Four community-university projects co-led by Arts faculty, staff, and a student have received funding from the Summer 2024 Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund (PRE Fund).
The PRE Fund offers up to $1,500 to address small resource gaps and facilitate reciprocal relationships between community partners and the university. Since its inception in 2017, the fund has invested more than $643,873 in 429 community-university partnerships, with about 50% supporting Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour-led community organizations.
Learn more about the PRE-funded projects below:
Anti-Extractivist Worldmaking in Kaska Dena Traditional Territory
Community Partner: Ann Maje Raider, President and Executive Director, Liard Aboriginal Women’s Society
UBC Partner: Dr. Jessica Dempsey, Department of Geography
This project unites the Liard Aboriginal Women’s Society, the Liard First Nation, and the Ross River Dena Council in opposing the Kudz Ze Kayah mine in Kaska territory. Concerned about the mine’s impact on land, wildlife, and Kaska culture, the project aims to support Indigenous rights and sustainable land use. Despite a court ruling favoring the mine’s development, the Kaska continue to resist extractivist projects on their land.
With support from the PRE Fund, the project will focus on identifying research needs and forming research collaborations with UBC. Funds will cover staff time and travel for in-person meetings between Kaska representatives and UBC researchers as they prepare a SSHRC grant application for 2025.
Chinatown Celebration Society: Planning for an Equitable and Accessible Fire Dragon Festival
Community Partner: Stephanie Leo, Executive Director, Chinatown Celebration Society
UBC Partner: Joanna Yang, Centre for Asian Canadian Research
Since 2019, the Chinatown Celebration Society has hosted the annual Fire Dragon Festival in Vancouver’s Chinatown to honor the area’s cultural heritage. The month-long event, held in conjunction with the Mid-Autumn Festival, brings together volunteers, cultural knowledge keepers, and community members across generations to create a traditional Fire Dragon.
This year marks the fourth Fire Dragon Festival. With support from the PRE funds, the Society is working to enhance accessibility and equity in the event. A professional audit will be conducted to make the festival more inclusive for people with disabilities, ensuring that everyone can participate in this important community celebration.
Exploring Sustainable Revitalization of Cantonese as a Heritage Language in Vancouver’s Chinatown
Community Partner: Jeffrey Wong, Director, Wongs’ Benevolent Association
UBC Partner: Raymond Pai, Department of Asian Studies
This project aims to reopen the historic Mon Keang Chinese School in Vancouver’s Chinatown for immersive Cantonese language learning through a four-week course in Fall 2024. In partnership with the UBC Cantonese Language Program, the course will combine classroom instruction in ‘survival Cantonese’ with experiential learning in local businesses like greengrocers and cafes, providing students the opportunity to apply their lessons in real-world settings.
The program previously ran at full capacity for four years before the pandemic closure. With growing demand and the expansion of UBC’s teacher-in-training program, this course will test how UBC’s new teaching methods can meet the needs of Chinatown’s community. The project aligns with the City of Vancouver’s Chinatown Cultural District Framework and aims to revitalize Cantonese as a heritage language while fostering meaningful connections between students and the local community. The reopening of the School also sets the stage for its 100th anniversary celebration in 2025.
Exploring the Intersections of Immigration Policy, Racism, and Precarity for Migrant Care Workers
- Community Partner: Cenen Bagon, Co-founder, Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers’ and Caregivers’ Rights (CDWCR)
- UBC Partner: Anita Minh, Department of Sociology
Since 2023, this project has explored how federal immigration policies impact migrant care workers, focusing on systemic racism and employment precarity. Led by the CDWCR, the research involved analyzing 1,000 pages of government documents, 37 interviews, and four focus groups with care workers, revealing issues such as exploitative working conditions, delays in permanent residency (PR) processing, and restrictive program caps.
As the government prepares to launch new pilot programs in 2024, the project will host a public report launch to share these findings, facilitate discussions among care workers, researchers, and policymakers, and inform future immigration policy and advocacy efforts.
