Maya is a current undergraduate student majoring in Psychology with a minor in Law and Society. She is working on the HRC engagementship
Rachel Lim
Rachel Kara Lim is a Master’s candidate in Political Science whose research centers on Indigenous political theory, the genocide–ecocide nexus, and solidarity movements resisting extractive colonial violence. She works with the Human Rights Collective, bridging scholarship with campus-based advocacy and public education.
Alessia Montecalvo
Alessia is studying International Relations at UBC. She is an ORICE scholar for the Researching (Re)Integration engagementship.
Anushka Bellani
Anushka is a 4th year double majoring in Psychology and Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice. She supports the Gender+ Research Collective.
The Circle Way: A Collaborative Practice for Community-Based Research
EVENT DETAILS
eventDate: October 6th, 2025
Time: 5 PM - 7:30 PM
location_onLiu Institute for Global Issues
6476 NW Marine Dr, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada
EVENT DETAILS
event
Date: October 6th, 2025
Time: 5 PM - 7:30 PM
location_on
Liu Institute for Global Issues
6476 NW Marine Dr, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada
About
This two-and-a-half-hour training introduces The Circle Way, a powerful and collaborative practice for dialogue and decision-making. You’ll learn the core principles of this ancient method and how it can serve as a facilitating tool for community-based research. This includes exploring how The Circle Way supports an intersectional approach to public policy and research. The session will be followed by a community of practice, providing a space to apply these skills and have meaningful dialogues on topics relevant to your work. Snacks and refreshments will be available.
Background
The Circle Way is a methodology for group dialogue and decision-making that draws on ancient practices of gathering in a circle to foster connection, equality, and collective wisdom. Revived and refined by Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea, The Circle Way offers a structured yet flexible approach to conversations that matter—whether in classrooms, boardrooms, or community spaces.
At its core, The Circle Way is built on the belief that everyone has a voice, and that deep listening and intentional speaking can transform how groups relate, collaborate, and lead. It is a process and a way of being together, emphasizing shared leadership, mutual respect, and the power of story.
Circle practice can strengthen public policy by ensuring that all voices are heard equally, creating space for silence and reflection so responses are thoughtful and intentional. By weaving in practices that support mental health and well-being, such as time for feelings and grounding, circle structures help transform emotions from barriers into pathways for collective action and better decision-making.
Key Elements of the Circle Way
Center: A physical or symbolic focal point that represents the purpose of the gathering and helps anchor the group’s attention.
Check-in and Check-out: Rituals that mark the beginning and end of the circle, allowing participants to arrive fully and leave with intention.
Talking Piece: An object passed around to regulate speaking, ensuring each person has uninterrupted time to share.
Host and Guardian Roles: The host guides the process, while the guardian watches over the energetic and emotional integrity of the circle.
Agreements: Shared commitments such as confidentiality, listening without judgment, and speaking with intention.
Applications
The Circle Way is used in:
- Education: To create inclusive classrooms and foster student voice.
- Organizations: For team building, leadership development, and conflict resolution.
- Community Work: To support healing, dialogue, and participatory decision-making.
- Spiritual and Personal Growth: As a tool for reflection, storytelling, and deep connection.
Philosophical Roots
The practice is inspired by Indigenous traditions and global wisdom cultures that have long used circle gatherings for governance, ceremony, and storytelling. The Circle Way honors these roots while adapting the practice for contemporary settings.
About the Facilitator
Stephanie Papik
Stephanie is two-spirit, with an Inuit, Irish, Scottish, and Spanish ancestral background. Their work is centered on Indigenous self-determination, decolonial approaches, circle practice, and public service innovation — endeavours that are informed by the values of compassion and inclusion, as well as a drive toward cultural resurgence. Offering three decades of experience in Indigenous knowledge system advancement, public policy transformation, and culturally-safe governance across the B.C. Public Service and community sectors, Stephanie has lent her wealth of experience to numerous leadership positions across the province.
Before joining UBC as a Practitioner Fellow with the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at UBC from September to December 2025, they served as a Director of the Moose Hide Campaign, where they directed cross-governmental initiatives to support the prevention of gender-based violence while supporting reconciliation efforts. She is also a co-founder, as well as a Board of Director, of the Inuit Collective Society of B.C. Previously, they have held positions such as Director at Emergency Management B.C., as well as working in the Premier’s Office.
SOWK 440J/571: Global Mental Health (2025W UBC-Based + 2026S International Placement)
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
Applications Closed.
- Program Type: 3-Credit Curricular Program (Academic Course) taught by Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim
- Program Location: Nairobi, Kenya
- Duration: 5 weeks beginning on April 27, 2026 + Pre-departure Program & Post-placement Activities
- Eligibility: Open to UBC-V BSW or MSW students + all UBC-V students interested in this topic who can demonstrate a fit with the nature of the course during the application and interview process.
Course Description
According to the Global Burden of Diseases report, mental illness is considered to be among the leading conditions causing disability globally. Health and social service providers practicing in international settings can play a role in policy development, health education and promotion, direct provision of psychosocial interventions, assessment, referral/linkage, and mobilization of self-help, mediation, advocacy, community development, public education and research.
SOWK 440J/571 Global Mental Health: Praxis Course introduces students to an emerging and important global mental health field. Global mental health is an area of study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving mental health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide (Patel, 2012). This elective will introduce students to advanced competencies in global health practice and research, such as the global burden of mental health, social and economic determinants of mental health, the globalization of biomedical psychiatry, global mental health governance and leadership, human rights, and equity. Students will discuss practical and ethical challenges in delivering care in low-resource settings, describe tools, and strategies to address the needs of specific vulnerable populations, especially urban refugees in resource-limited countries. They will also examine cultural awareness and its importance in caring for a diverse population.
This premier global mental health course provides learners with the opportunity to gain the necessary knowledge and skills required to work as a mental health practitioner in a global context. This course is located in Kenya to ground the concepts of global mental health in a specific non-Western context. Students will be partnered with local health organizations to observe and learn from local experts.
This course will be taught by Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim PhD, MSW, RN, an Assistant Professor at UBC’s School of Social Work and an internationally trained scholar and clinician. He has expertise in the content, lived experience in the area, and a strong network of local human service organizations and professional colleagues to assist in the facilitation of the course content.
Program Overview
Student enrollment in SOWK 440J/571 requires full participation in:
ORICE Pre-departure Learning Program (January – April, 2026)
The pre-departure learning program is designed to prepare you for an international placement. This will include:
- Pre-departure learning sessions that take place over the academic term leading up to departure are led by staff and community development professionals.
- Creation of a learning and development plan
- Facilitated meetings with your placement team to explore learning topics
- Post-Placement expectation review and planning
5-Week Academic Course (April – June 2026)
- 1 week online intensive course before departure (Starting the last week of April 2026)
- 1 week in-person intensive course hosted in Nairobi with guest speakers from Kenyan academia, government and civil society (May 2026)
- 3 weeks of community-based learning & placements in Nairobi, Kenya for the remainder of May/early June 2026
- Includes: In-Country placement orientation and workshops facilitated by ORICE
Final Course Work – due as per instructor deadlines by end of Summer Term 1.
Public Engagement Presentation (October, 2026)
More Information
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Applications Closed
- Review course and program details (please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca with any questions you may have).
- Next, fill out the ORICE international programs application form for this course below.
- Successful applicants will be contacted by email to continue the selection process through an individual interview and a group interview.
- After interviews, you will be notified of a decision; successful candidates will be sent an offer letter with further details on the program and detailed instructions on how to accept. You will have approximately one week after receiving the offer letter to accept. Your selection into the program includes meeting eligibility requirements, as well as your initial application and your performance in the interview.
- Students who have been selected to participate in SOWK 440J/571 will be automatically registered for the course by the department.
Note: Although there are rounds of multiple deadlines scheduled, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we can not guarantee the number of spots remaining in the following round of deadlines. We encourage interested students to apply as soon as possible.
Open to BSW or MSW students registered with the UBC Vancouver School of Social Work. Students who are entering their 4th year in September 2025 are encouraged to take this course, but please note that students who enrol in this course will be unable to officially convocate until November 2026, as they will still be active enrolled students during the May 2026 convocation period.
A program completion letter can be provided when graduating students complete the course, which can be used for employment purposes prior to formal graduation in November.
Students in other health professions, such as Nursing and Public Health, are also encouraged to apply. Strong applications from students who are not in a health professional program may also be considered.
Preference will be given to 4th year and Masters level Social Work students.
In addition to its academic requirements, SOWK 440J/571 students must also participate in a number of activities to ensure their preparedness for their international placement.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| August 18, 2025 | Program application is open and will close when the program is full. Applications will be considered in the order they are received. |
| September 28, 2025 | Application Deadline #1 |
| Between September 28 - October 26, 2025 | First Round of Interviews |
| October 26, 2025 | Application Deadline #2 (if spaces remain) |
| November 23, 2025 | Application Deadline #3 (if spaces remain) |
| January 11, 2026 | Final SOWK application Deadline (if spaces remain) |
| January – April, 2026 | Orientation and pre-departure learning sessions. All successful applicants will be expected to be in attendance at all sessions. Sessions include some remote connections with KMTC. |
| One Week In the End of April or Early May, 2026 (Dates TBD) | SOWK 440J/571 (Summer Term 1), Course begins with an intensive seminar week prior to departure. (online course with KMTC) |
| May, 2026 (Dates TBD) | Orientation in Nairobi |
| May - June, 2026 (Dates TBD) | 4 week course including community-based attachments in Nairobi, Kenya |
| June 2026 | SOWK 440J/571 Final assignments due and post-placement reflection session |
| Post-placement October 2025 | Public engagement presentation related to course-based research |
In Kenya, you will live in hostel-style accommodations with modest living conditions.
There are program fees, outside of tuition, for this course. The finalized cost per student is yet to be confirmed, but will be within the range listed below. A program deposit fee of $685.00 is payable upon acceptance of an offer to secure your spot in the program. The deposit fee will be deducted from the overall balance owing. The prices listed below are in Canadian Dollars (CAD).
| Cost | Available Award: ORICE Regional and International Program Award (see eligibility) |
| Program Fee: $3,800 -$4000 | Award Value: $2000 |
| Program fees do not include the cost of tuition. | |
*Note: Program fees may be adjusted before the offer. Program costs vary primarily due to cost of living expenses.
Program cost includes:
- Pre-departure learning sessions at UBC
- Room and board in Kenya
- Transportation from the airport to your placement site in Kenya
- Orientation in Kenya with in-country rep
- Reflection materials
- Community partner management fee
- Program management fee
Note: Additional expenses not covered in program costs are the responsibility of the student. Costs not included are airfare, visas, vaccinations, tuition, local transportation while in country, transportation from the site back to the airport at the end of the placement, personal items, and daily incidentals.
Please see the Funding Opportunities section below for information on the award that is available to cover some of the costs of the program.
Funding available for this program: ORICE Regional and International Program Award
The ORICE Regional and International Program Award ($2000) is open to eligible UBC students participating in ORICE programs that require travel to a host community, including SOWK 440J/571. Students from all faculties are eligible.
Additional eligibility requirements are as follows:
- Completed 60 credits of undergraduate coursework (3rd or 4th year standing), unless an alternate minimum completed credit criteria is stated in the program eligibility.
- Have a minimum GPA of 70% in the top 18 credits of the previous academic year with no fails or incompletes in the assessed period. Priority will be given to students who have 75% in the top 24 credits of the previous academic year.
- Be enrolled in at least 18 credits in the current academic year or enrolled in the maximum sufficient credits to satisfy graduation requirements if this is your final year.
When you apply to any eligible program, you will be automatically assessed for the ORICE Regional and International Program Award. Admission to regional and international programs is adjudicated by application.
Applications Closed
Applications for the SOWK 440J/571 are now closed.
Thank you for your interest!
Researching (Re)Integration: A Survey of Emerging Practices for Managing Safe House Transitions (MGSH) (2025W 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
Application Deadline: September 14th, 2025 (11:59PM)
- Program Type: Co-curricular (Not-for-credit)
- Engagementship Type: Community-Engaged Research Project in collaboration with Maisha Girls Safe House
- Engagementship Location: 2025W In-person, UBC-Based
- Duration: 4 months starting in September 2025
- Eligibility: Open to UBC-V Undergraduate (60+ credits) & Graduate students (more details below)
Project Description
Organization Details
Maisha Girls Safe House (MGSH) is a grassroots Non-Governmental Organization committed to reaching out, receiving, and protecting girls from sexual violence and human trafficking. They provide a continuum of care and support while fostering resiliency for a better quality of life.
Maisha runs a safe house that temporarily hosts and supports girl survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse under 19 years of age, as well as community-based safe spaces targeting girls and young women vulnerable to human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Since its inception, MGSH has supported more than 700 girl survivors, meeting their essential needs, providing healthcare, trauma healing, and guiding them through the justice system. Afterward, they carry out family tracing, reconciliation, and reintegration processes. Additionally, MGSH is a strong advocate against Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and collaborates with various stakeholders to promote interventions aimed at addressing SGBV.
Current Project
By design, Maisha Safe House is intended to provide temporary housing for girls proceeding through the justice system. Assisting girls to transition into the safe house following traumatic events requires care, and while the Maisha team regularly navigates this process, they are continuously developing approaches and processes to ease the integration experience for all involved. However, the safe house is not intended to be a long-term or permanent housing; and supporting girls to reintegrate into the community and alternative housing post-justice system can be challenging.
Maisha Safe House is partnering with ORICE for this desk research project to identify good/innovative practices for (re)integration into and out of safe houses in comparable environments to Nairobi, Kenya. Maisha is also interested in learning about assessments that have been completed and the criteria that were used to make such assessments regarding (re)integrations. This first stage will be presented in a final presentation and a written report, after which the Maisha team will decide whether and how to utilize it in programming and/or research.
Students joining the 4-month engagementship (September -December 2025) will have an opportunity to work with Maisha Safe House to deliver research to inform their (re)integration practices for girls accessing their safe house. Activities associated with this project will include meeting with Maisha Safe House staff to gather a stronger understanding of what kind of information they hope to learn about and why; undertake desk research using academic journals and grey literature about the research themes; develop a comparative case study of 3-4 safe houses in agreed upon regions- with particular attention to assessment methods. All materials will be delivered to the Maisha team in the form of a presentation and written report.
Project Timeline
Over a period from September 2025 to December 2025, 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.
More Information
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Application Deadline: September 14th, 2025 (11:59pm)
- Review project details (please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca with any questions you may have).
- Next, fill out the ORICE program application form (Qualtrics Survey) below.
- Successful applicants will be invited by email for a 20-minute individual interview.
- After interviews, you will be notified of a decision; successful candidates will be sent an offer letter with further details on the program and detailed instructions on how to accept. Your selection into the program includes meeting eligibility requirements, as well as your initial application and your performance in the interview. The team will ultimately be comprised of 4-6 students.
- Be an undergraduate (domestic or international) at the UBC Vancouver campus with 60 or more completed credits, or a graduate student as of August 31st, 2025.
- Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers, ORICE staff and international partners to attend meetings remotely if online meetings are required.
- Demonstrate the ability to think critically and creatively and be willing to take responsibility and initiative to meet project deliverables.
- Prior experience with comparative case research, best practice review or familiarity with the sensitivities surrounding vulnerable women and girls is an asset, but not necessary.
- Willingness to have occasional meetings that accommodate time zone considerations for guests joining from Kenya or elsewhere.
Project Dates: September 2025 - Dec 2025
Weekly Meetings (Sept - Dec): TBD - applicants will be asked to be flexible as we will be seeking a weekly standing 2-hour meeting block during M-F, 9 am - 5 pm.
Note: Team members need to be available for occasional meetings with the community partner at 8 am due to time zone differences.
| Timeline | |
|---|---|
| Applications Open | August 18, 2025 |
| Deadline | September 14, 2025 @ 11:59pm. |
| Short Interviews | September 17 - 24, 2025 |
| Offers Made by | September 26, 2025 |
| Acceptances Due | September 29, 2025 |
| First Meeting | To be scheduled between October 1 - 10 |
Funding available for this program: ORICE Experiential Education Accessibility Award.
Note: Students may only hold one award at a given time. Please visit our funding page for more information.
Scaling Inclusion with Basic Needs, Basic Rights Kenya (2025W 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
Application Deadline: September 14th, 2025 (11:59PM)
- Program Type: Co-curricular (Not-for-credit)
- Engagementship Type: Community-Engaged Research Project in collaboration with Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya (BNBR)
- Engagementship Location: 2025W In-person, UBC-Based
- Duration: 8 months starting in September 2025
- Eligibility: Open to UBC-V Undergraduate (60+ credits) & Graduate students (more details below)
Project Description
Background
Since their inception, Basic Needs, Basic Rights (BNBR) has distinguished itself as a leader in mental health and development in Kenya by implementing a model which takes a holistic approach, comprising elements of psychosocial support, community development and livelihoods, and improving policy and practice through research and advocacy. This approach is informed by their belief that addressing mental well-being and illness goes beyond just health systems and must include consideration of social and economic causes and effects. BNBR seeks to prevent and treat mental health disorders; promote mental health and well-being; facilitate integration of individuals with mental health complications through socio-economic empowerment; influence laws, policies, and practices as well as cultural norms through acting as a collaborative leader; and strengthen and diversify their resource base as an organization.
As part of a recently launched 5-year strategic plan, BNBR has established a priority to enhance evidence-based research capacity and outputs as an organization. In the summer of 2024, BNBR and ORICE partnered to place UBC students with the organization to explore and document research priorities and to jointly produce a preliminary research agenda based on the identified priorities. During the 2024 to 2025 winter semesters, BNBR and ORICE partnered again to research and document what is meant by social inclusion, a key feature of BNBR work. The team then further collaborated to develop a database of policies and implementation mechanisms that focus on social inclusion within Kenya. This current project builds on elements of the prior projects to look at scaling social inclusion programs and strengthening health systems. In August 2025, 3 students went to Kenya to engage in person with BNBR to gain a stronger understanding of the organizational context and goals of this project, and these students will be part of the ongoing team.
Current Project
Building on the prior work around social inclusion and strengthening internal research capacity, this project brings both together. In the near future, BNBR seeks to expand promotive and restorative community mental health services to 2 sub-counties, thereby strengthening inclusion and local health systems. As part of this initiative, BNBR is committed to embedding participatory research into their social inclusion programming, not only as a way of strengthening impact but also to build a sustainable evidence base for rights-based mental health care in Kenya.
Together with a local Kenyan academic institution, ORICE will support BNBR to develop processes for rigorous inquiry into the effectiveness and evolution of BNBR interventions. The inquiry will center on three key dimensions, examining how those with lived experience, service providers, and organizational staff understand and experience social inclusion.
Students joining the 8 month engagementship (September 2025-April 2026) will remotely continue the work completed in 2025S with a student team of 4-6 students to prepare, and pilot an evaluation. If timing allows, the student team may also support research assistants in Kenya on the data entry, and analysis of evaluation findings. Activities associated with this project will include a full review of the service provision model and practice to date, project planning, literature reviews, environmental policy scans, research on social inclusion metrics, research design, methodology reviews and the development of data collection tools.
Learn more about previous students’ experiences working with BNBR on page 15 of ORICE’s 2024/2025 Annual Report.
Organization Details
Basic Needs, Basic Rights (BNBR) is a vibrant registered national non-governmental organization located across seven counties in Kenya. One of BNBR’s core programmatic areas is to support people with mental health conditions, those at risk, and their caregivers to live and work successfully in their communities. BNBR strives to ensure that those with mental health concerns can access basic rights by empowering their communities to provide care and social support.
Project Timeline
Over a period from September 2025 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.
More Information
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Application Deadline: September 14th, 2025 (11:59pm)
- Review project details (please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca with any questions you may have).
- Next, fill out the ORICE program application form (Qualtrics Survey) below.
- Successful applicants will be invited by email for a 20-minute individual interview.
- After interviews, you will be notified of a decision; successful candidates will be sent an offer letter with further details on the program and detailed instructions on how to accept. Your selection into the program includes meeting eligibility requirements, as well as your initial application and your performance in the interview. The team will be comprised of 4-6 students.
- Be an undergraduate (domestic or international) at the UBC Vancouver campus with 60 or more completed credits, or a graduate student as of August 31st, 2025.
- Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers, ORICE staff and international partners to attend meetings remotely if online meetings are required.
- Demonstrate the ability to think critically and creatively and be willing to take responsibility and initiative to meet project deliverables.
- Prior experience with policy review and analysis is an asset, but not necessary.
- Willingness to have occasional meetings that accommodate time zone considerations for guests joining from Kenya or elsewhere.
Project Dates: September 2025 - April 2026
Weekly Meetings (Sept - April): TBD - applicants will be asked to be flexible as we will be seeking a weekly standing 2-hour meeting block during M-F, 9 am - 5 pm.
Note: Team members need to be available for occasional meetings with the community partner at 8 am due to time zone differences.
| Timeline | |
|---|---|
| Applications Open | August 18, 2025 |
| Deadline | September 14, 2025 @ 11:59pm. |
| Short Interviews | September 17 - 24, 2025 |
| Offers Made by | September 26, 2025 |
| Acceptances Due | September 29, 2025 |
| First Meeting | To be scheduled between October 1 - 10 |
Funding available for this program: ORICE Experiential Education Accessibility Award.
Note: Students may only hold one award at a given time. Please visit our funding page for more information.
Community Mental Health Nursing in Kenya: Evaluation and Policy (2025W 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
Application Deadline: September 14th, 2025 (11:59PM)
- Program Type: Co-curricular (Not-for-credit)
- Engagementship Type: Community-Engaged Research Project in collaboration with Kamili Organisation
- Engagementship Location: 2025W In-person, UBC-Based
- Duration: 8 months starting in September 2025
- Eligibility: Open to UBC-V Undergraduate (60+ credits) & Graduate students (more details below)
Project Description
Background
For 11 years, Kamili Organisation has been offering scholarships for qualified general nurses to come to Kamili for specialized training in mental health. Selected nurses, pursuing further education in mental health nursing with Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) are provided a scholarship that includes a 1 week intensive training on the Kamili model – a community based approach that aims to provide mental health care at a primary level health facility, making services accessible, affordable and sustainable. The newly trained nurses return back to their place of work around the country and become part of a growing network of Kamili-trained nurses with a mental health specialization. This network now comprises 156 nurses in 44 of 47 counties across Kenya. Once trained, the network supports one another and has access to the staff at Kamili for guidance, receives site visits from Kamili leadership and participates in annual training and network development activities. During the 2024 winter semesters, Kamili and ORICE partnered to begin the process of developing an evaluation to understand the impacts of this program on the nurses and their service provision. In August 2025, two students went to Kenya to engage in person with Kamili to gain a stronger understanding of the organizational context and goals.
Current Project
Kamili Organisation is midway through developing an evaluation to understand the impacts of this training for selected nurses once they return to their home site of work. Kamili would like to understand the facilitators, barriers and impacts the nurses experience when bringing their specialized knowledge to their practice site. The purpose of this evaluation is both to inform the current program and to develop evidence to influence policy at multiple levels/sites in Kenya.
Students joining the 8 month engagementship (September 2025 – April 2026) will remotely continue the work completed with previous cohorts with a student team of 4-6 students to prepare, implement, analyze and document the findings of the evaluation. Activities associated with this project will include a full review of the research and draft evaluation materials developed to date, refining evaluation tools with the partner, project planning, implementation protocols, evaluator training materials, data cleaning, analysis, final report writing/policy brief and contributions to grant applications for related programs.
Learn more about previous students’ experiences working with Kamili on page 16 of ORICE’s 2024/2025 Annual Report.
Organization Details
Kamili Organisation provides affordable mental health services via 30+ clinics across Kenya. Our model clinic in Nairobi provides: accurate diagnosis, treatment, support to patients and their families and psychosocial care in the form of education. Kamili also regularly works with the local community to raise awareness about the symptoms and stigma associated with mental health.
Project Timeline
Over a period from September 2025 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.
More Information
Expand all
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Collapse all
Application Deadline: September 14th, 2025 (11:59PM)
- Review project details (please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca with any questions you may have).
- Next, fill out the ORICE program application form (Qualtrics Survey) below.
- Successful applicants will be invited by email to a 15-minute individual interview.
- After interviews, you will be notified of a decision; successful candidates will be sent an offer letter with further details on the program and detailed instructions on how to accept. Your selection into the program includes meeting eligibility requirements, as well as your initial application and your performance in the interview. The team will ultimately be comprised of 4-6 students.
- Be an undergraduate (domestic or international) at the UBC Vancouver campus with 60 or more completed credits, or a graduate student as of August 31st, 2025.
- Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers, ORICE staff and international partners to attend meetings remotely if online meetings are required.
- Demonstrate the ability to think critically and creatively and be willing to take responsibility and initiative to meet project deliverables.
- Prior experience with program evaluation and analysis is an asset, but not necessary.
- Willingness to have occasional meetings that accommodate time zone considerations for guests joining from Kenya or elsewhere.
Project Dates: September 2025 - April 2026
Weekly Meetings (Sept- April): TBD - applicants will be asked to be flexible as we will be seeking a weekly standing 2-hour meeting block during M-F, 9 am - 5 pm.
Note: Team members need to be available for occasional meetings with the community partner at 8 am due to time zone differences.
| Timeline | |
|---|---|
| Applications Open | August 18, 2025 |
| Deadline | September 14, 2025 @ 11:59pm. |
| Short Interviews | September 17 - 24, 2025 |
| Offers Made by | September 26, 2025 |
| Acceptances Due | September 29, 2025 |
| First Meeting | To be scheduled between October 1 - 10 |
Funding available for this program: ORICE Experiential Education Accessibility Award.
Note: Students may only hold one award at a given time. Please visit our funding page for more information.
Community Mental Health Nursing: Evaluation & Policy Impact (2025S International Placement + 2025W 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
Application Deadline: July 2nd, 2025 (11:59PM)
- Program Type: Co-curricular (Not-for-credit)
- Placement Type: Community-Engaged Research Project in collaboration with Kamili Organisation
- Placement Location: 2025S In-person, Kenya + 2025W In-person, UBC-Based
- Duration: 10 months starting in July 2025
Project Description
Background
For 11 years, Kamili Organisation has been offering scholarships for qualified general nurses to come to Kamili for specialized training in mental health. Selected nurses, pursuing further education in mental health nursing with Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) are provided a scholarship that includes a 1 week intensive training on the Kamili model – a community based approach that aims to provide mental health care at a primary level health facility, making services accessible, affordable and sustainable. The newly trained nurses return back to their place of work around the country and become part of a growing network of Kamili-trained nurses with a mental health specialization. This network now comprises 156 nurses in 44 of 47 counties across Kenya. Once trained, the network supports one another and has access to the staff at Kamili for guidance, receives site visits from Kamili leadership and participates in annual training and network development activities. During the 2024 to 2025 winter semesters, Kamili and ORICE partnered to begin the process of developing an evaluation to understand the impacts of this program on the nurses and their service provision.
Current Project
Kamili Organisation is midway through developing an evaluation to understand the impacts of this training for selected nurses once they return to their home site of work. Kamili would like to understand the facilitators, barriers and impacts the nurses experience when bringing their specialized knowledge to their practice site. The purpose of this evaluation is both to inform the current program and to develop evidence to influence policy at multiple levels/sites in Kenya.
This 10 month engagementship (July 2025-April 2026) is a unique opportunity to engage both in person with the organization (August 2025) to gain a stronger understanding of the organizational context and goals, while then continuing to work remotely with a student team of 3-4 students during the academic year (Sept 2025 – April 2026) to prepare, implement, analyze and document the findings of the evaluation. Activities associated with this project will include a full review of the research and draft evaluation materials developed to date, refining evaluation tools with the partner, project planning, implementation protocols, evaluator training materials, data cleaning, analysis, final report writing/policy brief and contributions to grant applications for related programs.
Organization Details
Kamili Organisation provides affordable mental health services via 30+ clinics across Kenya. Our model clinic in Nairobi provides: accurate diagnosis, treatment, support to patients and their families and psychosocial care in the form of education. We also regularly work with the local community to raise awareness about the symptoms and stigma associated with mental health.
Project Timeline
This is a unique opportunity that includes an in-person component in Kenya in August 2025 with Kamili Organisation AND a remote engagementship based at UBC from September 2025 to April 2026. Do not apply for this program if you are only interested in one of the two components. Remote only engagementships will open in August 2025. International placement only opportunities are not available.
(Kenya Placement): Students will meet weekly with UBC ORICE in July 2025 to review the project work completed to date and to prepare for the placement with Kamili in Nairobi, Kenya in August 2025. Students will then travel to Nairobi from August 1 -17, 2025. During this time, students will collaborate with the Kamili team on the project as described. This will also be an important opportunity to gain a deeper contextual understanding of the partner, the training and the evaluation goals.
(Remote Engagementship) Over a period from September 2025 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.
More Information
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Application Deadline: July 2nd, 2025 (11:59PM)
- Review project details (please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca with any questions you may have).
- Next, fill out the ORICE program application form (Qualtrics Survey) below.
- Successful applicants will be contacted by email to continue the selection process through a 25-minute individual interview.
- After interviews, you will be notified of a decision; successful candidates will be sent an offer letter with further details on the program and detailed instructions on how to accept. Your selection into the program includes meeting eligibility requirements, as well as your initial application and your performance in the interview. The international placement program will be comprised of 2-4 students. The remote engagementship teams will ultimately be comprised of 3-4 students.
- Be an undergraduate (domestic or international) at the UBC Vancouver campus with 60 or more completed credits, or graduate student as of April 30th, 2025.
- Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers, ORICE staff and international partners to attend meetings remotely if online meetings are required.
- Demonstrate the ability to think critically and creatively and be willing to take responsibility and initiative to meet project deliverables.
- Prior experience with policy review and analysis is an asset, but not necessary.
- Flexibility with time to ensure that training and preparation meetings during 9-5pm PST can be accommodated.
Willingness to have occasional meetings that accommodate time zone considerations for guests joining from Kenya or elsewhere.
Project Dates:
July 2025 - Introduction to project and international placement preparation
August 1-17, 2025 - Placement with Kamili in Nairobi, Kenya
September 2025 - April 2026 - Remote project collaboration with Kamili at UBC.
Weekly Meetings (Sept- April): TBD - applicants will be asked to be flexible as we will be seeking a weekly standing 2-hour meeting block during M-F, 9 am - 5 pm.
Note: Team members need to be available for occasional meetings with the community partner at 8 am due to time zone differences.
| Timeline | |
|---|---|
| Applications Open | June 18, 2025 |
| Deadline | July 2, 2025 @ 11:59pm. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. |
| Short Interviews | June 23 -July 4, 2025 |
| Offers Made by | July 8, 2025 |
| Acceptances Due | July 11, 2025 |
In Kenya, you will live in hostel-style accommodations with modest living conditions.
The program fees are as listed below. A program deposit fee of $685.00 is payable upon acceptance of an offer to secure your spot in the program. The deposit fee will be deducted from the overall balance owing. The prices listed below are in Canadian Dollars (CAD).
| Cost | |
| Program Fee:
$1975 |
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| ORICE Regional and International Program Award Available*:
$2000 Estimated flight cost: $1800-2200. |
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*Eligibility for this award can be found here
Program cost includes:
- Pre-departure learning sessions at UBC
- Room and board
- Transportation from the airport to your placement site
- Orientation in the host country
- Training and Reflection materials
- Community partner management fee
- Program management fee
Note: Additional expenses not covered in program costs are the responsibility of the student. Costs not included are airfare, visas, vaccinations, local transportation while in country, transportation from the site back to the airport at the end of the placement, personal items, and daily incidentals.
Funding available for this program: ORICE Regional and International Program Award
Note: Students may only hold one award at a given time. Please visit our funding page for more information.