Towards Thriving Rural Communities – Dunster, BC Community Engagement Project (Jan – Apr 2026 UBC-Based)

 

This program is part of the Global Experiential Education Program (GEEP) and is informed by ORICE values. GEEP aims to strengthen the bridge between classroom learning (theory) and application (practice) to address pressing global issues, in this community-based praxis initiative. Students who participate in GEEP can participate in experiential education projects designed and led by global community partners.

Details at a Glance

First Round Deadline: December 7th, (11:59PM)

• Program Type: Co-curricular (Not-for-credit)
• Engagementship Type: Community-Based Policy Engagement with Dunster Community Association, Dunster, BC
• Engagementship Location: Remote, with optional site visit (depending on community/student availability)
• Duration: January – April 2026
• Discipline Fit: Public policy, geography, community development, sociology, land use planning, environmental studies, agriculture/food system studies, rural development
• Eligibility: Open to UBC-V Undergraduate (60+ credits) & Graduate students (more details below)

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Community Partner

Dunster, BC is a small rural community located between the Cariboo and Rocky Mountains and situated between Prince George, BC and Jasper, Alberta. The Dunster Community Association (DCA) is a volunteer-driven grassroots organization working to address interconnected community challenges related to housing, food security, land stewardship, and long-term rural sustainability.

Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the purchase of local farmland by investors who do not actively use the land. As a result, approximately 24 farms in the region are currently unoccupied. This trend has contributed to declining population—particularly young families—reduced volunteer capacity, and stress on local services including schools, food systems, and community initiatives. The Association seeks to counter this trend by promoting equitable access to farmland, supporting young agrarians, and revitalizing community life.

In 2024, community members initiated an organized effort to understand the impacts of absentee land ownership, document policy gaps, build coalitions across rural BC, and identify pathways for community-led alternatives to traditional land ownership models. A local community developer, Rashmi Narayan, now serves as the Project Coordinator.  In 2025, students from a UBC course on human rights (PPGA 391A) worked with the DCA and Rashmi to develop a policy review, initiate coalition building with communities facing similar challenges and begin a media tool kit.

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Project Overview

Building on last year’s foundational research, the 2025 student team will work with Rashmi and the DCA to move the work forward by strengthening relationships, deepening policy understanding, and contributing to the development of practical tools for community and coalition advocacy. This term focuses on:

1. Community Engagement Support

The Dunster community is at the heart of this project and must ultimately drive the direction. Students will support the DCA on community engagement strategies and actions by contributing to tools, communication materials, and plans that help Dunster articulate the urgency of farmland access, promote community-led solutions, and recruit allies—including media, local champions, and organizational partners.

2. Coalition Building and Network Strengthening

The team will continue mapping rural communities in BC experiencing similar challenges and engage directly with emerging or existing citizen groups. Students may support convening virtual meetings, documenting shared concerns, gathering comparative examples, and facilitating knowledge exchange across communities.

3. Liaising With Policy Experts to Advance Preliminary Policy Briefs

Students will connect with policy researchers, agricultural organizations, rural development experts, and legal/policy practitioners to gather insights that strengthen existing drafts. This includes reviewing key issues such as succession planning, affordability of rural land, governance structures for collective ownership, and barriers to young farmers.

4. Policy and Research Brief Development

Based on expert conversations, community dialogue, and further research, students will refine and/or expand preliminary policy briefs.

The briefs may be used by Dunster and coalition partners for advocacy, public awareness, and potential funding proposals.

5. Empowering Community

Develop a factsheet in plain language for owners and sellers on development guidelines in the regional district of Fraser Fort George, which is in the Agricultural Land Reserve. The factsheet could include information related to permitted size of primary and secondary homes, permitted uses, taxation, subdivision and farmland protection tools like conservation easements.

There could be an opportunity for face-to-face engagement with residents to increase capacity by addressing knowledge gaps to support farmland preservation and succession planning.

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Project Timeline

Over a period from January to April 2026, the selected team of students will spend 3-5 hours weekly working collaboratively to complete the project. Students will be asked to participate in weekly scheduled in-person meetings (on the UBC Vancouver Campus) to ensure collaboration and accountability goals are defined and met. However, the remainder of the allotted time will be self-directed or in small work teams as per agreements with teammates.

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Learning Opportunities

Through this project, students will gain experience in:

• Applied public policy research
• Rural community development
• Coalition-building and stakeholder engagement
• Translating research into advocacy tools
• Working with grassroots organizations on long-term social change initiatives
• Understanding the intersection of land use, equity, food systems, and rural sustainability

More Information

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