News

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.

Meet the CEN: Staff Spotlight with Kat Cureton

In our second “Meet the CEN” interview, we introduce Kat Cureton, the Advisor at UBC Community Engagement and leader of the Community Engagement Network.

Apply to be a reviewer for the 2023/24 Community-University Engagement Support (CUES) Fund

Join a diverse group of UBC faculty, staff, and community leaders to review CUES fund proposals and make recommendations for funding. The reviewer role involves a one-time commitment from January 2 to February 21, 2024.

Apply for the 2023/24 Community-University Engagement Support Fund

Get up to $25,000 to support community-university partnerships and projects. Submit a Notice of Intent by September 22, 2023.

Meet the CEN: Staff Spotlight with Holly Kim

We’re thrilled to present a new series that shines a spotlight on the dynamic individuals who make up the heart of our Community Engagement Network (CEN). In our inaugural feature, we’re proud to introduce Holly Kim, the Operations and Program Manager at UBC Community Engagement.

UBC Strategic Plan: UBC Connects at Robson Square

Connects in the News | Located in the heart of Vancouver’s vibrant downtown core, UBC’s Robson Square facility expands the university’s reach beyond the Point Grey campus, and provides the perfect venue for encouraging equitable knowledge exchange between UBC and the downtown Vancouver community.

Museum of Vancouver and UBC Hosted “Making Space” Panel to Discuss the Complex Meanings of Asian Heritage Month and Asian Canadian Representation

PRE Funded Project | the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) and the UBC Public Humanities Hub (PHH) co-organized “Making Space” in celebration of Asian Heritage Month. The event fostered a thoughtful conversation about the future of Asian Canadian communities and the importance for institutions to prioritize inclusivity and reciprocity.

Pancouver: Cultural researcher Kathleen Zaragosa nurtures Filipino heritage through power of language

Connects in the News | Kathleen Zaragosa speaks Tagalog and is now learning her family’s heritage language of Oasnon. Zaragosa will relate her own experience at a free Downtown Vancouver event that was inspired by the work she did as a UBC student.

The Revelstoke Child Care Society and HELP UBC Joined Forces to Enhance Child Development and Well-being for Young Families in Revelstoke, BC

CUES Funded Project | The Revelstoke Child Care Society has partnered with the Human Early Learning Partnership at UBC to improve access to services, programs, and positive experiences for families with young children in Revelstoke, BC.

Project TEACH final report: Bridging the gap between recognition and action in coastal ecosystems in Southern British Columbia

The final report of Project TEACH addresses conservation challenges within the coastal forests in southern BC, and includes recommendations to transition towards an ecologically-informed governance model.

Report: UBC’s 2023 Partnering in Research Conference

Relive the highlights of UBC’s 2023 Partnering in Research Conference, including video recordings of the plenary sessions, photos, and key takeaways.

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

We have already funded 12 community-university projects this spring! Discover how UBC students, staff, and faculty are collaborating with community partners on a range of initiatives.

Volunteer for the UBC Connects at Robson Square Program

UBC Connects at Robson Square is seeking dedicated volunteers to support our innovative event programming.

Apply for the 2023 Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund

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

Three takeaways from our April CEN session: Exploring tensions and opportunities of community-university engagement work within colonial systems

The Community Engagement Network recently held its first in-person gathering in over three years, bringing together members from both Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.

31 community partners receive funding from UBC’s 2022-23 Community-University Engagement Support Fund

UBC awards over $745,000 to support community-university partnerships that benefit communities and advance collaborative research, teaching and learning throughout British Columbia.

Preserving and sharing syilx digital heritage: Westbank First Nation and UBCO collaborate on interactive web map

The Westbank First Nation Archaeology Office have teamed up with Dr. Neha Gupta (UBCO) to develop a unique digital archaeology project that celebrates syilx heritage and strengthens Indigenous data governance.

The Ubyssey: Fail to Appear addresses the mental health system’s failures to see

Connects in the News | Fail to Appear, is a striking commentary on the shortcomings of Canadian legal systems’ dehumanizing and disempowering approaches to the mental health crisis.

Hip Hop workshop for Black History Month

In February, hip-hop artist Ndidi Cascade hosted a youth empowerment workshop, which was part of a series of culture-based workshops co-organized by Sher Vancouver and UBC Medicine student Simrat Mahil. Their joint efforts aim to establish safe spaces for the South Asian LGBTQIA2S+ community.

‘Translator kids’ take centre stage at ACAM panel

The hua foundation and UBC’s Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies program jointly hosted “Translator Kids” on January 12, 2023. The event centered on the emotional labor and stress experienced by children of immigrants when translating for their parents and communities.

UBCO professor is helping bring back the Pony Cabaret – an evening featuring drag storytelling, comedy and burlesque.

Dr. Michael V. Smith (UBCO) is partnering with the Living Positive Resource Centre and Inspired World Cafe to gather artists across several different disciplines for the 7th Annual Pony Cabaret. The event is queer-run and aims to make a space where everyone can feel welcome.

Increasing food security for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and low-income folx

Saige Community Food Bank & Community Kitchen has provided the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and low-income folx access to a safe, no-barriers food bank and bi-monthly community kitchens for over 11 years.

Three projects highlight how community organizations partner with UBC Land and Food Systems to address needs in BC’s food system

Three Faculty of Land and Food Systems initiatives received funds of up to $1500 through PRE to work with these community partners: Watari Counselling and Support Services; ARC Arts Roots and Culture Community Society; and, FarmFolk CityFolk Society.

Watch Hearts Beat, a new documentary by two UBC students

The documentary celebrates the shared traditions of drumming, dancing, singing and storytelling between Coast Salish and Irish cultures, and showcases the incredible talent and artistry of the Downtown Eastside community.

Incorporating Indigenous knowledge, perspective, and voice into UBC’s nursing curriculum

Assistant Professor of Teaching Elisabeth Bailey joins with community partner Dancing Water Sandy and School District 27 in Healing Together: Building Relationships to Decolonize Nursing Education.

Eight community organizations receive PRE funding to partner with Arts students, faculty and staff on Indigenous reconciliation, equity, and climate action

Eight community-university projects being co-led by Faculty of Arts members have been funded by the 2022 Partnership Recognition and Exploration fund.

47 community partners receive funding from UBC’s 2022 Partnership Recognition and Exploration fund

This fall, the Office of Community Engagement awarded over $70,000 to support community-university collaboration and relationship building.

The Ubyssey: Africans in BC town hall discuss role of diaspora in development of the continentUBC Connects at Robson Square offers funding to drive community-focused programs

Connects in the News | Christian Sopuruchi, president of PFF, opened the event by speaking about his experience providing educational resources to disadvantaged children in Nigeria.

UBC signs Statement of Cooperation with the Ismaili Council for BC

Signed on September 28, 2022, this Statement of Cooperation sets the foundation for continuous institutional cooperation in the areas of community engagement and knowledge exchange.

The Ubyssey: Classical compositions and contemporary connections: An interview with the Matrix Duo

Connects in the News | Mina McKenzie and Jack Campbell perform together as the Matrix Duo.

UBC Today: UBC Connects at Robson Square offers funding to drive community-focused programs

Connects in the News | Introducing UBC Connects at Robson Square, a brand-new initiative aiming to provide students, faculty and staff with the support required to collaborate with community partners in delivering innovative, community-focused programming.

UBC submits Expression of Interest to become co-host of new Canadian classification for community engagement

The host of the inaugural Canadian Carnegie Community Engagement Classification will be responsible for providing the resources and leadership necessary to launch the new classification in Canada.

The Ubyssey: Documentary All Our Father’s Relations connects Musqueam and Chinese Canadian identity through family history

Connects in the News | The screening was followed by a panel discussion with Yoshizawa, Ling and Grant, focusing on the documentary’s significance to the Chinese immigrant and Musqueam communities in BC.

CUES 2021-22: UBC partners with 27 organizations to create community-university projects across BC

UBC is investing over $500,000 to support partnerships that will benefit communities across the province and advance collaborative research, teaching, and learning.

New scholarship program supports Black Canadian students at UBC

A new scholarship program is providing both financial and institutional support for Black Canadian students at the University of British Columbia […]

Tŝilhqot’in Nation and UBC sign Memorandum of Understanding

The Tŝilhqot’in National Government (TNG) and the University of British Columbia (UBC) will be signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at UBC’s Vancouver campus on Wednesday […]

UBC commits to net zero emissions by 2035

The University of British Columbia today unveiled a bold new climate action plan to accelerate emissions reductions and achieve net-zero emissions by 2035 at its Vancouver campus—15 years ahead of the previous target date […]

UBC expanding presence in Surrey with $70M land acquisition

University acquires three-acre property near Surrey Memorial Hospital […]

‘CUES’ Fund Illustrates Scope and Diversity of UBC-Community Engagement

Pictured above: BC Institute of Technology instructor Marcel Studer (centre) and an all-Heiltsuk construction crew in front of one of the Nation’s new Tiny Homes. In the Heiltsuk Nation’s central home of Bella Bella, nestled on the pristine and wild west coast of British Columbia, eight new and nearly identical tiny homes sit proudly in […]

Black Opportunity Fund partners with UBC to empower next generation of Black leaders

Black Opportunity Fund and UBC have announced a new partnership to empower Black Canadian students to achieve their educational goals and career aspirations.

UBC Faculty of Medicine Response to the TRC Calls to Action Launch

Dermot Kelleher, Dean Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President, Health and Santa J. Ono, UBC President and Vice-Chancellor, invite you to join us as we launch […]

Statement on the Missing Children of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools

Read the President’s Statement on the Missing Children of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools.

Climate activists Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis join UBC

World-renowned climate activists and journalists Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis are joining the faculty at the University of British Columbia’s department of geography.

New Office of Indigenous Strategic Initiatives supports implementation of UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan

UBC has launched a new Office of Indigenous Strategic Initiatives (OISI) to coordinate the implementation of UBC’s 2020 Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP) on both UBC campuses.

Supporting pets and their people in the DTES

UBC-community partnership addresses public health needs while preparing future grads When the BC government declared the COVID-19 pandemic a public health emergency in March of 2020, Kelsi Jessamine and Dr. Doris Leung had to act quickly to continue supporting their clients—pet owners experiencing homelessness or who are vulnerably-housed in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES). The pair, […]