UBC invests $294,385 in community-led racial, disability, gender and 2SLGBTQIA+ equity projects

April 19, 2024

41 students, faculty and staff-led projects have been funded across UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan.

In September 2023, the Equity & Inclusion Office (EIO) launched a re-imagined enhancement fund to support student, faculty and staff-led initiatives that seek to advance equity and anti-racism priorities across UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan.

The new Strategic Equity and Anti-Racism (StEAR) Enhancement Fund provides an annual recurring investment of $100,000 from the EIO to sponsor community-led initiatives. For the 2023/2024 academic year – and to kick–off the relaunch – UBC provided an additional $200,000 for a total of $300,000 in available funding.

118 applications for funding were received and reviewed between September 2023 – when the fund had been launched – and March 2024 – when the funding pool ended up being fully allocated. From the total applications received, 41 projects – or 35 per cent of applications – were funded.

$294,385.80 was distributed as follows:

  • $93,675 for racial equity projects;
  • $70,137 for disability equity projects;
  • $18,801 for gender and 2SLGTBQIA+ equity projects; and
  • $110,772 for intersectional projects.

Funds available during this funding cycle have now been fully allocated and planning is underway to launch the next cycle of calls for applications. Interested applicants are encouraged to sign-up for the InclusiveUBC newsletter for updates on forthcoming calls.

“The StEAR Enhancement Fund is an important mechanism to promote community engagement and projects that address needs specifically identified by students, faculty and staff,” says Arig al Shaibah, Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion.

“While additional investments are being made to support institutional-led initiatives, this fund aims to catalyze change by supporting innovative community-led efforts.”

A new committee, jointly administered by the EIO and the Office of the Vice-President Students and comprising students, faculty and staff across both campuses, has been formed to evaluate submitted proposals.

“We’re thrilled and inspired by the level of interest and the quality of the applications received,” says Dharshi Lacey, a director with the UBC Okanagan Equity & Inclusion Office. “The success of this cycle demonstrates there is both a need for this kind of funding and capacity of the community to take on a leadership role and come up with ideas and projects to create more inclusive environments.”

The StEAR Fund is designed to contribute to the broad goals of the university’s StEAR Framework and Roadmap for Change. Projects must align with one or more of the thematic streams: racial, disability, gender and/or 2SLGBTQIA+ equity.

Fund facts

  • 118 applicants from across UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan
    • 18 applications from UBC Okanagan and 90 applications from UBC Vancouver
  • $1,187,145.22 total requested in funding
    • $284,385.80 allocated
    • UBCO: $72,541
    • UBCV: $221,844.80
  • Number of applicants by type:
    • Students: 51 (undergraduate: 30; graduate: 21)
    • Faculty: 40
    • Staff: 27
  • 41 application awarded funding (34 per cent of total applications received)
    • Student-led projects: 16 (8 undergraduate and 8 graduate)
    • Faculty-led projects: 14
    • Staff-led projects: 11
  • Number of projects funded by stream / funded amount by stream:
    • Racial equity: 15 / $93,675
    • Disability equity 9 / $70,137
    • Sexual and Gender equity: 3 / $18,801
    • Intersectionality: 14 / $110,773

Funded projects

Racial equity stream: $93,675

UBC Vancouver

Project title: Central Asian New Year
Applicant: UBC Central Asian Student Union, AMS
Project description: This project aims to advance racial equity by connecting the Central Asian community, educate non-Central Asian students about our culture and history and address harmful stereotypes. One Nowruz is a Persian New Year celebrated across Central Asia and Tsagaan Sar is the Mongolian New Year celebrated across Siberia and Mongolia.

Project title: Cultural Continuity (Beading and Art)
Applicant: Indigenous Business Association, AMS
Project description: This project seeks to directly support the Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and staff at UBC by enabling them to learn about Indigenous culture and traditions. All students and staff will have the opportunity to attend two planned events: the first event will facilitate learning the traditional art of Metis Beading; the second event will facilitate the learning of traditional Indigenous Artistry. Both events allow Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to connect, learn, and support one another through Indigenous cultural continuity.

Project title: Cultural night
Applicant: Africa Awareness Initiative, AMS
Project description: This event plays a pivotal role in fostering cultural appreciation, raising awareness, and facilitating a profound understanding of the diverse and rich tapestry of African cultures among the wider campus community. Ultimately, it contributes to the cultivation of a more globally conscious and inclusive campus environment.

Project title: Designing and Piloting a Support Framework for Indigenous and Black Undergraduate Researchers
Applicant: UBC Mechanical Engineering
Project description: Undergraduate research experiences are vital for encouraging participation in graduate education, and building a pipeline that will allow us to see student and faculty populations that mirror the society we serve. This initiative builds a support framework for a cohort-based, team-centric undergraduate research experience track for Indigenous and Black students from UBC and partner Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and endeavours to increase BIPOC representation in graduate studies.

Project title: Peer 2 Peer Mentorship Program
Applicant: Post Graduate Medical Education Office, Faculty of Medicine
Project description: The Peer to Peer (P2P) Mentorship program seeks to provide additional enhanced support to some of the groundbreaking work done by the PGME office. The PGME office is utilizing a multi-pronged approach to equity, diversity and inclusion within medicine: first with an anti-racism self-reflection tool, then modules. As a follow-up to these aforementioned prongs, we hope to create the P2P program so peer resident mentors (with the guidance of faculty) can facilitate debriefing sessions dedicated to valuable post-module and self-reflection conversations. Through these debriefing sessions, we not only maximize the knowledge transfer process, but also create relationships for attendees to ask critical questions. This nuanced approach ensures that our educational efforts are both comprehensive and tailored to incredibly challenging and complex topics.

Project title: Space(s) in Chinatown: A YARROW Intergenerational Society for Justice, Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, and Hatch Art Gallery Collaborative Community Zine Project
Applicant: Hatch Art Gallery, AMS
Project description: The primary goals of this initiative includes creating opportunities for cross-community collaborations between UBC students and elders living in Vancouver Chinatown through a zine project. The desired impact will include expanding student’s understanding of underrepresented perspectives and lived experiences outside of colonial history. The project intends to support both UBC students and low-income Chinese elders.

Project title: Learning about Histories of Discrimination and Racism in the Lives of Indigenous Peoples through Connection with Local Communities
Applicant: Dr. Melanie Nelson
Project description: This project will address antiracism and promote inclusivity in the context of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. The key objective is to enhance understandings of discrimination in the everyday lives of the Indigenous peoples. This will be accomplished by connecting with Elders from local Indigenous communities. In this way, this project will raise awareness about the impacts of systemic racism and the role of critical social justice for Indigenous peoples.

Project title: Volentia Research Translation: Breaking Down Language Barriers, Expanding Research Diversity
Applicant: Lynda Li
Project description: Diverse ethnocultural research samples are essential for conducting research that is both meaningful and applicable across various ethnicities, cultures, and social backgrounds. Despite extensive evidence supporting the importance of diverse research representation, a predominant majority of research participants remain White, university-educated, and middle-class. This creates a notable barrier to achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion in both research endeavors and their real-world applications. Among those least likely to be represented in research are individuals with low English-language proficiency. This gap can be effectively addressed through the provision of language translation services. Volentia Research Translation is a project dedicated to providing free language translation and interpretation for UBC research investigators. By promoting the importance, awareness, and accessibility of research-based language translation services, our goal is to enrich the generalizability of UBC-affiliated research to better reflect the diversity of Canada’s population.

Project title: Honoring the Land: Indigenous Welcoming Day during UBC Jumpstart
Applicant: Building Bridges
Project description: We propose to establish a two-days program during UBC’s Jumpstart to honor Indigenous history, educate incoming students on Indigenous cultures and traditions, and encourage an authentic welcome by the land’s original stewards.

Project title: Expanding seed2STEM: Extending the impact of the Summer Research Program for Indigenous Youth
Applicant: The International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), UBC School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) and BC’s Gynecologic Cancer Initiative (GCI)
Project description: Our goal is to increase the number of Indigenous people in STEM. In 2018, ICORD developed the seed2STEM program, offering paid STEM research internships to Indigenous youth, normalizing Indigenous participation in research teams and fostering awareness of barriers faced by Indigenous peoples pursuing STEM careers. We seek to expand seed2STEM to offer cancer research internships through the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative.

Project title: Anti-Islamophobia
Applicant: Halina Faqirzada
Project description: The primary goals of this initiative is to combat Islamophobia. An article published on November 13, 2023, by Montreal Gazaette shares “The National Council of Canadian Muslims reports a 1,300 per cent increase in the number of hate incidents since October”. This project supports Muslim students at UBC and aims to educate non-Muslims in order to abolish misinformation and stereotypes.

Project title: Spotlighting Black-focused and Black-led Scholarship
Applicant: UBC Black Graduate Student Network (BGSN)
Project description: This initiative will spotlight Black-led and Black-focused scholarship. Studies have shown that Black-led and Black-focused scholarship is undervalued and underrepresented as evidenced by fewer publications, citations, tenured positions and promotions as compared to their non-HPSM counterparts. Thus, we challenge this disparity by directing financial resources towards Black scholarship on campus and developing a platform for Black scholars to share their work and engage others on its importance and value.

Project title: Kickstart – A peer network support for ECED IBPOC students in Year One of Graduate Studies
Applicant: Faculty of Education Graduate Students
Project description: This project proposes to create a peer network for incoming IBPOC students within the ECED and HDLC program in the Faculty of Education with the primary goal of enabling them to navigate university life. Research shows that peer mentorship for graduate students contributes to academic success, social bonds, psychological well-being and future career prospects (Lorenzetti et.al, 2019). The project intends to combat barriers such as a lack of knowledge and experience of institutional systems, academic expectations and living in a new environment.

UBC Okanagan

Project title: IBPOC@UBCO: Staff and Faculty Group
Applicant: IBPOC@UBCO: Staff and Faculty Group
Project description: IBPOC@UBCO is an initiative led by IBPOC identifying staff and faculty members across Faculties dedicated to cultivating inclusive and safer environments that facilitate connection, celebration, and community-building by and for racialized colleagues. This initiative emerged in 2021 in response to recommendations outlined in the ARIE report, emphasizing the critical need for spaces of belonging, particularly on the Okanagan Campus where community-building and networking opportunities by and for IBPOC communities are limited. Through the StEAR Enhancement fund, our objective is to create more avenues for IBPOC staff and faculty to engage in networking, community-building, and professional development, while celebrating joy and fostering a sense of belonging.

Project title: Health Research Panel: Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Community Collaboration
Applicant: Dr. Chooniedass, Rishma, Dr. Natalia Gallo, Natalia, Dr. Jun, Jane and Dr. Donna Langille
Project description: Through this collaboration, the UBC Okanagan Library and Faculty of Health and Social Development aim to provide a panel presentation on Indigenous Data Sovereignty in the context of supporting and informing health research. We plan to reach out to the following individuals to serve on the panel: Kayla Lar-Son (Xwi7xwa Library, UBCV), Hanna M. Paul (Office of Research Services, UBCO), Human Rights Commissioner, and an IH representative from a local Indigenous community and/or an individual from the Syilx community.

Disability equity stream: $70,137

UBC Vancouver

Project title: Disability Inclusion Curriculum at SALA
Applicant: UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA)
Project description: This project will have SALA work with Annie Boivin (she/her), a SALA alum and Senior Architect at Perkins and Will. Annie’s main focus will be on strengthening disability inclusion in the SALA Curriculum through the themes of Disability Culture, Ableist Standards, and Disability Ingenuity. Initially, Annie will present findings of our current state and then make recommendations for changes that SALA can make.

Project title: Enhancing Disability Equity and Community Engagement: The Anxiety, Stress, and Autism Program (ASAP) Community Advisory Board Initiative
Applicant: Anxiety, Stress, and Autism Program (ASAP) Community Advisory Board, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts
Project description: The ASAP Lab at the Department of Psychology aims to create a community advisory board (CAB) to (1) include the perspectives of historically and systemically marginalized autistic populations in student learning and training, and (2) build UBC institutional capacity in fostering meaningful and ethical community engagement and building accessible and equitable structures and spaces. Both neurodivergent and neurotypical students will assume leadership, management, and outreach roles in the CAB’s development, working alongside varied community shareholders. The CAB’s overarching goal will be to promote community-engaged learning and equity, with particular emphasis on fostering a deeper understanding of the priorities and needs of the autistic community in student learning and supporting universal accessibility priorities. This project is not of a research nature. Instead, by first launching this initiative in the smaller lab setting and developing foundations for ethical decision-making processes with community shareholders, we aim to ultimately broaden its scope to address ableism and enhance equity in student teaching and training at UBC.

Project title: Developing Multi-Layered Resources to Support the Diverse Learners in Higher Education
Applicant: Dr. Anusha Kassan, Psych, School of Applied Child Psychology, Faculty of Education
Project description: The proposed project is being put forth by the CCSJ in SACP. Each year, our committee prioritizes an area of social justice, with ableism being our most recent area of focus. Through this StEAR initiative, we would like to develop resources to highlight the needs and experiences of diverse learners in higher education. This will include a series of infographics geared to faculty, staff, and students as well as a scholarly manuscript for publication.

Project title: Mobile Sensory Room
Applicantt: Best Buddies UBC
Project description: The Mobile Sensory Room initiative by Best Buddies UBC aims to address ableism and advance disability equity by creating a portable, inclusive space for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and other stress-related challenges. By offering a calming environment with features tailored to diverse needs, the project seeks to counter ableism and promote a more accessible and supportive community at UBC. The project envisions a campus where individuals with disabilities, including intellectual or developmental disabilities, can access a resource that caters to their specific needs, fostering a sense of belonging and reducing barriers to participation. The desired impact is to contribute to the reduction of ableism and the promotion of disability equity. The project intends to support Best Buddies UBC club members, which includes individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and students facing stress or sensory overload, with a specific focus on addressing ableism and advancing disability equity.

Project title: The Disabled Voices Project: Outlining Disabled Experiences at UBC and Calls to Action for Change
Applicant: Dr. Jennifer Gagnon
Project description: We, a group of researchers with lived experience with disability, led by PI Dr. Jennifer Gagnon, endeavor to collect stories from disabled UBC community members from both campuses, representing a wide range of disabilities, and including intersectional voices wherever possible. From these stories, we will compile a final report addressed to the UBC Accessibility Committee with a list of formal calls to action for the University of British Columbia.

Project title: Accessibility in innovative health pedagogy: electronic health records in teaching and learning (The aEHR project)
Applicant: Dr. Jason Min, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Project description: This project seeks to directly impact all health program students at UBC through accessibility enhancements built into an innovative teaching and learning tool: the Academic Electronic Health Record (aEHR) system. The three goals of the project are: (1) to enhance an exemplary online educational tool (the aEHR) with practice-standard accessibility features, (2) pilot and iterate the accessibility features with a broad, interprofessional audience of students and faculty, and (3) raise critical awareness among faculty and future health practitioners on disability inequities that current plague commercially available electronic medical record products in Canada.

Project title: Employee Resource Group for Parents and Caregivers of Children and Adults with Disabilities
Applicant: Levonne Abshire, Health Equity Promotion and Education, Vice-President, Students
Project description: Parents and caregivers of children and adults with disabilities have unique family experiences that impact wellbeing. From advocating for equitable education to out-of-pocket healthcare costs and experiences of stigma and discrimination, this group experiences greater stress and isolation. The Parents and Caregivers of Children and Adults with Disabilities is a space where UBC employees can share the challenges and joys of supporting children and adults with disabilities. Caregiving is a gendered role, with more women engaged in caregiving activities, and, perhaps not surprisingly, women are more likely to experience negative impacts from caregiving such as feeling tired, worried, and anxious. There is increasing recognition that caregivers need to be better supported in this role through a combination of government policy and employer programs. This proposed project is timely and urgently needed by caregivers who work at the University.

Project title: Recreational Adaptive Devices (RAD) Project
Applicant: Dr. William Miller, Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine
Project description: Adaptive devices (ADs) can help people with mobility limitations (PWML) participate in outdoor activities but are expensive. We, with community and campus partners, aim to provide low barrier access to ADs at UBC Vancouver. We will 1) Understand user needs, 2) Establish a low-cost equipment facility (GearBox) at UBC for sharing ADs via a mobile app, and 3) Evaluate user experiences. We aim to sustainably deliver ADs to the community at a nominal fee, enhancing the accessibility of outdoor activities for PWML so they can fully experience and participate in outdoor recreational activities within and beyond the UBC campus.

Project title: Sensory-friendly Spaces for Students and Staff in the Neville Scarfe Building
Applicant: Lu Tian, Teacher Education Office, Faculty of Education
Project description: This project aims to repurpose existing rooms in the Scarfe building into sensory-sensitive spaces for students & staff without private offices. Tailored for those on the Autism Spectrum, neurodivergent individuals, and those with panic/anxiety or PTSD/head injury issues, the primary goal is to provide a quiet, safe environment for decompression. If two spaces are possible, one will serve as a private area for nursing mothers to pump or breastfeed, and for individuals awaiting medical services to rest.

2SLGBTQIA+ and gender equity stream: $18,801

UBC Vancouver

Project title: PrideMind Hub: Providing essential research and well-being resources for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Psychology
Applicant: UBC Psychology’s PrideMind
Project description: PrideMind Hub is a proposed website aimed to facilitate the professional development and well-being of 2SLGBTQIA+ Psychology students. PrideMind Hub aims to improve retention of 2SLGBTQIA+ students by increasing the accessibility of 2SLGBTQIA+- related research opportunities and mental health care. The Hub’s presence will foster a sense of community for 2SLGBTQIA+ students in the Psychology Department.

Project title: Advancing the Queer Collections Project at UBC Library
Applicant: Dr. Gregory Mackie (He/Him), Dr. Kyle Frackman (He/Him)
Project description: The initiative proposed for StEAR funding augments the Queer Collections Project (QCP) in UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections. The funding supports the acquisition of additional rare printed materials that are regularly integrated into faculty’s teaching and research projects. With a grant from StEAR, we can make very significant additions to the Library’s collections to support undergraduate and graduate primary resource research into the study of sexuality and gender identity.

UBC Okanagan

Project title: UBCO Heat Pride Night
Applicant: Heat Athletic Council
Project description: Within UBCO Athletics and Recreation, we are actively working on dismantling harmful prejudices in many ways including organizing our Pride Night! In collaboration with our volleyball teams, we intend to support the UBCO EDI Office and the Etcetera! Youth Group to create a safe, inclusive, exciting, supportive, and fun event for all, primarily for 2SLGBTQIA+ and Trans and Gender Nonbinary (TGNB) youth- further encouraging their involvement and development in sport.

Intersectional stream: $111,773

UBC Vancouver

Project title: Educational Support to Foster Inclusivity at UBC Pharm Sci
Applicant: UBC Pharm Sci Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Forum (EDIF)
Project description: The Pharm Sci Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Forum (EDIF) aims to foster an inclusive community and culture within the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences that is welcoming to all. Our focus is providing educational programming and community-building events that act as a hub to connect and support affinity groups and raise awareness of EDI+I issues within our Pharm Sci community.

Project title: “Show Me, Don’t Tell Me”: Utilizing Theatre to Raise Instructor’s Awareness about Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Dental Programs
Applicant: HsingChi von Bergmann
Project description: This initiative aims to develop a sustainable resource to raise the awareness of instructors in the dental and dental hygiene programs at UBC Dentistry regarding racism, sexism, and microaggressions in the learning environment. This resource will present the struggles and challenges reported by students using Research-based Theatre to create dramatized, fictional scenes and provide a safe space for educators to reflect, discuss, and contribute to developing strategies to ensure a psychologically safe environment for learners.

Project title: Enhancing the Age-Friendliness of UBC campus with Community-dwelling Older Adults
Applicant: Age-Friendly UBC Project Team
Project description: The initiative is to collaborate with community-dwelling older adults of diverse backgrounds (e.g., indigenous groups, people of colour, LGBTQIA2S+, and people with different physical and mental capacities) to explore barriers and supporting strategies to enhance the age-friendliness and inclusiveness of the UBC campus. The activities will generate a toolkit and an exhibition to share priorities in creating an age-friendly UBC.

Project title: Increasing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in Classroom Teaching and Research Labs
Applicant: Amori Yee Mikami (she/her), Associate Head for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Department of Psychology
Project description: One year ago, the Psychology Department established an EDI Consultation Service to provide tailored input and 1:1 support to faculty and other Department members on how best to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in their research and teaching, as part of our Department’s broader 5-Year EDI Strategic Plan. The current proposal seeks to continue and expand the EDI Consultation Service in the 2023-24 academic year.

Project title: UBC ARTIVISM: A Festival of Creative Resistance
Applicant: Debora Pickman (she/they) and Jesse Medrano-Ramos (she/her)
Project description: The ARTIVISM festival’s primary goals are: To highlight stories of resilience and student activist art practices that challenge dominant narratives through arts and culture. To involve and amplify the voices of marginalized student communities and support them by showcasing their work, as well as some of their counterparts in the wider community. To create an opportunity for these students to benefit by getting involved in, and/or to witness their peers creating, exhibiting, performing and sharing their works of artistic activism throughout the UBC campus. The desired impact is for the participants to become empowered through the arts, engage in experiences that create greater understanding across differences and experience a greater sense of efficacy, develop resilience and enhanced sense of belonging at UBC and in the world.

Project title: ResiStories: Stories from Resistors
Applicant: Sydney Lines (she/her) and Alyssa Sy de Jesus (she/her)
Project description: ResiStories convenes under/misrepresented HPSM communities to tell their own stories on their own terms in Vancouver’s oldest museum and further engages HPSM UBC students and faculty working in and with HPSM peoples and cultures in publicfacing work and service. The project compensates local HPSM community knowledge holders, artists, and activists engaged in reparative work and supports ongoing collaborative work between academic institutions and community organizations.

Project title: Women’s Empowerment Expo
Applicant: Student Alumni Council
Project description: This one-day event aims to promote diversity and inclusion by creating a space for UBC women alumni from diverse backgrounds to share their career experiences and foster student-alumni connections. The event will feature workshops on topics like women in global leadership, meaningful mentorships, and overcoming career challenges, with a focus on LGBTQ+ and BIPOC perspectives. While open to all UBC students, our primary goal is to empower students who have faced gender discrimination in their academic careers and/or lives. Through this event, we hope to highlight various career paths led by female leaders and offer networking opportunities and valuable insights from alumni to assist students in overcoming barriers in their careers and making informed career decisions.

Project title: Community-Based Research and Knowledge Equity Institute in the Downtown Eastside
Applicant: Dr. Michelle Stack
Project description: Residents of the Downtown Eastside (DTES) are often said to be over-researched and under-served. The proposed two-day workshop leverages the collective strengths of artists, advocates, students and academics to move from knowledge to community impact. The workshop will be a collaborative effort that includes DTES community organizations and UBC units. Participants will develop plans to leverage collective knowledge for policy impact. The project will impact participants from the DTES and UBC.

UBC Okanagan

Project title: Empowering I.D.E.A.s in Health and Exercise Sciences
Applicant: Graduate Health and Exercise Science Society (GHESS)
Project description: This initiative seeks to define expectations and mobilize knowledge related to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) for graduate students in Health and Exercise Sciences (HES). The plan includes multiple initiatives such as a Sex and Gender Initiative workshop series, a year-end student-led conference, a PhD podcast, movie nights, and a Canvas course. These activities aim to bring sustained structural, curricular, and interactional changes.

Project title: Intergenerational STEM an Inclusive Approach for Equitable Access to University
Applicant: Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science, & Technology (WWEST)
Project description: WWEST increases access of underrepresented people to participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) activities. Older adults are an underrepresented group in campus activities, yet we are a recognized Age Friendly University. The primary goal is to create Intergenerational STEM activities that align with locally and nationally recognized dates (eg; Gender Equity Week, National Seniors Day, Women as Persons Day, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Black History Month) with partner organizations, (eg; Okanagan Regional Libraries, Chartwell Retirement Residences, Okanagan Indian Band) to promote equity and anti-racism through hands-on science activities and knowledge-sharing.

Project title: Introduction to Inclusive Marketing to UBC Okanagan Campus Communicators
Applicant University Relations
Project description: Through a moderated session (offered by AndHumanity) and a follow-up facilitated conversation with the EIO, UR aims to elevate the underrepresented voices and diversity on campus in its communications and marketing. This initiative aims to both support and impact communicators attending the session, all campus communicators (through sharing of best practices), and ultimately all of UBC Okanagan’s audiences.

Project title: Prayer/Meditation Pod
Applicant: Spirituality and Multifaith Services
Project description: A sound-proofed Prayer Pod will allow UBCO to expand the types of prayer and spiritual spaces it has on campus. Currently, UBCO has one multipurpose spirituality/prayer space that is often used by large groups for communal prayer. A Pod will accommodate students whose spiritual and religious traditions require solitude and/or silent prayer, or confidential religious rites such as confession.

Project title: Promoting equitable and diverse conversations on academic integrity with students as partners and leaders
Applicant: Faculty: Anita Chaudhuri (she/her) Student partners: Kamil Kanji (he/him), Nataasha Khattar (she/her), Jiayi Lu (she/her), Naeem Nedaee (he/him), Ximena Cayo Barrantes (she/her)
Project description: The knowledge translation project takes an asset-based approach to gather diverse student views on ethical implications of using generative AI for learning and its impact on academic integrity matters. The project will address StEAR Roadmap’s structural (1.8 C) and curricular change (2.1 B & 2.2 B) domains to “diversify curriculum and ways of learning” (p. 20) and UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI to gather response on “digital access inequalities” (p. 33).

Project title: STEADII – STEM Teaching for Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusive Impact
Applicant: STEADII Organizing Committee
Project description: The conversation around STEM education and EDIA (equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility) is that it comes with unique challenges. The one-day STEADII Conference for faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students (Inaugural Spring 2024) would provide a space for presenting how academics teach from an equitable perspective in the scientific disciplines. The main topics would be inclusive curriculum enhancements, equitable and accessible consideration of student needs, and research and other practices that focus on enhancing the academic experience and inclusion of underserved populations (from early education community-based interventions through to access to graduate education).

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