at UBC Okanagan. Hear about the impact of libraries and librarians in community-university engagement, and Donna’s recent collaborations.

Stories of Partnership: Kelowna Museums and UBC Okanagan Library

Listen to the second CEN “Stories of Partnership” podcast featuring Erik Beardmore from Kelowna Museums, and UBCO Library’s Donna Langille and Christian Isbister. Discover how they collaborated on the Okanagan QueerStory podcast and Kelowna’s first Queer Zine Fair, as well as their future plans to celebrate and amplify Kelowna’s queer history.

Meet the CEN: Mandy Young, Community Engagement Coordinator

Mandy Young is the Community Engagement Coordinator for Patient and Community Partnership for Education in the Office of UBC Health. A dedicated patient partner and caregiver, Mandy works to integrate patient perspectives into the education of future healthcare professionals.

Challenges in Partnered Research: Professor Moura Quayle, Associate Provost, UBC Vancouver

Adriaan de Jager, UBC’s Associate Vice-President of Government Relations and Community Engagement, interviews Professor Moura Quayle, UBC Vancouver’s Associate Provost. They discuss the evolving role of universities, navigating academic structures, fostering innovation, and strengthening knowledge exchange with the community.

Lingít: a Love Language for Community — Children of the Taku Society and UBCO Partner to Document Language Reclamation and Resilience

In this episode, we speak with K’èdukà Jack, executive director of the Children of the Taku Society, and Dr. Christine Schreyer, an associate professor at UBC Okanagan. They discuss their collaborative efforts to document language loss and revitalization, and how this work is strengthening cultural identity and community resilience.

Demystifying UBC’s Financial System: Supporting Fair and Timely Payments for Community Partners

In this Partnering in Research workshop, hosted on November 7, 2024, Ryan Brown, UBC Community Engagement, and Sam Filipenko, UBC Indigenous Research Support Initiative, correct some common misconceptions about UBC’s financial system and share practical tips for navigating the payment systems, managing typical challenges, and processing timely, equitable compensation that can help to strengthen and sustain community-university relationships.

Feeding the Community: How Little Mountain Neighbourhood House and the UBC Farm Practicum Are Tackling Food Insecurity

Learn how the UBC Farm Practicum and Little Mountain Neighbourhood House have been tackling food insecurity for the past four years, featuring interviews with key contributors to the initiative.

Building a Veteran-Friendly Campus: Legion Partners with UBC to Support Military-Connected Students

PRE Funded Project | Read about how the Royal Canadian Legion’s UBC Branch and UBC’s IVET joined forces to explore challenges faced by veterans and military-connected individuals at UBC.

Challenges in Partnered Research: Navigating Conflict in Partnered Research

In this episode, learn how to navigate and embrace conflict in partnered research to create stronger, more equitable partnerships and outcomes.

Meet the Summer Recipients of UBC’s 2024 Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund

From advancing Indigenous rights in Kaska Dena Traditional Territory to building seed-saving infrastructure at UBC Farm, this season’s projects showcase the diverse ways in which communities are partnering with UBC students, faculty, and staff.

Stories of Partnership: AMSSA & UBC’s Centre for Migration Studies 

Listen to the first CEN “Stories of Partnership” podcast featuring the CEO of AMSSA, Katie Crocker, and UBC CMS’ Antje Ellermann, Sean Lauer and Javier Ojer. Hear about their longstanding partnership and gain valuable insights on the importance of relationship building.

Indigenous Leadership in Wildfire Management: Implementing Lessons Learned from Secwepemcúl’ecw 

CUES Funded Project | Discover how the project, “implementing lessons learned from Secwepemcúl’ecw,” has enhanced Indigenous leadership in wildfire management and resilience across BC

Peachland and the Watershed Ecosystems Project Work Together to Promote Collaborative Watershed Science and Governance 

PRE Funded Project | Read about how the Watershed Ecosystems Research Cluster Team partnered with Peachland to promote community collaboration on watershed science and governance

The Fraser Estuary Radio Explores Estuary Preservation and Mobilizes Public Action 

PRE Funded Project | Learn about how the Fraser Estuary Radio promotes estuary preservation and mobilizes public engagement through diverse, interdisciplinary content.

Meet the Spring Recipients of UBC’s 2024 Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund 

This spring’s PRE recipients have formed valuable partnerships with UBC students, faculty, and staff who are passionate about making differences in their communities. 

Exploring the Future of STEAM: UBCO’s Expo of Awesome Inspires the Next Generation

PRE Funded Project | The Expo of Awesome celebrated the ingenuity and curiosity of young minds, bringing over 1,000 participants to campus for an exploration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM). 

Valuable Insights From Defining and Describing Community-Engaged Scholarship for Promotion and Tenure with Dr. Emily Janke

Watch and explore key takeaways from the Partnering in Research Workshop, “Defining and Describing Community Engaged Scholarship for Promotion and Tenure” with Emily Janke

Celebrating Our Work Learn Students’ Journeys: Q&A with Kaialuna Scarpetta-Lee 

Kaialuna Scarpetta-Lee shares insights from their experiences and responsibilities during their Work learn term, reflects on key learnings, and discusses their favourite projects.

Celebrating Our Work Learn Students’ Journeys: Q&A with Lisa Kariuki 

Our latest Q&A features Lisa Kariuki, one of our office’s Work Learn students. Lisa reflects on her time with Community Engagement, favourite moments and more.

Hogan’s Alley Society Partners with UBC Students to Combat Anti-Black Racism in Social Work

In the summer of 2022, Hogan’s Alley Society founding director Lama Mugabo collaborated with a team of five UBC students to create an Anti-Racism in Social Work Toolkit.

Apply to the 2024 Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund

Get up to $1,500 to fill small resource gaps so community partners can build reciprocal relationships with UBC students, faculty and staff.

Folil Trafün: Connecting Afro-descendant, Indigenous and Latin American Communities in the Lower Mainland Through Film

In the fall of 2023, the Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre (VLACC), Ficwallmapu, and UBC’s Faculty of Forestry collaborated to highlight and celebrate Indigenous and Afro-diaspora films from Latin America.

Black History Month: Resources for Engaging with Black Communities Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 

Engaging, learning and working with Black communities is not a once-a-year issue when Black History Month comes around in February. Community engagement is about building reciprocal relationships which takes time, meaningful effort and, most importantly, trust.

Meet the Winter Recipients of UBC’s 2023 Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund 

From working with First Nations to restore land along the Fraser Watershed to combating ageism through theatre and performance, this winter’s projects showcase the diverse ways in which communities are partnering with UBC students, faculty, and staff on community initiatives.

Lessons from a Partnership: How United Way BC, UBC’s School of Public Policy, and the Office of Community Engagement Collaborated on a Public Policy Event

Reflecting on the collaborative success of “The Age of Disruption in Public Policy: DRIPA and Social Media” event, we share valuable insights for future collaborations including leveraging unique strengths, shared leadership, and clear communication.

Breathing life back into their language: A collaborative e-dictionary project with Klahoose, Tla’amin, Homalco, and K’ómoks Nations

Today, fewer than 47 native speakers of ʔayʔaǰuθəm remain, all of whom are over the age of 60. To help preserve their traditional language, four sister nations—Klahoose, Tla’amin, Homalco, and K’ómoks—are working alongside researchers from UBC and the University of Alberta to develop an ʔayʔaǰuθəm e-dictionary.

Three takeaways from our November CEN session: How UBC staff are integrating Indigenous ways of knowing into their community engagement work

On November 9, the Community Engagement Network gathered to talk about how UBC staff are integrating Indigenous ways of knowing into their community engagement work.

How to hire a UBC student: Four UBC resources for community partners 

Does your organization need extra help this year? Consider hiring a student from UBC. Whether for an internship, volunteer role, or paid position, UBC offers several ways for organizations to hire talented students from both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan.  

Meet the CEN: Kshamta Hunter, Manager of Transformative Learning and Student Engagement

In our third interview, we introduce Kshamta Hunter, the Manager of Transformative Learning and Student Engagement within the Sustainability Hub at UBC.

Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation and UBC Forestry Students Collaborate to Shape the Future of Fire Stewardship 

PRE Funded Project | The Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation and students from UBC Forestry are working together to find community-driven and decolonized solutions to wildfires in British Columbia. 

Meet the summer recipients of UBC’s 2023 Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund

From supporting parents of children with speech delays to exploring Indigenous-led solutions to wildfires, this summer’s projects showcase the diverse ways in which communities are partnering with UBC students, faculty, and staff on reciprocal initiatives.

A Sustainable Approach to Collecting Unwanted Items during Student Residence Move-Out 

PRE Funded Project | Each spring, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central and Southern Interior of BC partners with UBCO’s Student Housing to collect and sell donated clothing and household items in the thrift market.