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

This project description was provided by the project team on: May. 3, 2024 

The 2014 Mount Polley Mine Disaster was the largest mine waste disaster in Canadian history and the second largest in the world. Since 2022, Max Chewynski (PhD, UBC) and I have been organizing a special issue (SI) to discuss lessons learned over the ten years since the disaster, focusing on Indigenous knowledge and perspectives. We have invited Indigenous voices, including Shianna McCallister (Nlaka’pamux, PhD Candidate UVIC), Bev Sellars (Secwepemc), Jacinda (Nuskmata) Mack (Secwepemc), Darryl McLeod (Cree Writer), Judy Wilson (former Secwepemc chief), and potentially Dr. Chief Ron Ignace (Secwepemc) if further funding is secured, to contribute peer-reviewed articles, reflections, and interviews. 

Our goal is to ensure that Indigenous contributors are adequately compensated for their time and insights. While BC Studies Journal has provided some funding, additional funds are necessary to maintain the high level of Indigenous engagement and to offer appropriate gifts for their participation. 

This project description was provided by the project team on: June 1, 2024 

Burn injuries have lifelong impacts, and while acute care is strong, community services for burn survivors are limited. The Canadian Burn Survivor Community (CBSC), led by burn survivors, offers a supportive space for sharing experiences, connecting, and fostering resilience through bi-weekly virtual forums, social media, newsletters, and a biennial conference. 

The “Strengthening Peer Support Capacity” project aims to address the secondary trauma faced by facilitators by supporting the burn survivor community through the Peer Support Canada Certification. This training will equip the facilitator with essential skills to lead support forums and train others, enhancing the quality and consistency of peer support services nationwide. 

Certification validates peer supporters’ competencies, promotes systems-level change, and better equips them to advocate for peer support. Post-training, the certified peer supporter will develop a toolkit for CBSC, with plans to enroll more volunteers in the future.  

This project description was provided by the project team on: May 3, 2024

Caring for Our təmtumɩš (men) is a project by the Tla’amin First Nation to support male elders who are residential school survivors. The initiative aims to replace sentimental belongings lost during their childhoods by designing custom hats and hosting a community gathering where these hats will be gifted. This effort promotes healing and caretaking among the elders. 

Community members of Tla’amin Nation experienced various losses as children due to both the impact of the processes, and the nature of the experience of residential schools. Through the elders program, the community would like to provide gifts to their survivors to replace lost belongings of sentimental value. Funds from the PRE fund will help support the purchase of supplies and refreshments for community gathering. 

The project honors Francis Gibson Francis (Gibby), a community member who lost a cherished hat when he was forcibly removed to a residential school. Gibby’s story of loss, shared until his passing, symbolizes the broader experiences of many Tla’amin community members. The grant will fund the design of the hats and the community event, including supplies and refreshments, to support the emotional and cultural restoration for the elders.

This project description was provided by the project team on: May 22, 2024 

In collaboration with Chinatown Together, UBC master’s student Bridget Fan Ying Bi leads a project to document the oral histories of low-income seniors in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown. These seniors, vital to Chinatown’s heritage, have had their stories overlooked. The project urgently aims to capture the histories of senior community activists, especially those opposing Chinatown’s gentrification, many of whom are in their late 80s to 100s. 

Planned activities include: conducting in-depth interviews with seniors, engaging the community through collaboration with local organizations, producing videos of these oral histories, with Chinese and English subtitles, and sharing videos on YouTube, social media, a dedicated website, and submitting them to the Vancouver Archives.  

Our ultimate goal is to increase public awareness and appreciation of Chinatown’s seniors, preserve an essential aspect of Chinatown’s intangible heritage, provide resources for students, researchers, journalists, and activists, and strengthen connections between UBC and the Chinatown community. We want to actively involve community members, ensuring their needs and perspectives are prioritized, empower seniors by giving them a platform to share their stories, and enhance cultural conservation efforts, contributing to resilience against gentrification. 

This project enriches academic research, supports community activism, and ensures the vibrant history of Chinatown’s seniors is preserved. 

This project description was provided by the project team on: May 22, 2024 

This project engages individuals with lived prison experience to evaluate reporting styles on police violence, document the mental health impacts of such reports, and develop community-informed standards for more compassionate reporting. The goal is to reduce the negative health effects of media consumption and promote accountability-oriented dialogue. 

Using focus groups and the DEPICT method for collaborative discourse analysis, which emphasizes participation, collaboration and transparency, we will create visual reports detailing the health impacts of uncritical reporting and propose community-informed standards for critical reporting. These findings will be shared with media outlets like CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), APS (Associated Press Style Guide) and CPS (Canada Press Stylebook). Additionally, an interactive art installation, “Safety Lenses,” will showcase the impacts of different reporting styles on police violence. The installation will be exhibited at Gallery Gachet in late 2024 or early 2025. 

The project involves three days of focus groups in June and a feedback meeting in November 2024. Participants with lived prison experience will help develop intervention strategies, aligning with the mandates of Unlocking the Gates Services Society and the Transformative Health and Justice Cluster (THJRC).  

This project description was provided by the project team on: May 6, 2024 

The goal of this project is to lay the groundwork for preserving the unique nêhiyawêwin dialect native to the Muskeg Seepee Coop region. This pilot project focuses on documenting flora and fauna vocabulary through both traditional storytelling/songs and western academic methods. The project will proceed in three stages: preparation (May-June), primary documentation sessions (July), and data processing (August-October). During the documentation sessions, we will record and transcribe words, phrases, and traditional practices, resulting in written lists of vocabulary in a standard orthography. 

This work aims to reconnect the community through language preservation. Caitlind Delorme and her father, elder Louis Joachim, will be key collaborators, with hopes to involve other community elders in the future. 

This project will establish a foundation for preserving and revitalizing the nêhiyawêwin dialect through future programs. By addressing issues regarding poverty, drug abuse, suicide, depression, and more, related to identity and culture, it aims to reconnect the community and mitigate social challenges like poverty and depression. Academics will also gain valuable data for various linguistic studies such as language acquisition in adolescence to historical linguistics, and more. 

This project description was provided by the project team on: May. 3, 2024 

Our project aims to empower volunteers with essential knowledge and skills through workshops focusing on sexual violence, harm reduction, and the cultural and social experiences of Indigenous and Black communities. By providing targeted training and creating spaces for dialogue, we seek to cultivate a respectful, inclusive, and supportive environment. The primary goal is to raise awareness, enhance cultural competence, and equip volunteers to advocate for and support vulnerable populations effectively. 

The project will provide volunteers with specialized training that connects them directly to the university’s support systems and academic expertise. Participants will learn about resources related to sexual violence, harm reduction, and to provide better support for Indigenous and Black communities. We will foster relationships between community members and UBC students, creating pathways for easier access to cultural support programs, research opportunities, and other university resources. 

Our activities include workshops on sexual violence, harm reduction, and the experiences of Indigenous and Black communities. Volunteers, predominantly from the UBC community, will gain practical skills in consent, bystander intervention, trauma-informed care, and non-judgmental support for sex workers. This project will enhance volunteer awareness and competence, enabling more effective advocacy for these communities and fostering an inclusive, collaborative network. Engaging affected communities throughout the process, we aim to promote healing, empowerment, and equity. 

This project description was provided by the project team on: June 4, 2024 

Intertidal Kinning celebrates the Fraser Estuary through a two-week series of community events focused on environmental stewardship. This project unites community members, scientific experts, artists, and local eco-non-profits to foster a deep connection with this vital watershed. 

Activities include interactive workshops on estuary issues, nature walks highlighting migratory birds, and a symposium featuring UBC Fraser Estuary Research Scholars and their non-profit partners. These events aim to raise awareness, promote conservation involvement, and connect the community with local organizations working on estuary conservation. 

Our objectives are to highlight the Fraser Estuary’s ecological significance, inspire community stewardship, and involve Indigenous Elders and storytellers to learn from Indigenous-led initiatives. Funding from the PRE Fund will cover symposium speaker and artist workshop fees, with additional funds sought to support estuary tours and storytelling events. Educational resources and multimedia content will extend the project’s impact. All events are free, open to the public, and some will be live-streamed for accessibility.  

This project description was provided by the project team on: May 21, 2024 

Our coalition will host and document the North Cascades Grizzly Bear Summit from June 4-6, 2024, at Manning Park Resort. The Summit aims to explore the feasibility of reintroducing grizzly bears to southern British Columbia and to foster co-learning about grizzly bear recovery. The overall objectives of the Summit are to facilitate co-learning concerning the recovery of grizzly bears within the North Cascades Ecosystem and to build meaningful relationships between Indigenous and Western governments and local communities. The objectives of the Summit are to facilitate co-learning concerning the recovery of grizzly bears within the North Cascades Ecosystem and to build meaningful relationships between Indigenous and Western governments and local communities. This Indigenous-led initiative will bring together Indigenous governments, elders, youth, leadership, and technical staff, along with provincial and federal staff, scientists, and other key stakeholders. Activities will include ceremonies, story exchanges, excursions, and discussions. 

The funding will support the production of a short film and a social media cut showcasing the diversity of Indigenous Knowledge(s) and Western science perspectives shared at the Summit. Documenting this event with video and sharing it publicly is a priority for the Summit planners and attendees because it will feature diverse knowledge holders sharing their perspectives in their own voices; engage the audience’s multiple senses; and share captivating narratives that increase understanding, recall, and empathy for diverse perspectives. The film will document the complexity of engaging with and integrating across ecological, social, and Indigenous knowledge(s), and to work toward co-management strategies in the context of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. We will leverage the film to increase understanding and empathy among local interest groups and to inspire others to host knowledge exchange events. It will also serve as archival footage for future filmmaking as collaborative grizzly bear recovery efforts in this region advance. 

This project description was provided by the project team on: June 5, 2024 

Light Up Kelowna-Art Walk (LUK) allows Arts Council of the Okanagan (ARTSCO) to create a permanent public exhibition space in downtown Kelowna featuring five sound and animated light modules along a 150m walkway. This innovative project leverages contemporary media arts to transform the urban landscape, connecting the Library, Art Gallery, Community Theatre, Rotary Centre for the Arts, and Arena. 

This initiative fosters dialogue between viewers and artists, addressing environmental and societal issues through immersive experiences. It will animate a key pedestrian corridor, offering free, accessible public art to over two million Central Okanagan residents and visitors. Regular promotion through the City of Kelowna, ARTSCO, UBC websites, and broadcast media aims to maintain the pilot project’s viewership of approximately 32,000 annually. 

Light Up Kelowna will engage the public, marginalized groups, and civic organizations, expanding ARTSCO’s capacity to support community stakeholders through artistic engagement. Collaborations with groups like the Kelowna Pride Society will ensure diverse participation. Additionally, UBCO Creative Studies students will gain valuable experience by creating public artworks for this venue. 

This project description was provided by the project team on: May 9, 2024 

Our project is a part of a comprehensive model for experiential-embodied community enagged learning that aims to create 8 video capsules featuring Indigenous Mapuche poets and Canadian Indigenous poets, reciting their poetry and discussing their relationship with indigenous languages. This initiative, supported by the PRE fund, will include post-production and subtitling in English and Spanish. The videos will be part of the “Palabras Madres/Mother Words” series, which promotes Indigenous poets and their art, and will be disseminated through social channels, media, and as teaching resources in language and literature courses. 

The video capsules will have subtitles in English and Spanish and will be disseminated as: 

1. Part of the Insipirad@s “Palabras Madres/Mother Words” inclusive and free series featuring Indigenous Spanish speaking Indigenous authors in conversation for the Spanish speaking community local and beyond. Social channels, and media. 

2. Teaching and learning resources for both Spanish for Community “Palabras Madres/Mother Words” project, and language and literary relevant courses in the French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies (FHIS) Spanish Program. 

The video capsules will be featured at Feria Internacinal del Libro de Buenos Aires, the largest in Latin American supported by the Canadian Embassy. During the event, Inspiradas will film mini interviews with Indigenous poets and writers, and activists. The clips will be used within UBC FHIS Spanish courses and Spanish for Community by our partner universities and will be shared by Inspiradas in their Spanish speaking cultural network. 

The wider dissemination aims to provide access to contemporary Indigenous poets to Hispanic-Canadians, Spanish-speaking Canadians, and the global audience, serving as open educational resources for educators and students worldwide. 

This project description was provided by the project team on: April. 30, 2024 

In 2023, the UBC Learning Exchange, EMBERS (the Eastside Movement for Business and Economic Renewal Society) Eastside Works, UBC Sustainability Hub, and Downtown Eastside (DTES) partners Working Gear, Union Gospel Mission, and Recycling Alternative launched the CLEAR (CLimate Equity, Action, and Resilience) project. CLEAR aims to bridge urban climate research with community advocacy, focusing on climate justice for disproportionately impacted residents. EMBERS Eastside Works hired DTES community members as Peer Climate Advocates, who are learning about climate issues and engaging with the community to advocate for climate policy reform. 

Last summer, peer advocates collaborated with UBC students to evaluate “cooling kits” from the City of Vancouver. This year with the support of the PRE Fund, we aim to purchase these kits for distribution at DTES events and set up pop-up “Cool Down” stations. UBC’s Urban Ethnographic Field School will help identify locations for these stations, focusing on areas lacking shade and cooling facilities. They will also collect ideas from kit recipients for items to add to future cooling kits. 

The funding will support peer advocates, benefit community members with cooling kits, provide students with practical research experience, and strengthen the CLEAR partnership’s advocacy efforts. 

This project description was provided by the project team on: June 10, 2024 

The Computer Science (CS) field plays an increasingly pivotal role in our economy and society, yet it faces challenges in attracting diverse students and practitioners. A key barrier is early exposure to CS concepts. Elementary and high school students who engage hands-on with CS topics show significant interest and often pursue further exploration in the field. 

To address this, we’re launching an outreach program at Southlands Elementary, near UBC’s Vancouver campus and within the Musqueam community catchment area. Our focus is on engaging Musqueam students and promoting participation among women.

The program includes hosting a “robots club” at Southlands Elementary during lunch breaks or after school, targeting grades 6-7 (earlier if space allows). We plan sessions of 1 hour per week for at least 10 weeks, potentially extending to 20 weeks based on demand and volunteer availability. Using 5 Sphero robots to facilitate workshops, using tablets provided by Southlands Elementary for programming. Each session will accommodate 10 to 15 students. We will recruit students with an emphasis on including Musqueam community members and women. The workshops will be ran by UBC CS faculty and graduate students introducing programming concepts through age-appropriate block coding. Two UBC students are already committed to supporting the project. 

Southlands Elementary and the Vancouver School Board are enthusiastic about this initiative, having seen positive student responses in past brief workshops. Using robots and leveraging expertise from UBC CS will enable us to sustain and expand these opportunities. Additionally, this program offers valuable teaching experience for our graduate students, enhancing their skills and competitiveness in the academic job market while promoting diversity in our program.

This project description was provided by the project team on: Jan. 22, 2024 

The proposed project involves UBCO students harvesting invasive plant species on campus to create plant dyes, which will then be used by three UBC alumni teachers and three School District 23 (SD23) teachers to lead 90 5th-grade students in creating visual artworks. These artworks will be exhibited at the UBCO School of Education and the Rotary Centre for the Arts (RCA). The project aims to prepare teachers to engage in climate action with their K-12 students through creative, community-focused methods, promoting sustainability, climate action, and community well-being. 

UBCO preservice teachers will restore the grassland plot on campus, while SD23 teachers empower youth through climate change art-making. The RCA will benefit from matted frames for future youth exhibitions, and the project will strengthen UBCO’s partnerships with SD23. The broader community can participate in dye creation, invasive species collection, and informal teach-ins, while summer camp students and future SD23 students will benefit from the exhibition and frames. 

This project description was provided by the project team on: June 13, 2024 

The Squamish Nation is transitioning to self-governance in education, and I’ve been asked to assist in structuring their new inclusive education system. Their Education Director would like to hold a series of sharing circles with an Advisory Committee of experts, knowledgeable about traditional pre-colonial learning methods, to guide this process. I’m providing insights on BC’s current education system and evidence-based approaches. Recommendations from our discussions will be reviewed by Elders for community feedback. 

This research is foundational for developing educational policy within the Nation. While we have secured most of the budget, additional funding is needed for community honoraria meal and travel costs. The sessions will be held in Squamish Nation facilities, which will be provided in-kind. 

This pioneering research into education jurisdiction is a significant learning experience for all involved, including our research assistant and the broader community. 

This project description was provided by the project team on: May 1, 2024 

The Kelowna Museums Society and the University of British Columbia Okanagan Library will host a zine-making workshop and queer zine fair during Kelowna Pride Week (June 1-9, 2024). The workshop, co-facilitated by Erik Beardmore, Christian Isbister, and Donna Langille, will offer a brief history of zines, discussions on copyright, intellectual property, and Indigenous Knowledges, and time for participants to create their own zines. On June 3, a Queer Zine Fair will be held at the same venue, featuring an open mic night and opportunities for the community to sell or trade their zines. 

This initiative aims to celebrate and promote queer culture in the Okanagan by highlighting the importance of zines in queer history. The Queer Zine Fair will provide a platform for creative expression and community connection, inviting various organizations and individuals to participate. The fair will also be submitted to the Kelowna Pride Society affiliate events to enhance visibility and support. By fostering zine creation and fairs, Kelowna Museums Society (KMS) and UBC aim to preserve and promote the queer experience in the Okanagan.