Inspiring Community Recipients

Congratulations to all the Inspiring Community Grant recipients for their ideas and initiatives to support a sense of community at UBC, the University Neighbourhoods and Musqueam.

Learn about all the funded projects below! This page will continue to be updated as new projects are funded.

Feeling inspired by these projects? Apply for an Inspiring Community Grant! 

 

Planet-Friendly Wrapping: Folding Furoshiki for Sustainable Gift-Giving by Tomoko Y., UBC Staff

In this informative and interactive session, open to all, participants will learn how to incorporate the sustainable Japanese practice of furoshiki fabric wrapping into the upcoming holiday season. Librarians at the UBC Asian Library will introduce the cultural history and significance of furoshiki in Japan, followed by a hands-on workshop where participants learn how to wrap various items. The goal is to inspire creative and eco-friendly approaches to gift-giving while fostering cultural and environmental awareness.

 

Wonderland: Day of the Dead by Carmen G., UBC Student

Wonderland, as a yearly event, is centered around creating safe spaces for community building and showcasing small artists. This year, we celebrate latinx voices by hosting an event that shares the Day of the Dead tradition, invites others to participate and facilitates multicultural connections.

 

Cinema in the Playroom: A Grad Family Movie Night by Negar F., UBC Student

Cinema in the Playroom is a monthly series of free family-friendly film screenings designed for graduate student families. The project provides a low-cost, inclusive opportunity for social connection among parents while offering fun, engaging activities for children. By transforming the Graduate Life Center into a welcoming family hub, the program builds community and fosters belonging.

 

UBC Contemporary Players + Monsters & other(ed) bodies by Debora P., UBC Staff

Student composers Kelk Jeffrey and Rebecca Adams from our School of Music present musical responses to artworks in this exhibition at the HATCH Gallery, UBC’s student run gallery. These compositions along with additional musical selections will be performed by UBC Contemporary Players ensemble and Directed by Professor Paolo Paolo Bortolussi. Enjoy a reception afterwards with light refreshments. If you’re unable to attend watch us on Instagram livestream www.instagram.com/ubcartsculture

 

Neighbourhood Tiramisu Confection by Bryan H., UBC Student

As the exam season draws near, we want to gather the UBC community to destress, relax and socialize with new people from different faculties whilst enjoying a delicious treat by teaching them how to make a delicious Italian dessert, the tiramisu. Participants will work together to create the dessert in small groups, which creates a safe and casual environment to practice teamwork, spark meaningful conversations and develop new friendships. Each participant will make two portions of tiramisu. One portion is for them to enjoy, and the other portion will be given out to UBC students by volunteers the next day as a care package to support them during their exam season.

 

Style N’ Serve Foundation by Rafaella L., UNA Youth

A school program that aims to promote sustainability by reusing and recycling old clothes, as well as incorporating creativity, talent, and community engagement amongst students. Students will get an opportunity to contribute by redesigning and repairing old clothes into new and up cycled products. The products will be donated to local charities.

 

Butterfly Pages: Community Art for Emotional Connection and Well-Being by Sisilia C., UBC Student and Faculty

This project invites invites individuals, families to gather for a joyful, hands-on event where residents create together using foldable “butterfly pages.” Through painting, folding, printing, and storytelling, participants will explore emotional expression while building stronger bonds across cultures, ages, and languages. Participants can take their butterfly journals home or contribute them to a shared community display, celebrating both personal creativity and collective connection in a supportive environment.

 

Cross-Cultural Autumn Festival by Lilian C., UBC Staff

A family friendly event to celebrate Autumn festival, which is a holiday largely celebrated in the Chinese, Korean and Japanese community. Activities can include festive craft table, story telling in various languages, slideshow showcasing the history of the festivals, and raffle draws for festive gift baskets.

 

Arts Staff Choir welcomes Corey Payette by Jennifer S., UBC Staff

UBC’s Arts Staff Choir welcomes guest conductor Corey Payette. He will teach the Obi-Cree song “Gimikwenden Ina” from his hit musical Children of God. Payette will share info on the story, his process of composing music, and the importance of this story today. Light reception to follow

 

Queer Book Club by Ivan Z., UBC Student

This book club is a welcoming space where students come together to read and discuss books by or about 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. It celebrates queer voices, fosters community, and encourages open conversations around identity, representation, and shared experiences.

 

Karma Yoga: Mindfulness in Action by Arcadia L., UBC Staff

Karma Yoga: Mindfulness in Action is a vibrant community-building event that combines a purposeful beach clean up with a heart-centered karma yoga session. Open to everyone in the community, this initiative aims to foster environmental stewardship and human connection through collective action and mindful movement, inspiring deeper community engagement and shared responsibility.

 

Build & Bloom: Crafting 3D book through art and architecture by Kacey L., UNA Youth

Build & Bloom is a hands-on creative program where teens design and build their own 3D pop-up books. Blending art, architecture, and storytelling, students learn to sketch, and construct scenes that literally “leap off the page”.

 

Pilates in the Acadia Park: Breathe & Connect by Joey L., UBC Student and Acadia Park Resident

This project offers a revitalizing outdoor session focused on enhancing community well-being through mindful movement. This initiative offers students and their family members the opportunity to unwind, connect with nature, and strengthen social bonds. It aims to foster both physical and mental calm, making holistic wellness accessible to the community in Acadia Park.

 

Acadia Youth Soccer Camp 2025 by Hajun L., UNA Youth

Acadia Youth Soccer Camp 2025 is a free, community-based sports camp designed for children ages 9-12 in the Acadia Park neighbourhood. The camp promotes physical activity and teamwork through engaging soccer drills and games. Led by youth volunteers, the program aims to foster a supportive environment for young players.

 

The ice-breaker: WSTEM edition by Elia L., UBC Staff

Through themed prompts and small-group storytelling, participants will build authentic connections, share insights, and celebrate the diversity of women’s experiences in STEM. The project provides a welcoming and inclusive space to connect and share their stories.

 

Longing for the Homeland: A Concert Featuring Musical Compositions from Armenian Diasporic Composers by Tamar S., UBC Student

Beyond the profound loss of life, the Armenian Genocide continues to reverberate across generations—manifesting in collective trauma and a lack of recognition in many countries. For my project, I propose organizing a concert featuring works by Armenian composers who were directly affected by the genocide. This event will offer a meaningful opportunity for both Armenian and non-Armenian students—as well as the broader UBC community—to come together, engage with one another, and gain a deeper understanding of this often-overlooked chapter in history through its music.

 

Slow Jogging for Health and Graceful Aging by Ocean T., UNA Resident

This project will promote the great health and longevity of slow jogging through weekly slow jogging routines and coffee/tea/snack happy hour afterwards to attract hobby group members and neighbors to participate in the exercise and form a good habit and lifestyle. There will be two running events (Summer Wildflower Viewing Run and Fall Maple Leaf Viewing Run) on campus to enjoy and appreciate the beauty and attractiveness of the UBC campus and its communities. There will also be an offline seminar on slow jogging to share and promote the scientific methods to maximize the benefit of the exercise

 

Taiwan Equals Love: Documentary & Dim Sum by Nathan C., UBC Student and Staff

Attendees will be able to watch Taiwan Equals Love, a documentary exploring the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people in Taiwan and the advocacy efforts that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Taiwan in 2019. Taiwan Equals Love: Documentary & Dim Sum seeks to provide additional perspective on issues faced by LGBTQ+ issues by incorporating an intersectional lens and building cultural fluency skills. Attendees may also partake in a catered dim sum brunch

 

Wear Your Pride by Katherine C., UBC Student and Staff

“Wear Your Pride” is a creative t-shirt decorating event celebrating Pride Month and 2SLGBTQIA+ expression. Participants will design custom graphics with support from Residence Advisors and use iron-on transfer sheets to apply them to t-shirts. This format allows for immediate results and fosters a shared moment of visibility, creativity, and community pride.

 

Galileo’s Gang by Cathy C., UNA Youth

Conducting science experiments with kids. Learning about all subjects related to science; biology, physics, and chemistry. These lessons will help kids know more about this subject in school and other extracurriculars.

 

Acadia Park Summer Writing Bootcamp by Sharon E., UBC Student and Staff

This writing boot camp is designed for Acadia Park (and possibly Fairview) residents. The days each consist of short introductions to writing strategies, then timed writing cycles with breaks.

 

Spring/Summer Babytime by Hélène T., UNA Resident

We agree small is beautiful and want to hold space for the smallest residents Of UBC with a Spring Babytime. The Babytime will encompass a variety of activities such as singing, music and dancing as well as storytelling. Beyond the socialization and stimulation for the babies, this workshop provides critical community building for caregivers.

 

Charm Bracelet Making Workshop by Ariya B., UBC Student

The charm bracelet-making workshop is a free, hands-on event designed to bring the community together through creativity and self-expression. Participants will create personalized bracelets while sharing stories and connecting with others.

 

UBC Rose Garden Viewfinder by Kai W., UBC Student and Staff

The goal of our project is to create an AR-powered Viewfinder experience in/near the UBC Rose garden. We aim to highlight the beauty and importance of the UBC Rose Garden through a non-traditional immersive experience. Additionally, this project hopes to spread positive encouragement through user connected interactions in order to build a sense of community.

 

Middle East x East Asia: A Global Youth Dialogue to Dismantle Orientalism by Yao X., UBC Faculty

This online youth dialogue mobilizes critical knowledge production within and beyond UBC, and emerges as a response to deeply embedded stereotypes and global power imbalances due to Orientalism, i.e., the Western construction of the “Orient” (for example Middle East and East Asia) as an exotic, static, and inferior counterpart to the dynamic, superior “West”. This project advocates for sustainable intercultural and reflexive youth-led online forums that critically engage with contemporary Orientalist thought, questioning its persistence in media, pop culture, and education, while envisioning alternative, more nuanced representations of Middle East and East Asia youth cultures that would contribute to the present and future communities of teaching and learning at UBC.

 

Paint Night by Bryan H., UBC Student

We are organizing a series of workshops focused on acrylic painting, featuring two events: one for canvas painting and another for tote bag painting. Each session will begin with a guided learning activity to introduce basic painting techniques. Participants will also enjoy snacks, drinks, and opportunities to socialize and connect with others.

 

The Mindful Consumption Workshop by Poongping S., UBC Student

The Mindful Consumption Workshop is all about making sustainability feel doable and creative. We’ll teach simple DIY techniques—like patching, embroidery, and tie-dye—so students can give their old clothes a new life instead of tossing them out. Alongside hands-on upcycling, we’ll dive into the bigger picture: how the fashion industry impacts the environment, what CAP 2030 means for sustainability, and why we buy more than we need. To bring it all together, we’re hoping to set up a Thrifty Clothing Swap, where students can exchange gently used clothes and make mindful consumption a fun, community-driven experience.

 

Lunar New Year Delights: Soy Milk and Almond Cookies by Katherine C., UBC Student and Staff

Our project, “Lunar New Year Delights: Soy Milk and Almond Cookies,” celebrates the traditions of the Lunar New Year through a hands-on workshop. Participants will learn to prepare homemade soy milk and almond cookies, symbolizing nourishment and prosperity. This program fosters cultural appreciation and culinary skills, bringing people together to honour the festive spirit of the New Year.