UBC Community Engagement

For decades, the Canada-US relationship was of two nations bound by an intertwined economic fabric. Now, as the 2026 review of CUSMA looms and global protectionism becomes a new global standard, the strands may be fraying to a breaking point.On March 19, 2026, a panel of leading experts from the Allard School of Law, Vancouver School of Economics, Faculty of Forestry and Political Science joined a public audience at UBC Robson Square to move beyond the headlines and consider new geopolitical realities and their impact on Canada as a nation and the daily lives of individual Canadians.  

In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES), Community Veterinary Outreach, a national charity, is working with UBC researchers and students to reduce barriers to health care by allowing people to access support for themselves alongside their trusted animal companions.Research shows that pets offer profound physical, emotional and mental health benefits, especially for people facing marginalization. For many, the well-being of their animal takes priority over their own.  CVO's model leverages that bond, providing veterinary care alongside human health services in the same space by creating a setting where people come to care for their animals. The model also opens the door to preventative care, health advocacy, and social support that clients may not otherwise pursue for themselves.To learn more about this project, we spoke with Kyla Townsend and Kelsi Jasmine from Community Veterinary Outreach (note: Kelsi has since moved on from CVO), as well as members of UBC's animal welfare program: Alex Boo, veterinarian and adjunct professor, and graduate student Alexis Ly. We discuss how their project got started, the unique way CVO approaches its work, and the good that has come from bringing veterinary and human health services together.This initiative was supported by the Community University Engagement Support Fund.

In partnership with the Nuxalk Nation, the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia is presenting Nuxalk Strong: Dancing Down the Eyelashes of the Sun—the world's first dedicated exhibition of the Nuxalk. The exhibit features over 60 historic treasures from MOA's collections, as well as other museums, private holders, and Nuxalk families. Visitors are invited to connect with belongings made by Nuxalk Ancestors and contemporary Nuxalk artists, and to witness how the Nation is reclaiming and practicing their ways of being.This exhibition represents a transformative shift in how the Nuxalk Nation engages with museums—not as extractive institutions, but as platforms to share their belief systems, worldviews, and identity with the larger world. To learn more about this groundbreaking collaboration, we spoke with the curators of Nuxalk Strong about the exhibit and the evolving relationship between the Nuxalk Nation and the Museum of Anthropology.Our guests are Snxakila–Clyde Tallio of the Nuxalk Nation, Jennifer Kramer, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Curator at MOA, and Emily Jene Leischner, Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia and a UBC alumna.Learn more: https://communityengagement.ubc.ca/news/how-the-nuxalk-nation-is-working-with-ubcs-museum-of-anthropology-to-host-the-first-ever-exhibit-of-their-people/

In Peachland British Columbia, a local conservation group is turning the night sky into a classroom, inviting students and community members to study bats, insects, and the vital ecosystems they share.Peachland’s Bat Education and Ecological Protection Society, better known as BEEPS, leads the Nocturnal Bat and Insect Survey Project, a hands-on learning opportunity that’s using the magic of the nighttime world to spark curiosity, research and education. To learn more about this project, we spoke with collaborators Emma Gaudreau, president of BEEPS and Lily Liang, a UBC Okanagan student majoring in ecology, evolution and conservation in biology (Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science) and who also serves as the director of BEEPS.Visit our website here to learn more about the project and read the episode transcript: https://communityengagement.ubc.ca/news/ubc-okanagan-peachland-beeps-bat-survey-project/

What does community-engaged research look like in practice, and how can researchers navigate the complexities that arise from community involvement? In this special "Ask Me Anything" session, recorded live at the 2025 UBC Partnering in Research Conference, our speakers tackle these questions and more, sharing insights and practical strategies for effective community engagement.Featured speakers include Katherine Cheng (Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative), Dr. Michelle Stack (UBC Department of Educational Studies), and Bruce Moghtader (UBC Centre for Community Engaged Learning). As an interactive event, the episode also features reflections and questions from audience members.Together, they explore what it means for research to be truly community-led, the importance of equitable funding practices, and the need for flexible, renegotiable agreements that reflect community timelines over academic pressures. The discussion also surfaces institutional barriers that continue to challenge community-university collaboration, including tenure and promotion systems that undervalue engagement.Listeners will also gain strategies for approaching trauma-informed topics, navigating internal community dynamics, and ensuring accessibility across all stages of partnered research.This episode is part of “Challenges in Partnered Research,” a Q&A series by Partnering in Research that highlights individuals transforming policies, practices, and communities through collaborative research. This is one of three sessions recorded live at the UBC Partnering in Research Conference at UBC Robson Square on June 12th, 2025.  

How can community-university partnerships sustain meaningful work amid funding shortages, organizational transitions, or shifting priorities? Recorded live at the 2025 UBC Partnering in Research Conference, find out in this joint instalment of Challenges in Partnered Research and Stories of Partnership—a series that highlights reciprocal collaborations, centers community voices, and promotes continuous learning in engagement practice. Featured speakers include Zaida Schneider (False Creek Friends), Caroline Beninger (Be the Change Earth Alliance), and Kshamta Hunter, Akuzike Limbanga, and Mutuma Caelan (UBC Sustainability Hub). Together, they share how their partnerships have navigated challenges and embraced resilience to achieve shared goals in projects like the Youth Climate Ambassadors initiative and efforts to protect False Creek’s marine environment. The discussion examines the role of care, communication, and non-hierarchical relationships, and highlights the essential contributions of all partners, including students. Speakers also reflect on how community-university partnerships can advance climate justice and empower the next generation of changemakers. This episode is part of “Challenges in Partnered Research,” a Q&A series by Partnering in Research that highlights individuals transforming policies, practices, and communities through collaborative research. This is the second of three sessions recorded live at the UBC Partnering in Research Conference at UBC Robson Square on June 12th, 2025.   

Storytelling is powerful—but in research involving Indigenous and other historically, persistently, and systemically marginalized communities, it carries profound ethical responsibilities. Recorded live at the 2025 UBC Partnering in Research Conference, this episode explores storytelling in community-based and Indigenous-led research. Speakers examine the ethical dimensions and practical applications of storytelling that is reciprocal, respectful, and restorative. Featured speakers include Derek Thompson (Director of Indigenous Engagement, UBC Faculty of Medicine), Julie Gordon (Principal, Julie Gordon & Associates), and Oliver Mann (Senior Communications Strategist, UBC Office of Community Engagement). Together, they consider critical questions: How can institutions move beyond transactional storytelling toward meaningful relationships? What are the risks and responsibilities when sharing stories from communities with histories of trauma and misrepresentation? How can storytelling support truth and reconciliation efforts and address intergenerational impacts, such as those stemming from residential schools? This episode is part of “Challenges in Partnered Research,” a Q&A series by Partnering in Research that highlights individuals transforming policies, practices, and communities through collaborative research. This is the third of three sessions recorded live at the UBC Partnering in Research Conference at UBC Robson Square on June 12th, 2025. 

We are excited to share the fourth episode of our Stories of Partnership podcast series, produced in collaboration between UBC Okanagan's and UBC Vancouver's offices of Community Engagement. This session was recorded virtually in November 2024, as part of the UBC Community Engagement Network.Our guests, Trevor Moss, CEO of the Central Okanagan Food Bank, and Dr. Eric Li and Dhorea Ramanula from UBC’s Faculty of Management, sat down with UBC Okanagan’s Community Engagement Strategist, Angela Han, to talk about how their partnership began and has evolved, and share key practices that have helped them sustain their work over time. They also deeply explore the important role of research for nonprofits, as well as mutual benefits and ripple effects for universities, and speak about how flexibility and frank, proactive communication are a bedrock for healthy, reciprocal partnership.“Stories of Partnership” is a Q&A series by the Community Engagement Network (CEN) that is dedicated to shining a light on examples of reciprocal community-university partnerships. These Q&As are meant to centre the experiences of community partners and foster a culture of continuous learning within community engagement and community engagement practices. 

From navigating logistical hurdles to addressing ethical considerations and maintaining strong, reciprocal partnerships, how can community-university collaborations balance the desire to serve communities with the need to sustain ongoing research activities?In this episode, we speak with Dr. Henry Yu, Professor in the UBC Department of History and Co-Director of the UBC Centre for Asian Canadian Research and Engagement, and Dr. Vicky Bungay, Professor in the UBC School of Nursing and Director of Capacity: The Centre for Research in Community Engagement and Gender Equity. This episode is part of our “Challenges in Partnered Research” Q&A series. This series highlights individuals transforming policies, practices, and communities through collaborative research. Each installment features 1-3 researchers from diverse disciplines discussing some of the most common challenges faced in partnered research and their innovative solutions. Learn more: https://communityengagement.ubc.ca/news/pir-achieving-sustainability-in-engaged-research/

Explore how storytelling—through comics, podcasts, and apps—can be a powerful tool for engaging audiences, securing research funding, and delivering impactful messages.Our guests include Dr. Elizabeth “Biz” Nijdam, an expert in graphic storytelling from UBC’s Department of Central, Eastern, and Northern European Studies; Gabriele Dumpys Woolever, Research Manager for Programs and Initiatives at the Centre for Migration Studies; and Dr. Patricia Janssen, a professor in the UBC School of Population and Public Health.This episode is part of our “Challenges in Partnered Research” Q&A series. This series highlights individuals transforming policies, practices, and communities through collaborative research. Each installment features 1-3 researchers from diverse disciplines discussing some of the most common challenges faced in partnered research and their innovative solutions. Learn more: https://communityengagement.ubc.ca/news/the-power-of-storytelling-in-collaborative-research/

In our latest episode of “Challenges in Partnered Research,” a Q&A series by Partnering in Research, we aim to learn from researchers who realized their research and implementation goals had grown beyond academia and how they decided a non-profit organization could advance their policy-relevant research and community change initiatives.   Listen in as Dr. Paul Kershaw and Dr. Elaine Leung  discuss their journeys from academia to founding non-profits, the challenges they faced, and their insights on how universities can support similar initiatives. Whether you are a researcher contemplating a similar path or simply interested in community-engaged research, this episode is packed with valuable insights and advice.

We are excited to share the second episode of our Stories of Partnership series—recorded live in front of an audience on October 2, 2024, in Kelowna, BC.  In this episode, we feature an inspiring partnership between Kelowna Museums and the UBC Okanagan Library. Together, they’ve launched projects like the Okanagan QueerStory podcast and Kelowna’s first-ever Queer Zine Fair. You’ll hear firsthand how this collaboration is amplifying queer history and building essential community spaces in the Okanagan.  Our guests, Erik Beardmore, a queer artist and Programming Associate at Kelowna Museums, and Donna Langille, the Community Engagement Librarian at UBC Okanagan, share the challenges of maintaining momentum in community partnerships and the creative solutions they found to keep their projects thriving. From organizing live podcast recordings to overcoming funding limitations, Erik and Donna emphasize the importance of flexibility, trust, and communication in their work.  Moderating the conversation is Christian Isbister, UBCO’s Indigenous Initiatives Librarian, who helps explore not only the successes but also the hurdles faced by the team—such as the ongoing search for safe, accessible queer spaces in Kelowna—and how partnerships with institutions like UBCO can help address community needs.  Whether you’re passionate about preserving queer history, interested in community-driven creative projects, or looking to learn more about fostering reciprocal community-university partnerships, this episode has something for you. 

Indigenous language in B.C. is facing a critical state of emergency, largely due to historical Canadian government policies aimed at assimilating Indigenous peoples into English-speaking, non- Indigenous society. However, located in northern B.C., the Children of the Taku, a non-profit society working to protect the land, culture and language of the Taku River Tlingit People, is leading a revival of their language.In this episode, we speak with K’èdukà Jack, executive director of the Children of the Taku Society, and Dr. Christine Schreyer, an associate professor at UBC Okanagan as they discuss their efforts to document language loss and revitalization, and how this work is strengthening cultural identity and community resilience.This podcast episode and the accompanying written Q&A contain discussions of residential school experiences, cultural suppression, and the long-term impacts on Indigenous peoples and communities. These topics may be distressing or triggering for some listeners and readers, especially for those who have experienced trauma or systemic violence. We acknowledge the deep pain and harm that such discussions may evoke and encourage you to prioritize your well-being. 

For our latest episode, we’re excited to bring you a conversation between two influential voices at UBC: Professor Moura Quayle, the Associate Provost at UBC Vancouver and Adriaan de Jager, UBC’s Associate Vice-President of Government Relations and Community Engagement. Moura Quayle has a long and distinguished career that spans academia, government, and public policy. Until July 31, 2024, she oversaw a broad portfolio at UBC that included faculty recruitment and retention, the President’s Academic Excellence Initiative, and academic planning. Her work has consistently highlighted the importance of community engagement.  In this episode, Adriaan takes on the role of interviewer and, together, they reflect on the evolving role of universities in society. Moura shares advice for academics on navigating traditional structures, calls for boldness and innovation in UBC’s strategic planning, and discusses the importance of knowledge exchange between universities and the wider community.This episode is part of our “Challenges in Partnered Research” series. This series highlights individuals transforming policies, practices, and communities through collaborative research. Each installment features 1-3 researchers from diverse disciplines discussing some of the most common challenges faced in partnered research and their innovative solutions.

A partnership between the Homalco First Nation, UBC's Comic Studies Cluster, and Education Without Borders is bringing together a team of Indigenous graphic artists to create a series of short comics based on archival recordings of Elders from the Homalco First Nation.    Captured in the early 1990s, these recordings explore life in the Homalco First Nation’s traditional territory in Bute Inlet, with Elders recalling their childhoods and sharing stories about traditional customs and their nation’s rich history.   Like many First Nation communities in BC striving to revitalize their traditional ways of being, this project is crucial for the Homalco Nation as it seeks to rekindle their language and preserve their culture in modern ways. By using comics that integrate the Homalco language, the project aims to engage the youth, ensuring that the voices of their Elders resonate with future generations.   To learn more about this project, we spoke with Homalco member and the project’s lead, Tchadas Leo, Dr. Elizabeth Nijdam, the director of UBC’s Comic Studies Cluster, Cecil Hershler, chair of Education Without Borders, and Alina Pete, a Cree cartoonist and one of the artists hired to work on this project.   In our conversation, we dig into the importance of the project and its inception, favorite moments including a road trip where the artists and project team traveled to Bute Inlet to connect with the Homalco First Nation, and, finally, advice for others hoping to develop successful community-university partnerships and how comics can be a powerful tool for this work.

"Stories of Partnership" is a Q&A series by the Community Engagement Network (CEN) that is dedicated to shining a light on examples of reciprocal community-university partnerships. These Q&As are meant to center the experiences of community partners and foster a culture of continuous learning within community engagement and community engagement practices. It’s our pleasure to share the stories and insights of those who drive this essential work forward. Today's episode features Katie Crocker, the CEO of AMSSA, (Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC). She is joined by Antje Ellermann, the director of UBC’s Centre for Migration (CMS) and its Community Liaison, Sean Lauer. This conversation was moderated by CMS’ Engagement Strategist, Javier Ojer. Learn how to support community-university partnerships directly from the perspective of a community partner and hear the panel’s valuable insights on the importance of investing time in relationship building.   (0:36) Introduction (3:15) Meet the Speakers (8:46) Origin Story (15:31) Challenges and Successes (23:21) Collaborative Initiatives (41:56) Reflecting on the Partnership and Understanding Reciprocity (46:26) Insights, Feedback, and Advice to Staff Visit our website to learn more: https://communityengagement.ubc.ca/

UBC’s new Centre for Asian Canadian Research and Engagement — also known as ACRE —is an incredible initiative that is working to centre the voices, experiences, and expertise of Asian Canadian communities, both within the university and, crucially, beyond it.  ACRE's approach to research, teaching, and engagement is deeply rooted in community engagement and is built on long-standing partnerships with cultural, civic, and non-profit organizations throughout Metro Vancouver. By working together, they aim to build a more socially just future where Asian Canadians of all backgrounds can thrive.  In today’s episode, we spoke with the staff behind ACRE. Specifically, Joanna Yang, Szu Shen, Jennifer Lu, and Shirley Ting to learn more about ACRE and how they are supporting reciprocal community-university engagement.  Visit our website to learn more: https://communityengagement.ubc.ca/news/meet-the-cen-a-conversation-with-acre/

Today, fewer than 47 native speakers of ʔayʔaǰuθəm remain, all of whom are over the age of 60. To help preserve their traditional language, four sister nations—Klahoose, Tla'amin, Homalco, and K'ómoks—are working alongside researchers from UBC and the University of Alberta to develop an ʔayʔaǰuθəm e-dictionary. In the pilot episode of the UBC Community Engagement Podcast, we speak with Koosen Pielle of the Tla'amin Nation, located in the tiskʷət region, and Dr. Marianne Huijsmans, an Assistant Professor at U of A. In their conversation, Koosen and Marianne discuss how their project is uniting the nations and how the e-dictionary is making their language more accessible.