Indigenous History Month

“Building Capacity in Shared Responsibility: A Speaker Series to Support Basic Indigenous Reference at UBC Library” will include virtual and hybrid/in-person talks by Indigenous and settler experts, each providing insight into Indigenous knowledges and information resources, as well as community-informed and ethical research practices. This project seeks to continue ongoing work at UBC Library (Vancouver and Okanagan) to empower library staff and student librarians in providing meaningful support for patrons conducting research on Indigenous topics. 

De Caribbean Voices Showcase is a month-long Black Arts Residency which will offer four workshops designed to bridge the gap between cultural heritage and contemporary lived experiences for the Caribbean diaspora at UBC Okanagan and the surrounding community. 

Safety & Risk Services will strengthen its approach to client service by building staff capacity to better understand and respond to the lived experiences of UBC community members, particularly in situations involving vulnerability or frustration. Through participation in the KAIROS Blanket Exercise, the division aims to deepen understanding of Indigenous experiences in Canada and foster trust, connection, and more respectful communication. 

The Department of Chemistry will create a series of “Who Are We” videos to strengthen inclusion, visibility, and community within the department. Featuring graduate students and upper-level undergraduates, the videos will share students’ experiences, research interests, academic journeys, and study tips in an accessible and relatable way. By highlighting the stories of Historically, Persistently, or Systemically Marginalized (HPSM) members, the project aims to foster a stronger sense of belonging among current and prospective students.

The UBC Okanagan Gallery, in partnership with the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery at UBC Vancouver, will present programming on the impacts of wildfires. Discussions will explore Indigenous cultural burning practices, diasporic connections, global climate urgencies, and colonial policies of fire suppression. 

The “Foundations for Institutional Reform in Professional Psychology: Centering Stories of Black Psychologists and the Communities They Serve” project includes a speaker series featuring Black psychologists for faculty and students in clinical psychology, counselling psychology, and school and applied child psychology. The series creates an opportunity to learn about the experiences of Black psychologists and the communities they serve. Insights from the series will inform a resource for ongoing use and future feedback on training and admissions in the school and applied child psychology program. 

This project bridges national (and international) practices of addressing anti-Black racism while supporting sustained analysis, connection, and relations locally. A series of arts-based programming will encompass a visit from renowned author, organizer, and educator Robyn Maynard. These workshops, co-facilitated by esteemed local writers of African descent along with IBPOC students from the School of Creative Writing, will offer four additional opportunities for gathering, reading, writing, and experiential learning open to the university community.

The Her Table Collective is a 12-month pilot initiative at UBC Vancouver designed to create consistent, culturally affirming spaces for Black women staff and faculty to connect, reflect, and support one another through shared meals and facilitated dialogue. Operating on a monthly or bi-monthly basis, the gatherings foster community, collective care, and professional connection while addressing the isolation Black women often experience within institutional settings. 

iSchool Community Learning Day is a professional development day directed toward the school’s students, faculty and staff. The day will be filled with programming that supports an inclusive working and learning environment.

The project will identify barriers to access in learning and teaching spaces at UBC Okanagan and develop recommendations for improving existing spaces, as well as best practices for the design of new ones. By improving the accessibility of these spaces, the project aims to enhance teaching and learning experiences for disabled students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Information about the accessibility of learning spaces will also be made publicly available through the existing General Teaching Spaces website. 

The project “Queer Play: Transforming Pedagogical Practice and Learning Design” will support a two-day participatory design workshop and the creation of a related website for UBC community members engaged in teaching, including faculty, teaching assistants, and teacher candidates. The project focuses on applying the concept of queer play to teaching practice and learning design.

This project aims to improve practicum supervision for teacher candidates (TCs) in the UBC Bachelor of Education program by developing equity-centered tools, including online learning modules and a practical handbook. These tools will support faculty and school advisors to move away from Eurocentric, cis-heteropatriarchal, and colonial feedback norms, and create more affirming, responsive, and equitable learning experiences. Grounded in anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, and relational approaches, the project supports teacher candidates’ learning, well-being, and professional growth, particularly TCs from HPSM groups.

The project will hold a speaker series exploring ageism through intersectional lenses, with a focus on racial, disability, and 2SLGBTQIA+ equity. Featuring both UBC and external scholars, the series will create opportunities for critical dialogue, intergenerational exchange, and knowledge-sharing among faculty, trainees, and community members. By highlighting scholarship that addresses systemic inequities across the lifespan, the project aims to support inclusive, equity-focused research, teaching, and mentorship while advancing well-being for both older and younger members of the UBC community.

The project will welcome the UBC Latinx community to Koerner Library through a concert by Canto Vivo, the choir of the Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre (VLACC). While the choir welcomes broad participation, its repertoire features songs by Latin American artists in Spanish and Portuguese. The concert will be presented as part of the UBC Library’s Latin American Heritage Month activities each October.

The initiative will improve the accessibility of Climate Conversations, a community-oriented climate research forum hosted by the UBC Botanical Garden. Guided by a climate justice framework, the forum is designed to recognize and value diverse forms of expertise. The project aims to ensure that those most impacted by climate change have the opportunity to participate in conversations about it, especially those who hold expertise that has special value within a climate justice framework (i.e., disabled and Indigenous individuals). 

This Development and Alumni Engagement (DAE) EDI Learning Lab is designed to create a safe, dedicated space for DAE staff to reflect on identities, lived experiences, and how they intersect to create or remove privilege. Building on foundational EDI training, the project strengthens DAE’s capacity by applying learning to everyday work with alumni, donors, and staff. Through facilitated dialogue and peer learning, the EDI Learning Lab will advance EDI competencies, shift mental models, and enhance equitable engagement. 

The speaker series “Dances of Disentanglement with White Supremacy” will bring in speakers to explore different topics related to white supremacy and its impacts. Through conversations with speakers with lived experience and researchers who study organized hate and extremism, the series will help participants better understand how white supremacy operates at multiple levels and how to respond to systemic bias, discrimination, and organized hate. 

The Go Global Equity & Anti-Racism Award supports equity-deserving students in accessing international learning opportunities. Applicants submit a brief statement describing how they will engage with equity and anti-racism during and following their Go Global experience. Recipients receive funding to help reduce financial barriers to participation and after returning, share their experiences through mentorship, blogs, panels, or similar initiatives. The award aims to fosters awareness, representation, community engagement, and the promotion of equity and anti-racism across UBC and abroad.