Connect to Community – Past Recipients – Archive

Alex, together with the Britannia Skateboard Committee at Britannia Community Centre in East Vancouver, is facilitating design-build workshops for highschool students at the Britannia Secondary School to construct a beginner-friendly skatepark. This project aims to connect the skateboarding and non-skateboarding community while providing a transformative learning experience for the students. 

Taylor and Flavorful Science are working together to provide elementary schools in rural communities in British Columbia interactive and educational STEM workshops. This gives these students the opportunity to explore their passions and interests in STEM-related fields in a classroom setting.

Max works with Foundry Terrace to form a network of support for trans youth and provide them access to information, role models, stories and supplies. They will be running a series of activities to foster community and also to build on the 2SLGBTQIA+ library and Trans Gear Exchange at Foundry for long-term use. 

Navi is currently raising funds and donations for Surrey Food Bank’s  Tiny Bundle Program which has been experiencing a shortage of supplies. The program is specifically designed for pregnant moms and families with babies to provide them with baby formula and baby food. 

Deea, together with MOSAIC, will be delivering health literacy workshops for refugee and immigrant children and their families to provide culturally-sensitive and evidence-based scientific education on topics surrounding health. They aim to familiarize them with important health-centered habits and experiences and promote a positive, shared mindset and attitude toward health.

Eleanor, with the Immigrant Services Society of BC, is working to create an interactive website designed for newcomers’ support on integrative matters. The website functions as an informal English language toolkit which focuses on subjects such as Canadian workplace norms, everyday language, community events and other matters that non-English speaking newcomers may find helpful as they come to Canada.

Jasmandeep and the SD36 welcome center program aim to elucidate the path to post-secondary education for refugee and newcomer youth through a 3-part interactive workshop series. These workshops are focused on life-after secondary school with topics such as maintaining a good GPA, co-op, and part time work. Post-workshop, Jasmandeep and his team will be providing a tour of UBC as well as one-on-one mentorship to the participants to encourage their pursuit of higher education. 

Abeera and Decoda Literacy Solutions, through the pre-existing IPALS (Parents as Literacy Supporters in Immigrant Communities) program, are hosting hands-on food literacy workshops. These workshops are designed to fill the gap between newcomers and nutrition education by facilitating activities such as nutritious school snacks making, cultural community dinners and label reading.

According to the Community Health Service Area Health Profile of the Downtown Eastside, relative to the average British Columbia resident, a DTES resident is 32.3% more likely to live with depression, 30.8% more likely to live with mood and anxiety disorders, and seven times more likely to live with schizophrenia or other delusional disorders. The Downtown Eastside Art Engagement Project hopes to utilize the scientifically proven benefits of artistic engagement to alleviate these mental health challenges, and contribute to the immediate need for mental health support in the DTES. 

Andrew is partnered with the Friends of Rose Swanson Ecosystem Stewardship (FORSES) society to promote geospatial knowledge and increase community involvement in local issues requiring the use of spatial data in the area surrounding Rose Swanson Mountain, located near Armstrong B.C. They will do this by creating a workshop template with FORSES to provide local stakeholders with the tools to share technical geospatial skills with their community. 

Arian is working with the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society and the Skeena House, a supportive housing project in the Downtown Eastside community, to develop a myriad of events designed to address mental and physical health disparities and provide residents with the tools to succeed in their personal and professional goals. They will do this by:

• Collaborating with volunteers and community leaders to develop informed programming; 
• Organizing, administering, and facilitating bimonthly events; 
• Continually adapting event programming to incorporate feedback.

Deyvika has partnered with the Gordon Neighbourhood house to develop a digital literacy and employment support program for seniors across Vancouver. Deyvika’s team seeks to provide their participants with the tools necessary to independently and confidently engage with the digital world. They will achieve this through hour-long, one-on-one sessions that have been personally adapted to meet the unique needs of elderly adults experiencing digital barriers. 

Sohat and Yaksh work with the Surrey School District’s Welcome Centre to develop a series of interactive workshops designed to introduce refugee and newcomer youth to Canada’s post-secondary education system. The workshops will have a specific emphasis on STEM education, life during a post-secondary education, and practical career development skills. They plan to continue their impact after the workshops conclude by providing a tour of the UBC campus and pairing each participant with a UBC student mentor. 

Anneke Dresselhuis, Kate MacLeod, Anna Shubina, and Madeline Carson-Thornill are collaborating with Unique Get Together Society (UGTS) to develop a robust social media campaign. Anneke’s team seeks to:

• Scale up their current promotional campaign developed during their INFO 250 course to a multi-month campaign;
• Support the development of new donor relationships and raise funds for the organization’s Walk for Trauma event;
• Apply theoretical concepts of social media and community development to promote UTGS’ provision of trauma services for BIPOC children and families.

Sue Rim is working with the Canadian Centre for Men and Families to expand the organization’s capacity to support men’s mental health. They are developing a coaching program that seeks to:

• Guide men through difficult situations using a solution-oriented approach in one-on-one sessions over the course of three months;
• Train ten volunteer coaches to provide ethical, effective, and equitable support to clients;
• Support men in the Vancouver community in a personal and practical manner.

William is working with the Kathara Pilipino Indigenous Arts Collective Society (Kathara Society) to develop an annual event that seeks to address a lack of existing communication channels for Pilipino community organizing efforts. They will achieve this by:

• Providing a platform for existing Pilipino non-profits and academic researchers with a focus on the Pilipino-Canadian Community to share resources and knowledge;
• Organizing a venue and monetary compensation for speakers;
• Fostering dialogue between participant organizations to further the development of community networks following the event.

Makenna is working with the James Cameron School, which specializes in educating neurodiverse children, to inaugurate the school’s new Equity and Diversity Resource Centre with a 5-week educational program that aims to:

• Engage students in classroom dialogue and hands-on activities;
• Provide experiential learning through multicultural literature, a library field trip and an Indigenous speaker visit;
• Foster a space of acceptance and understanding through literature.