Events
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May 6
Kairos Blanket Exercise
1:00pm - 3:00pm | UBC Farm (3461 Ross Drive; University Endowment Lands)
Join us for the Kairos Blanket Exercise — a powerful and engaging learning experience. This event is offered as part of the IDEAL and the Cascades of Change: Inclusive Leadership and Respectful Engagement programs. However, this session is open to all members of the UBC community.Created in partnership with Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and educators, the KAIROS Blanket Exercise (KBE) is an interactive, hands-on learning experience that examines both the historical and present-day relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples on Turtle Island. This event is a collective initiative aimed at promoting understanding and reconciliation through Indigenous perspectives. We will come together in an open-air space, providing an immersive and reflective experience. The event is facilitated by Moon Tide Reconciliation and includes the participation of a Musqueam elder.Please note: This event takes place outdoors and will proceed rain or shine. We kindly suggest that participants dress appropriately for the weather and check the forecast in advance to ensure comfort throughout the experience.
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May 12
The Intersections of People and the Planet: A Climate Justice Workshop
3:00pm - 5:00pm | 3461 Ross Dr
The Intersection of People and the Planet: A Climate Justice WorkshopThis workshop is hosted by EDI.I Office in the Faculties of Applied Science, Forestry and Land and Food Systems at UBC. In honor of Earth Day, we are thrilled to invite you to our first Climate Justice Workshop rooted in intersectionality, decolonization and community resilience! This workshop is part of the IDEAL and Cascades of Change educational programs and is open to all members of the UBC community interested in climate justice from a racialized and decolonial perspective.Workshop OverviewPart 1: Ecological Kinship ExerciseParticipants will take part in a guided Ecological Kinship Exercise that invites them to build a personal, grounded relationship with the land. Through hands-on, reflective practice, this session offers space to process the emotional weight of the climate crisis—including grief and hopelessness—while reconnecting with traditional knowledge systems that center resilience, reciprocity, and care for the land. The experience concludes with a collective reflection to share insights and strengthen connection.Part 2: Panel DiscussionA moderated conversation featuring UBC researchers working in the areas of climate justice, community and social inequities. The panel will explore the intersections of climate justice and equity, with a focus on the experiences and voices of IBPOC communities. The session will be followed by an opportunity to ask questions and engage in dialogue with our speakers. Contributors Mary Jessome, Facilitator - Ecological Kinship Exercise As a place-based educator and doctoral candidate, Mary's work focuses on decolonizing people's relationship with themselves, others, and the world around them. Her work encourages individuals to reconnect with their unique ancestral practices and the cultural wisdom that has been erased by colonial systems. Mary's work is essential for creating more equitable, sustainable communities, as it helps individuals break free from ingrained patterns and develop more mindful, interconnected ways of living.Dr. Amanda Giang, Panelist - Intersections of People and the Planet Dr. Giang is an Assistant Professor in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UBC. Her work combines environmental modelling, policy, and justice, with a focus on air pollution and toxic chemicals. Her research is rooted in an interdisciplinary approach and aims to support frontline communities and address systemic environmental injustices, particularly in the context of climate change. Current projects in her research group focus on advancing community-centered responses to environmental injustice in Canada. They are assessing how technology and policy impact air quality in overburdened regions and exploring the integration of diverse forms of knowledge—including Indigenous and local knowledges—into environmental assessment and governance.Dr. Holly Caggiano, Panelist - Intersections of People and the Planet Dr. Caggiano is an Assistant Professor in Climate Justice and Environmental Planning in the School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP). Her research explores social dimensions of climate transitions in the US and Canada. Her interdisciplinary scholarship draws from various social science theories and methods, often community-engaged, and she prioritizes working collaboratively with people impacted by climate change and the plans and policies developed to mitigate its impacts. She holds at PhD in Planning and Public Policy from Rutgers University.Dana LaFayette Hunter, Panelist - The Intersections of People and the Planet Dana was raised in Treaty 6 territory in Saskatchewan and carries mixed Afro-ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ (Aniyvwiya/Cherokee) and Celtic Settler ancestries. Coming from a long line of growers and helpers, some of Dana’s earliest memories are of her hands in the soil planting flowers and food with her mom. An incoming UBC Master’s student in Cognitive Psychology, her transdisciplinary research will focus on culturally and ecologically embodied and embedded cognition, consciousness, and neuroplasticity. She is experienced in community-engaged land, culture, and arts-based wellness and food-sovereignty initiatives as well as programming with diverse and local communities and has co-led classes at UBC rooted in Indigenized and accessible pedagogies. Dana is honored to be mentoring in traditional medicines with the Medicine Collective from Dr. Alannah Young, and is training in Indigenous Focusing-Oriented Therapy, a land-engaged therapeutic approach.
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May 16
APSC Shoreline Cleanup Campaign
11:00am - 3:00pm | 1499 Arbutus St, Vancouver, BC V6J 5N2
Join us for a service-based team-building event designed for faculty and staff at UBC Applied Science. Through an Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup, you will have the opportunity to make a tangible impact in your community while fostering connections with colleagues in a meaningful way.By participating, you will help remove litter from our shoreline, preventing it from entering the ocean. Additionally, the data collected during the cleanup will support Ocean Wise and its partners in addressing pollution at its source.Following the cleanup, attendees are encouraged to continue socializing at a local pub or restaurant.Come together, make a difference, and strengthen our community one cleanup at a time!
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May 26
Lab Accessibility Training
9:30am - 11:00am
Do you make decisions about teaching labs? Whether it's in equipment, storage, layout, furnishings, safety, lab instruction, and more, this training is for you! Join us to learn more about accessibility in lab spaces. Gain insight into how to make lab spaces usable by and safe for lab users with physical accessibility needs. The focus of this training session is on undergraduate teaching labs, however those involved in decisions about research lab spaces may also benefit.*Please note the date has moved from May 28 to May 26, 2025.Meet the TrainerJulie Sawchuk - Principal and CEO, Sawchuk Accessible Solutions International Speaker, Best Selling Author and recipient of the King’s Coronation Medal, Julie is committed to helping everyone simplify accessibility. After sustaining a spinal cord injury in 2015, Julie became intimately aware of the everyday challenges of living in a world not built with accessibility in mind. Since then, she has become an industry leader, helping stakeholders understand how accessible spaces and services maximize safety, maintain dignity and allow independence through practical solutions. Using storytelling, expertise and humour, Julie reminds us that we all have a part to play in creating a world where people with disabilities don’t have to expend extra energy to simply do life. Source: https://www.juliesawchuk.ca/