Fall 2014 UTown@UBC Community Grants!

UTown@UBC Community Grant Recipients

The UTown@UBC Community Grant Selection Committee is pleased to announce the Fall 2014 UTown@UBC Community Grants.

After reviewing a record number of grant applications this term we are thrilled to be awarding a total of $8050 to 16 deserving projects, ranging from a UNA Children’s Garden Winter Workshop series, to a Youth Recycling Club, to an Intercultural Fair and more.

Thank you to all who applied, and congratulations to all the recipients; we look forward to building community on campus with all of you!

UNA Children’s Garden Winter Workshop ($800)

Run by volunteers and lovingly tended by children living within the UTown@UBC community, the UNA Children’s Garden has been a fixture of community engagement since it first started six years ago. The garden provides children with the opportunity to learn about organic gardening, while providing opportunities to learn through play. UTown@UBC Community Grant funding will be used to facilitate a winter workshop series where participants will learn about growing sustainable produce during the cold months, pruning trees, backyard composting and making soda from fermented produce.

For more information, visit the UNA Children’s Garden blog.  And don’t forget to stop by the garden Saturday mornings during the summer—proceeds from the sale of produce help support garden operations.

Cultural Choral Ensemble ($250)

The Cultural Choral Ensemble invites the campus community to celebrate Persian culture through art and music. Community members of all nationalities are welcomed and encouraged to join in. A community concert will be planned in the upcoming months so be sure to check the utown.ubc.ca for more information. To get involved, contact Negar Roghanian at negarog@civil.ubc.ca

Faculty Cup ($450)

It’s LFS vs. Arts, Sauder vs. Science in the ultimate show of (friendly) competition between faculties! Faculty Cup brings together students, faculty and staff to take part in a series of health-related activities and events aimed at inspiring school and faculty pride.

There will be lots of great events leading up to Faculty Cup, including a Faculty Fair, free yoga and dance lessons and more, so be sure to check back soon. For more information on how you can get involved, contact contact@ubcfacultycup.com

UBC Intercultural Alliance Fair ($1000)

UTown@UBC is very proud to once again support the UBC Intercultural Alliance Fair! UBC is home to thousands of faculty, students, staff and residents from all around the world, and the UBC Intercultural Alliance invites the entire UBC community to celebrate these different cultures together. Music, food and performances will help bring together the cultural clubs across the UBC campus to foster intercultural understanding and promote cross-cultural collaboration. Check out http://www.ubcia.com/ for more information.

Changing the Lens: A UBC Forum Theatre Project ($500)

Changing the Lens: A UBC Forum Theatre Project invites you to an evening of interactive community theatre, exploring issues related to societal definitions and representations of masculinity and femininity.

Forum theatre is a unique experience, where the audience has the opportunity to change the outcome of a theatrical a scenario through participation. To apply to become a workshop participant, or to find out when and where Changing the Lens will take place, visit https://www.facebook.com/ChangingTheLens.

CRAZI Youth Group ($500)

Have a passion for pop? Dedicated to dance? Then the CRAZI Youth Club is for you! Bringing together UTown@UBC Youth, CRAZI Youth Club provides the opportunity to pursue an interest in music and dance while making friends, gaining leadership skills and having fun. To get involved, email craziyouthclub@gmail.com.

Youth Documentary Club ($300)

Our team of future Spielberg’s and Scorsese’s are back behind the camera, and turning their lenses towards exploring a key point in the lives of teens in the community—graduation. Don’t forget, the Youth Documentary Club will be screening their documentary at the Old Barn Community Centre in May as part of BC Youth Week.  Check back soon for more information.

Breastfeeding Café ($500)

The Breastfeeding Café provides a space for new mothers to gather and share breastfeeding support and education. This club is open to all new mothers are welcome to join in; for more information, or to sign up for the next session, visit http://tinyurl.com/ubc-breastfeeding

Lace up for Kids ($400)

Lace up for Kids is an annual fundraiser for BC Children’s Hospital, benefitting crucial research of rare diseases. The Lace up for Kids committee invites the entire UBC community to get involved; register a team and plan your own mini-fundraisers—from bottle drives to yoga classes to bake sales—then celebrate as a community with a giant community skating celebration on November 20th. To get involved, visit the UBC Recreation website.

LET’s Give ($800) 

Looking for a babysitter? Have a couch that needs a good home? LET’s Give is aimed at creating a local exchange trading (LET System) that will provide UTown@UBC residents with the opportunity to exchange goods and services in a communal, supportive manner that enhances opportunities for connections between residents. The UTown@UBC Community Grant will support the development and launch of an online LET System.

LET's Give is now up and running! Be sure to check it out at http://www.letsgive.ca/

International Parent and Student Support Society ($250) 

Thousands of international students, parents and grandparents join the UTown@UBC community each year, but are often unable to access integration and settlement services due to their status as non-immigrants. The International Parent and Student Support Society will provide opportunities for international students and their parents to connect and share community and settlement resources and information.

UTown@UBC Youth Recycling Club ($500)

UTown@UBC youth are uniting to promote sustainability education in the community! The Youth Recycling Club will focus on positive behavioural change around composting and recycling by working with select residential buildings within the community to help residents learn the ins and outs of reducing, reusing and recycling.

Student Leadership Conference Ongoing Programming ($400)

The Student Leadership Conference is one of the largest student-led conferences in Canada, with hundreds of UBC students attending annually. As part of an effort to ensure that the support and inspiration extends beyond the conference day, the SLC is implementing ongoing programming, including a Pecha Kucha-like event in February,  where presenters will use 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide to showcase student initiatives on campus. For more information about SLC visit: http://students.ubc.ca/slc.

12 Days of Giving ($400)

Pay it forward with 12 Days of Giving! This project will be exploring opportunities for UTown@UBC residents to make their community a little bit brighter over the holidays through random acts of kindness, as well as community-organized philanthropy events. Check back for more information on upcoming 12 Days of Giving activities.

Kids for Charity ($750)

After a very successful first run, we are so pleased to once again support Kids for Charity with a UTown@UBC Community Grant. This student-run art program is aimed at providing young people of all ages with the opportunity to develop and explore their artistic interests while contributing to their local and global communities. Crafts and artwork produced by participants is sold, with proceeds going to charity.

Sustainability Art Show ($250)

Led by UTown@UBC youth, the Sustainability Art Show aims to help increase sustainability awareness within the community through art. Pieces will be created by youth, and will focus on highlighting environmental issues using recycled and reused materials. 

The Sustainability Art Show will take place during BC Youth Week in May. Check back soon for more details.