OCEAN ACIDIFICATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN FALSE CREEK
This project, in partnership with the False Creek Friends Society (FCFS), aimed to raise awareness about ocean acidification, promote Indigenous knowledge, and build community support for transforming False Creek into Canada’s first National Urban Marine Park by 2030. Through events like the World Oceans Day Fair and a community feast led by Indigenous Knowledge Keeper […]
STEPS TO FOOD STABILITY: AN AFTER SCHOOL WORKSHOP FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN
This project delivered a series of free, after-school workshops for children ages 5–10 in South Vancouver, focusing on food literacy, nutrition education, and sustainable eating practices. In partnership with South Vancouver Family Place, the program aimed to address food insecurity by equipping families with practical tools and knowledge for healthier, budget-conscious food choices. Each workshop […]
INCLUSIVE AQUATIC LITERACY: EMPOWERING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES THROUGH WATER SAFETY LEARNING
This project, in partnership with the Aquafit For All Association, demonstrated the value of inclusive, community-based aquatic programs that support children with autism and intellectual disabilities. By integrating trained occupational therapists, rehabilitation assistants, and specialized instructors into mainstream swim lessons, it fostered meaningful participation for children with disabilities while building community capacity for inclusive practice. […]
BELLA COOLA – SUMMER SCIENCE OUTREACH
This partnership developed engaging, hands-on STEM workshops along with land-based learning; tying in Nuxalk education. This initiative aimed to address systemic barriers that limit Indigenous youth in remote communities from accessing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) opportunities comparable to their urban peers and to also inspire the next generation of Indigenous thinkers and innovators. […]
DERMATOLOGY IN ACTION: BRIDGING GAPS IN SKIN HEALTH ACCESS
This project addressed gaps in skin health care for unhoused and underserved individuals in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside by providing skin health kits to the community. This project combined prevention, care, and education to foster awareness of skin health in a population at elevated risk for preventable skin conditions. UBC Student Project Lead: Kimia Ameri Community Partner: […]
ANTICIPATORY ACTION AND VANCOUVER HEAT WAVES
This project strengthened community preparedness for extreme heat in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood by hosting a cool-kit building station that tailored solutions to vulnerable groups for at-risk for high heat health-related complications, such as seniors, newcomers, and families. UBC Student Project Lead: Sophia Li Community Partner: Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House Grant Type: Connect to Community Grant […]
APNA MELA PROJECT
This project was a youth-led cultural celebration, which brought together over 300 community members to celebrate Punjabi heritage through traditional activities, performances, and intergenerational storytelling. It aimed to combat generational disconnect and social isolation, especially among women and elders, while creating opportunities for youth leadership and expression. UBC Student Project Lead: Manpreet Dhesi and Simran Garcha […]
BRIDGING GAPS IN SPORTS ACCESS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN SURREY
This project expanded the Kids Adaptive Sports Program from Vancouver to Surrey to fill the significant gap in sports opportunities for children with disabilities. In partnership with Taking Strides Vancouver, this project introduced participants to four different sports, providing one-on-one mentorship to help them build skills at their own pace. UBC Student Project Lead: Riley Lam […]
SAFAR WITH PRIDE
This project addresses the social challenges faced by queer South Asians—particularly the lack of culturally relevant, accessible, and affirming educational resources. Rather than relying solely on traditional in-person programming, this project embraced a digital-first approach in creating the Desi Queer Online Learning Hub – making resources available to anyone, anywhere, anytime. UBC Student Project Lead: Simrat […]
GREEN CAREERS FOR YOUTH: VIDEO SERIES
This project sought to bridge systemic barriers faced by underrepresented communities in accessing green jobs. The project produced six impactful episodes and seven supplementary social media posts, amplifying key themes of climate justice, circularity, urban sustainability, and ecological restoration. By leveraging storytelling and social media, the project created lasting resources for youth empowerment and contributed […]
EXPRESSIONS OF RESILIENCE: ART FOR WELL-BEING IN THE HEART OF THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE
This project utilized art as a vehicle to amplify well-being within the Downtown Eastside while supported the inclusion of Indigenous-centred workshops, led by duly compensated community members. By bridging the gap between survival-focused services and holistic well-being, this project created meaningful opportunities for creative expression, community connection, and personal empowerment among women facing significant life […]
BREAKING DOWN LANGUAGE BARRIERS AND EXPANDING RESEARCH DIVERSITY
Despite Canada’s embrace of multiculturalism, language barriers remain a common experience, compromising one’s fundamental autonomy, voice, and rights. By offering accessible translation services and eing integrated in both healthcare and research, this project sought to advance health equity in British Columbia and improve the health outcomes for under-served, minority, and other marginalized communities. UBC Student […]
A PATH TO WELLNESS: NEWCOMER YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
The Path to Wellness Project aimed to address significant gaps in mental health support for newcomer youth in British Columbia, a group uniquely vulnerable to the challenges of displacement and resettlement. Recognizing the critical need for accessible and culturally informed mental health resources, the project took a holistic approach by combining education, community-building, and direct […]
COOKING UP STEAM IN RURAL BRITISH COLUMBIA WITH FLAVOURFUL SCIENCE
This project successfully delivered engaging, hands-on workshops to rural schools in British Columbia, addressing critical educational gaps in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). Recognizing that rural students face significant barriers to accessing STEAM education—including limited resources, geographic isolation, and reduced exposure to STEAM career pathways. This project aimed to bridge these gaps and […]
BELLA BELLA PHYLO(MON) DIGITAL CARD GAME
Indigenous knowledge, defined as “an ancient, communal, holistic and spiritual knowledge that encompasses every aspect of human existence” (Brascoupé and Mann, 2001), plays a crucial role in shaping one’s self-identity, a community’s uniqueness, and connection with the world (Harbord et al., 2022). This project aims to safeguard Indigenous knowledge and facilitate its transmission through culturally […]
SEEDS OF HOPE
For many, living in an urban area comes at the expense of developing a meaningful relationship and connection with nature. To raise consciousness and plant seeds of connectedness, garden workshops and community gatherings were held to empower youth in the Guilford community to cultiavte a personal and reciprocal relationship with nature. UBC Student Project Lead: Kiara […]
SEXUAL HEALTH WORKSHOPS FOR HOMELESS YOUTH
Sexual health workshops provided by healthcare experts, resources, and care packages were offered to homeless youth to promote safe sex practices. Workshops and resource creation centred on diverse, inclusive, and non-binary sexual health and education. UBC Student Project Leads: Sriya Srivastava, Nana Yamamoto Community Partner: Covenant House Vancouver Grant Type: Connect 2 Community Grant Year of […]
MEMORIES OF MARPOLE
This project invited people from the Marpole community to gather, connect, and share about their connections to the neighbourhood through Art. These creative opportunities to explore the Memories of Marpole were collected and incorporated into a final art piece shared with the community. UBC Student Project Lead: Catiyana Adam Community Partner: Marpole Neighbourhood House Grant Type: […]
IMMIGRANT WOMEN’S ACCESS TO SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY COMPASS
This project empowered the voice of immigrant and refugee women in sharing their experiences navigating sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH) in British Columbia. Through interviews and group discussions, immigrant and refugee women were invited to share their ability to access and utilize SRH services, including appointments with physicians, testing, procedures, and other resources. This information […]
GENDER-INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE IN FRENCH
Gender-inclusive French language workshops were offered at two local secondary schools to provide students with a toolkit to be better allies in and outside the classroom. Workshops invited students to read a French comic book (“Le Voyage D’Alex”) exploring the experiences of a non-binary character in their journey of self-discovery, navigating challenges, and finding their […]
PROMOTING EYE-GAZE DEVICE IN RARE DISEASE COMMUNITY
People with certain neurodegenerative diseases or injuries such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Rett Syndrome frequently experience a loss of motor control and speech, severely impacting their ability to communicate with others. Eye-gaze devices support communication for people experiencing these impairments by tracking eye-movements on a screen to select and vocalize words. It is […]