SOWK 440J/571 Global Mental Health

Note: Courses that involve international travel will be subject to travel restrictions issued by UBC, the Canadian government and the host country. While plans are in place to consider travel for 2022, students should understand that the changing landscape of COVID-19 will determine the viability closer to the date. Should travel not be possible, this course will be taught on campus with remote project collaborations with community organizations and guest speakers joining remotely

Overview

SOWK 440J/571 is a 3 credit course that will take place in Nairobi, Kenya and will be taught by Professor Mohamed Ibrahim. It will take place over 4 weeks in May 2022 with the option for students to stay for an additional 12 weeks to complete a practicum (SOWK 415/560; MSW and 4th year BSW social work students only) or an internship (not for credit).

Course Description

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, 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.

COVID-19

The program will adhere to the recommendations from UBC and Global Affairs Canada on travel, including an analysis of COVID transmissions, vaccination rates, travel requirements regarding vaccination, etc. While significant uncertainty remains about the possibility of travel in Summer 2022, in the event it is not, this program will continue as a remote student placement.

Rationale

According to the Global Burden of Diseases report, mental illness is considered to be among the top 10 diseases causing disability globally. Social workers 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.

This premier global mental health course provides an opportunity for social workers 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. Western knowledge and ways of knowing are often privileged and globalized to the Global South. This is often at the expense of Indigenous and local culturally and spiritually appropriate psychosocial and spiritual interventions. Students will be partnered with local mental health organizations to observe and learn from local experts.

Professor

Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim PhD, MSW, RN, is an assistant professor at UBC’s School of Social Work and an internationally trained scholar and clinician. He has an 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.

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Practicum / Internship Option

Fourth year BSW and MSW students who take SOWK 440J/571 are eligible to complete their practicum (SOWK 415/560) or an internship (not for credit) at the community organization they were partnered with for SOWK 440J/571. The internship or practicum takes place over a 12-week period.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all social work students with a BSW standing or a MSW standing by January 2022. Students who are entering their 4th year in September 2021 have the option of taking SOWK 440J in May and then completing their 4th year practicum in Kenya instead of having their 4th year practicum during the Spring semester. Fourth year BSW students are eligible and encouraged to take this course; please note that they will convocate in November rather than May. A certificate of BSW completion can be provided to graduating students for future employers in the interim until they receive their diploma.

Students in other health professions, such as Nursing and Public Health, are encouraged to apply.

Strong applications from students who are not in a health professional program may also be considered.

How to Apply

Interested students are encouraged to apply through this link. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage interested students to apply as soon as possible.

Program Fees

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.

Full Program: $3,900-$4,400

Fee with ARA Funding: $1,170-1,320

Estimated Flight cost: $2000, Flight cost with ARA Funding: $600

Program cost includes:
Pre-departure learning sessions at UBC
Room and board
Transportation from the airport to your placement site
Orientation in host country
In-session debrief and workshop part way through your placement
Reflection materials
Community partner management fee
Program management fee

*Fees may be adjusted before offer. Program costs vary primarily due to cost of living expenses per country and region. Placements may be in other countries where ISL community partners are located.

Program fees do not include the cost of tuition.

Please see the Funding Opportunities section below for information on awards that are available to cover some of the cost of the program.

Funding Opportunities

Arts Research Abroad Award

Students in this course are eligible to be assessed for the ARA award. This award is granted to the top academic performers in the program, who meet all eligibility criteria. Decisions of who will be awarded the ARA funding will be made after selection for the program has been completed. Limited numbers of ARA awards are available. All students will be assessed automatically for the award. No separate application is necessary.

The ARA award will offset up to 70% of the cost. In cases of demonstrated financial need (determined by Enrollment Services), ARA may fund up to 100% of the program costs and flight.

To meet the minimum requirements for ARA funding for SOWK 440J/571, you must:
Be a third year, fourth year, or Masters Faculty of Arts student
Be based at the Vancouver campus
Be enrolled in a qualifying major for the course (Social Work)
Have a minimum of 70% in the top 24 credits of the previous academic year
Priority will be given to students that have 75% in the top 27 credits of the previous academic year (2018/19)
Be enrolled in 24 credits in the Winter Session prior to the program

Regional and International Service Learning Award

This $1500 award is open to all UBC students participating in SOWK 440J/571. Eligibility requirements are as follows:

Have a minimum GPA of 70% in the top 21 credits of the previous academic year. Priority will be given to students that have 75% in the top 27 credits of the previous academic year.
Be enrolled in at least 24 credits in the current academic year or enrolled in 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 Regional and International Service Learning Award.
Only one Award can be held at a time. The award that has a higher value is automatically applied.

Social Justice and Human Rights Engagementship: India Context

UBC Student Opportunity:

**This opportunity is similar to the social justice course design for North American high school students except the student demographic and context for this opportunity will be high school students located in India.

Youth have a powerful role in moving society towards a more just and sustainable future – as such we are seeking the engagement of UBC students as course designers and facilitators. Passionate about a particular social justice topic pertinent in India that you want to engage youth on? We’re looking for students with lived experience and/or disciplinary knowledge and understanding of India, and Indian society as it relates to social justice and human rights. The UBC students engaged in this opportunity will be asked to focus and design learning activities for a particular topic of interest to them that is relevant to the course. Examples of topic themes and content include but are not limited to: climate justice, gender equity, youth voice in governance just to name a few. The experiential learning activities will take place in the (virtual) classroom and content and activities designed should strengthen student learning and engagement of that particular topic. Additionally, students in this engagement opportunity will be asked to reflect on their own positionality and bring that into how they design and understand the course content and their topic of focus. Content developed through this engagement opportunity may be used in the offering of a 2 week intensive course for high school aged youth in India from May 31 to June 11, 2021 if it is well received.

Background:

UBC Office of Regional and International Community Engagement (ORICE) is working with an organization in India that focuses on youth development outside of the traditional classroom to on develop a non-credit course for youth in India (highschool demographic) that will explore the topics of social justice and human rights through a systems-thinking lens, and examine how individuals interact with and are a part of, these systems. Through a series of experiential and interactive activities, participants will explore their own position and identity in society, and reflect on how these systems influence and reinforce their individual and collective identities and vice versa. This course will also explore opportunities to disrupt and change the status quo working towards addressing systemic injustice. The overall content and activities of the course will be designed in collaboration with community organizations, activists and scholars from India to situate topics of social justice and human rights within this geographical context. This course will involve participant discussion, media such as podcasts and videos, guest speakers from around the world, and a facilitation team of staff and students from the University of British Columbia.

Student Expectations:

From May 3 to June 25 a small team of UBC students will spend 4-6 hours each week to design content for particular topics within an online non-credit course with ORICE. UBC students will propose topics and develop the course content for the agreed-upon topic. Students will work independently on the topic but will meet as a team for learning sessions on content development and facilitation, as well as to gather input and feedback on their work. Students will be provided with an opportunity to be part of the facilitation team for a variety of sessions within the course as it is being offered – including sessions designed by peers. Youth taking the course from May 31 to June 11, will be enrolled from all across India. **Due to timezones, the facilitation of these sessions will take place in the evening PDT, and morning IST**. The UBC student team will be expected to participate in weekly scheduled calls to ensure collaboration and accountability goals are defined and met in May and June, participate in course delivery in June, and conduct an evaluation and update of the piloted module following the course delivery in June. In addition, the UBC student team will participate in learning and reflection sessions to ensure they have the necessary orientation and resources to complete the task and have the opportunity to make meaning of this experience in relation to their own discipline and interests.

Specific tasks may include:

Offering input into the overall design and delivery of the course.
Researching information and resources about the particular social justice topic
Identifying and integrating guest speakers and organizations pertinent to the class
Designing learning activities and content to incorporate into facilitation plans
Preparing multimedia tools to aid in teaching including ppt and videos.
Draft facilitation plans to maximize engagement in the online environment and co-facilitating activities /leading discussions during the course sessions.
Meetings with the UBC team to prep pre-session and debrief post-session

Project dates:

May 3 to June 25, 2021

Academic integration:

Please note this is a not-for-credit applied research opportunity. This is a 4-6 hr/ week unpaid volunteer opportunity with a team.

Ethics of Engagement:

UBC ORICE is committed to embedding anti-oppression and social justice in our daily work and ongoing projects. Students are encouraged and expected to consider how they can apply an anti-oppression and social justice lens when producing and or using the developed content through ORICE, as well as utilize connections between community-based organizations, academics, and government. This might include, but is not limited to, ensuring the incorporation of the ongoing and often unrecognized work of organizations advocating for justice for minorities, particularly during the pandemic; or engaging with the politics of citation in including and citing the work of non-white scholars and other researchers.

Eligibility

Open to all UBC undergraduate and graduate students (domestic or international)
Demonstrate ability to think critically and creatively
Prior knowledge about or interest in social justice and human rights concepts. Students with an interest, disciplinary background, and/or (lived) experience with an Indian context are preferred.
Prior experience or interest in delivering or facilitating workshops
Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers and attend all meetings remotely;

Timeline

Deadline: April 25, 2021 @ 11:59pm
Successful shortlisted candidates contacted by: April 27, 2021
Short interviews by: April 30, 2021
Project dates: May 3 – June 25, 2021

How to apply:

We are no longer accepting applications for this opportunity. Follow us on social media (@ubc_orice) to find out about future program offerings!

Please reach out to us at ubc.orice@ubc.ca if you have any questions.

Gender+ in Research Collective Engagementship: Designing a Guide for Data Justice in Community-Based Data Collection Projects (Cohort #4)

Overview:

This project originated in May 2020 with the numerous calls for the collection of disaggregated data along multiple axes of identity, many of which were amplified by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This includes calls to collect race-based data; sex-disaggregated data; data including Indigenous communities; those who are differently-abled; and those in the LGBTQI/2S community; among others. Less well understood or addressed are the ways in which this kind of data collection fails to incorporate the social construction of race as a category; the politics of collecting identity-disaggregated data; the ways in which context can be stripped from datasets; the effects of surveillance on populations and communities; and how public citizens might be called into these activities on a voluntary basis. Some of these latter concepts might be held under a “data justice” conceptual umbrella in which “…fairness in the way people are made visible, represented and treated as a result of their production of digital data is necessary to determine ethical paths through a datafying world” (Taylor, 2017).

To explore the many follow-up questions arising from the increasing need to collect data and the ways in which community organizations might go about this work, the Gender+ in Research Collective (UBC ORICE) launched a research “engagementship” in which multiple cohorts, building on each others’ work, addressed a number of questions related to data justice and community-based research, and how community organizations might engage with these concepts.

Three cohorts have now worked with us on this project, attending teach-ins, workshops, and conducting their own research on how the concepts of intersectionality and data justice are engaged in community-originated research. The work of the first three cohorts has now coalesced into a ‘community guide’ for organizations to consult as they begin a data collection endeavour.

Recruitment for this, the fourth cohort of this project, seeks to push this community guide forward into a tangible, well-designed guide, developed using relevant knowledge translation and user-centered design frameworks.

We are looking for the creatives and knowledge translators out there: to come up with interesting examples that community organizations might engage with as they use this guide; to visualize what the guide might look like; to design the guide; to user test it with community organizations; and to re-design where necessary. We are open to this guide taking many and perhaps multiple forms: a website; videos or podcasts on certain sections; a pdf or printable format; or something we haven’t even thought of yet!

Scope:

Building on the work of cohorts 1, 2, and 3, this project will begin by doing a sweeping review of the guide in its current form — not for content, but with design in mind. We are looking to translate what we have, in text form, to something beautiful, usable, accessible, and interesting!

Over 12 weeks from May 17th to August 6th, a team of 4-5 students will spend 4-6 hours each week to think through how the already-developed guide might be best designed to fit numerous community organizations, to achieve maximum accessibility, and to tell a coherent example story throughout to walk the user through a data collection process.

To conduct this work, students will be asked to engage in various activities, including but not limited to, participating in weekly scheduled calls, and potentially relevant webinars and teach-ins. We will ask students to co-lead this project, achieving multiple milestones throughout in refining relevant examples, drafting the various deliverables (as determined: videos, podcasts, a website, a printable guide), and to conduct user testing with community organizations.

It is important to note that this is cohort #4 of a project which will likely involve 5 phases. Students, therefore, should not expect to complete the project at this stage of the process. Rather, a key outcome is to ensure clarity of the guide, to centre users in the design, and to move forward the process of visualizing the guide beyond its current form.

Deliverables:

At the end of the 12-week period, students will be asked to give a short, 20-30 minute presentation to the Gender+ in Research Collective to present the final deliverables of accessible, user-centred assets, and on the process that they undertook to transform the content they had been provided into the final deliverable. As a general guide, students in this cohort will be asked to confirm the format of the deliverables by week 4, prototype deliverables by week 8, user test by week 10 and finalize by week 12.

As mentioned above, this is cohort #4 of a five-part project: students in this phase will complete the design of the community guide by critically engaging with the work of cohorts 1-3, and by bringing knowledge translation and creative design skills to the team.

While the program’s facilitators have drafted program structure and suggested milestones for the project, students will be given the flexibility to co-design and modify their final outcomes as they deem relevant and in coordination with ORICE project managers.

Academic integration:

Please note this is a not-for-credit unpaid opportunity. If you are interested in making this a student-directed study course, please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca to discuss the process to explore this option.

Anti-Racism and Ethics of Engagement:

The Gender+ in Research Collective and the Office for Regional and International Community Engagement (UBC ORICE) are committed to embedding anti-racism in our daily work and ongoing projects. Students are encouraged and expected to consider how they can take an anti-racist lens to the work they produce around citizen science, data collection and use, and connections between community-based organizations, academics, and government. This might include, but is not limited to, ensuring the incorporation of the ongoing and often unrecognized work of organizations advocating for justice for minorities, particularly during the pandemic; or engaging with the politics of citation in including and citing the work of non-white scholars and other researchers.

Eligibility

Be an undergraduate or graduate student (domestic or international) at the University of British Columbia with 60 or more completed credits as of May 1st, 2021. (Note: recent grads are welcome to apply but priority will be given to current undergraduate students);
Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers and attend all meetings remotely;
Demonstrate ability to think critically and creatively;
Prior creative design skills an asset
Experience with knowledge translation and/or user-centred design is an asset.
Prior knowledge about or interest in data justice, gender intersectionality, and community-based data collection initiatives is an asset, but not necessary.

Timeline:

Deadline: April 25, 2021 @ 11.59pm PST
Successful shortlisted candidates contacted by: April 30, 2021
Short interviews by: May 11, 2021
Project dates: May 17th – August 6th, 2021

How to apply:

We are no longer accepting applications for this opportunity. Follow us on social media (@ubc_orice) to find out about future program offerings!

Please reach out to us at ubc.orice@ubc.ca if you have any questions.

About the Gender+ in Research Collective:

The Gender+ in Research Collective works to promote a community for rich dialogue in which gender and other intersections, including race, Indigeneity, class, sexuality and ability (among other intersections of identity), are considered when conducting community-based research. The Collective focuses on capacity building and providing the tools researchers need to utilize a gender+ lens. The Collective is housed within and supported by the UBC Office for Regional and International Community Engagement (UBC ORICE).
_________________________
Taylor, L. (2017). What is data justice? The case for connecting digital rights and freedoms globally. Big Data & Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951717736335

The Gender+ in Research Collective acknowledges that we organize, research, and learn on unceded traditional xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) territory. We understand that both gender and research have been used as tools of colonization on these lands, and commit to working towards disentangling gender+ research from colonialism and Indigenous genocide.

Social Justice and Human Rights Engagementship: North America Context

UBC Student Opportunity:

Youth have a powerful role in moving society towards a more just and sustainable future – as such we are seeking the engagement of UBC students as course designers. Passionate about a particular social justice topic that you want to help educate youth on? Students in this ORICE engagement program will be focusing on designing learning activities focusing on a particular topic of interest to them for a social justice & human rights course curriculum. Examples of topic themes and content include but are not limited to: racial injustice, climate justice, LGBTQ2S+, gender equity just to name a few. Students are encouraged to imagine what experiential learning activities can take place in the (virtual) classroom and design content and activities to strengthen student learning and engagement of that particular topic. Content developed through this engagement opportunity may be used in the offering of a 2 week intensive course for highschool age youth in July 2021 if it is well received.

Background:

UBC Office of Regional and International Community Engagement (ORICE) is working on developing a non-credit course for youth (highschool demographic) that will explore the topics of social justice and human rights through a systems-thinking lens, and examine how individuals interact with and are a part of, these systems. Through a series of experiential and interactive activities, participants will explore their own position and identity in society, and reflect on how these systems influence and reinforce their individual and collective identities and vice versa. This course will also explore opportunities to disrupt and change the status quo working towards addressing systemic injustice. This course will involve participant discussion, media such as podcasts and videos, guest speakers from around the world, and a facilitation team of staff and students from the University of British Columbia.

Student Expectations:

From May 10 to August 6, a small team of UBC students will spend 4-6 hours each week to design content for particular topics within an on-line non-credit course with ORICE. UBC Students will propose topics and develop the course content for the agreed upon topic. Students will work independently on the topic but will meet as a team for learning sessions on content development and facilitation, as well as to gather input and feedback on their work. Students will be provided with an opportunity to be part of the facilitation team for a variety of sessions within the course as it is being offered – including sessions designed by peers. Youth taking the course in early or late July (2 separate offerings) will be enrolled from all across North America, and from the United States primarily. The UBC student team will be expected to participate in weekly scheduled calls to ensure collaboration and accountability goals are defined and met in May and June, participate in course delivery in July and to conduct an evaluation and update of the piloted module following the course delivery in early August. In addition, the UBC student team will participate in learning and reflection sessions to ensure they have the necessary orientation and resources to complete the task, and have the opportunity to make meaning of this experience in relation to your own discipline and interests.

Specific tasks may include:

Offering input into the overall design and delivery of the course.
Researching information and resources about the particular social justice topic
Identifying and integrating guest speakers and organizations pertinent to the class
Designing learning activities and content to incorporate into facilitation plans
Preparing multimedia tools to aid in teaching including ppt and videos.
Draft facilitation plans to maximize engagement in the online environment and co-facilitating activities /leading discussions during the course sessions.
Meetings with the UBC team to prep pre-session and debrief post-session

Academic integration:

Please note this is a not-for-credit applied research opportunity. This is a 4-6 hr/ week unpaid volunteer opportunity with a team.

Ethics of Engagement:

Eligibility

Open to all UBC undergraduate and graduate students (domestic or international)
Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers and attend all meetings remotely;
Demonstrate ability to think critically and creatively
Prior knowledge about or interest in social justice, and human rights concepts.
Prior experience or interest in delivering or facilitating workshops

Timeline:

Deadline: April 25, 2021 @ 11:59pm PST
Successful shortlisted candidates contacted by: April 28, 2021
Short interviews by: May 5, 2021
Project dates: May 10 – August 6, 2021

How to apply:

We are no longer accepting applications for this opportunity. Follow us on social media (@ubc_orice) to find out about future program offerings!

Please reach out to us at ubc.orice@ubc.ca if you have any questions.

ECON 364B – The Economics of Sustainable Development

Program Overview

ECON364B is a 3 credit course that will be offered from May – August 2021. This course is a unique offering in that it will incorporate a 3 month remote/virtual placement to undertake a project with a community partner organization. This course is offered through a collaboration with the Office of Regional and International Community Engagement (ORICE). ORICE will facilitate the development of this remote placement (that aligns with the learning objectives of this course) and will provide the training and support necessary for students to work in and with the community. In the past, this course has included a regional or international service learning placement, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have successfully adapted the course to give students the chance to engage with a community partner and provide a remote project based placement.

Please note that to take ECON 364B students must:

First complete a mandatory prerequisite course, ECON364A, during Winter Term 2 (Jan-Apr 2021). Students can register for the prerequisite course on the SSC here. If ECON 364A is full, please continue to apply to ECON 364B as there are reserved seats available in ECON 364A for students who have been accepted into ECON364B.
Submit an application form and successfully complete an interview for admittance into ECON 364B.

Course Description

ECON 364 A/B – The Economics of Sustainable Development: Communities, Markets and Technology is a sequence of 3+3 credit courses integrating experiential learning placements with intensive academic studies. The aim of the course is to both deepen and broaden students’ understanding of the process of economic development as it affects communities. In particular, students will explore the issues and concerns of communities in relation to ways that resilient, healthy communities are able to create sustainable livelihoods, to support rather than deplete the local or regional environment, and to build local economies that ensure the well-being of all community members.

HOW THE COURSE & PLACEMENT WORK TOGETHER

Students enrolled in ECON 364B will be required to participate in:

- ECON 364A classes from January-April 2021
- ORICE-led learning sessions and reflective sessions focused on preparation for, and participation in, community engagement– March-Aug 2021
- ECON 364B classes and programming from May – August 2021
- A 12-week placement project with a community partner from June to August 2021
- A public engagement presentation at UBC in September 2021

More information

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Eligibility Criteria

Undergraduate students who have completed their second year (54 credits) by January 1, 2021 and who have completed a minimum of nine credits in Economics.

Placement Description

As a part of the ECON 364B course, you will participate in a remote placement with a regional or international partner. Past ECON 364B placements have been located in Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, India, Kenya, Uganda, or other countries where ISL community partners are located. Below are examples of previous placements for ECON 364B. These internships pre-COVID and are to give you an idea of the nature of the work organizations have engaged students in. Understandably, remote projects will differ from immersive projects but will continue to reflect the priorities of partner organizations.

Examples of past projects that students have had the opportunity to work on include:

Undertaking a cost-benefit analysis of possible income-generating options that would allow for greater organizational autonomy and less reliance on donor funding.
creating an assessment tool to comparatively analyze the market and production of key products and assessing the feasibility of an organization’s proposed project
supporting the research of processes, equipment and efficiency models of manufacturing different products, while maintaining the social values of the enterprise at the core of the production.

Important Dates

Date	Activity
Now- Jan 17 2020 January - April 2021	Program application opens. ECON 364A Course
March - May 2021	Orientation and preparation learning sessions (all successful applicants will be expected to be in attendance at all sessions)
May – August 2021	ECON 364B course + 12 week remote placement
September 2021	Public Engagement Presentation

*Please note these dates may be adjusted but will be confirmed prior to offer.

How to Apply

Review course and program details (please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca with any questions you may have).
Apply online, by filling out the Qualtrics application form here. Submit your application by the deadline January 17th, 2021 at 11:59m.
Shortlisted applicants will be contacted by email the week of January 4th to continue the selection process (see below).

Process and Timeline

Selection Process

To apply please fill out and submit an online application. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an 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.

Don’t wait to apply, spaces are limited!

COVID-19, Academic Freedom and Human Rights Research Project (Cohort #2)

Overview:

This co-curricular opportunity is a collaboration between Scholars at Risk (SAR), the UBC SAR chapter and the UBC Office of Regional and International Community Engagement (ORICE). This opportunity is a remote human rights advocacy and monitoring project led by students. This project has been examining global instances of scholars facing professional retaliation for their academic or other expression related to COVID-19 (i.e. scholars losing their jobs or being prosecuted as a result of speaking out about the pandemic) and are identifying trends and cases of censure by state and/or non-state actors due to COVID-19 globally.

Phase II of this project falls in line with SAR activities and will include the continuation of research conducted thus far by the current fall cohort. In addition to continued research, a greater focus for students in the Winter 2021 cohort will be the opportunity to engage in and organize public engagement events, participate in advocacy activities and collaborate with SAR student groups across North America.

Students’ work will be supported through training opportunities organized by UBC SAR & ORICE which will cover human rights & media monitoring, public engagement training, petition writing and navigating advocacy to the Canadian government.

Deliverables:

A written brief of the research conducted and a presentation to SAR staff
Presentation/advocacy to the Canadian government and non-governmental representatives
Organizing a public engagement event/activity that seeks to raise awareness of some of the threats to academic freedom propagated by the COVID-19 pandemic
An opportunity to present at the SAR Student Advocacy Days (virtual) event in March 2021

Project dates: January 12th, 2020 – April 2nd, 2020

What to expect:

Over a period of 12 weeks from January to April 2021, teams of 2-4 students will spend 4-6 hours each week to work collaboratively towards understanding and answering the questions posed above about the intersection of COVID-19 and the protection of academic freedom, and engaging others through awareness and advocacy efforts. Students will be asked to participate in weekly scheduled calls to ensure collaboration and accountability goals are defined and met. However, much of the allotted time will be self-directed as per agreements with teammates. Where possible, these sessions will be embedded in weekly calls though some may fall outside of regularly scheduled times.

Academic integration:

Please note this is a not-for-credit, unpaid research opportunity. If you are interested in making this a student-directed study course, please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca to discuss the possibility of this option.

Eligibility:

Be an undergraduate student (domestic or international) in the Faculty of Arts at UBC with 60 or more completed credits as of January 1st, 2021.
Undergraduate students not meeting 60 credits or outside of the Faculty of Arts, as well as graduate students, can apply but preference will be given to undergraduate Arts students with 60+ credits.
Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers and attend all meetings remotely.
Demonstrate the ability to think critically and creatively and be willing to take responsibility and initiative to meet project deliverables.
Prior knowledge about academic freedom or human rights monitoring initiatives is an asset, but not necessary
Able to work within Pacific Time Zone (PST)

Timeline

Deadline: November 29, 2020 @ 11.59pm PST
Successful candidates contacted by: Dec 2, 2020
Short interviews: Dec 3rd & 4th, 2020
Project dates: January 12th – April 2nd, 2021

How to apply

All positions for this engagementship have been filled. Follow us on social media (@ubc_orice) to find out about future program offerings!

Please reach out to us at ubc.orice@ubc.ca if you have any questions.

Gender+ in Research Collective Engagementship: Data Justice in Community-Based Citizen Science Projects (Cohort #3)

Overview:

To date, there have been numerous calls for the collection of disaggregated data along multiple axes of identity, many of which have been amplified by the current COVID-19 pandemic. This includes calls to collect race-based data¹; sex-disaggregated data²; data including Indigenous communities³; those who are differently-abled⁴; and those in the LGBTQI/2S community⁵; among others. Less well understood or addressed are the ways in which this kind of data collection fails to incorporate the social construction of race as a category⁶; the politics of collecting identity-disaggregated data⁷; the ways in which context can be stripped from datasets⁸; the effects of surveillance on populations and communities⁹; and how public citizens might be called into these activities on a voluntary basis¹⁰. Some of these latter concepts might be held under a “data justice” conceptual umbrella in which “…fairness in the way people are made visible, represented and treated as a result of their production of digital data is necessary to determine ethical paths through a datafying world”¹¹.

The calls to action around intersectional, community-based data collection seek to serve various communities: to ensure services and funding reach them; that their voices and opinions are meaningfully involved in research and data collection; that barriers to necessary services are addressed and lowered; and to understand and mitigate inequities exacerbated by a research paradigm not always suited to community concerns and needs. With this in mind, how might the principles of data justice within, for example, ‘citizen science’¹² projects and community-based research operate in this space?¹³ How might community organizations centre data justice in their data collection / research projects?

To explore the many follow-up questions arising from those highlighted above, the Gender+ in Research Collective, through UBC ORICE, has launched a research “engagementship in which multiple cohorts will begin and build on each others’ work addressing these questions, learning about data justice and citizen science / community-based research, and how community organizations might engage with these concepts.

The first cohort conducted their work in the Summer of 2020. After attending teach-ins, workshops, and conducting their own research on how the concepts of intersectionality, including the social constructions of race, gender, and ability, are engaged in citizen science, this cohort generated an academic brief and a community ‘guide’ for community organizations wishing to mobilize citizen science in their work. The second cohort, which will complete their work at the end of November 2020, has taken these concepts further in beginning the process of building a ‘community guide’ for organizations to consult as they begin a data collection endeavour.

The outline provided by cohort #2 will be expanded upon by cohort #3, for which we are now in active recruitment. Cohort #3 will aim to advance the work of the previous group through critiquing, further researching and understanding, and embedding principles of data justice in community-based research projects. They will move the community guide forward, using cohort #2’s work as a basis for advancement through addressing the research questions outlined below.

Research Questions:

(Note: further involvement with these questions will require extensive engagement with the work of cohort #1 and #2 students in this project, details of which will be provided.)

How might we understand the differences between citizen science, community-based participatory research (CBPR), and principles of data justice? How might we think about embedding principles of data justice into citizen science projects done by community organizations?
What might a ‘starting guide’ look like for community organizations interested in citizen science?
1. How might we ensure accessibility for community organizations through the use of plain language; translation of academic jargon; visually appealing representations; etc?
2. How might we incorporate concepts of power, inequity and intersectionality into this space?
3. And how might we be critical about what citizen science / community-based research promises, and what it might lack?

Scope:

Building on the work of cohorts #1 and #2, this project will begin by developing a basic understanding of citizen science, data justice, community-based research and their engagement with intersectional frameworks.

Over 12 weeks from January 15th to April 2nd, a team of 4-5 students will spend 2-4 hours each week to critically analyze work already conducted by the first and second cohorts of this project. Cohort 1 students have defined citizen science and begun the process of outlining data justice principles and concepts engaged in what academics know as community-based participatory research (CBPR). Students in this second cohort have advanced this work, further refining and adding to principles of data justice, and beginning an outline for what a community guide could look like for organizations embarking on a data collection process. Cohort #3 will be tasked with advancing the ‘guide’ for community organizations seeking to mobilize citizen science / data collection in their work. To conduct this work, students will be asked to engage in various activities, including but not limited to, participating in weekly scheduled calls, webinars and teach-ins, surveying academic, organizational, and government grey literature, and leading their own research and user testing with community organizations.

It is important to note that this is cohort #3 of a project which will potentially involve 5 phases. Students, therefore, should not expect to implement a project with community organizations at this stage of the process, or are they expected to entirely complete the guide. Rather, a key outcome is to ensure clarity of the guide for a non-academic audience.

Deliverables:

At the end of the 12-week period, students will be asked to give a short, 20-30 minute presentation to the Gender+ in Research Collective on their findings and how they relate to the defined research questions. Additionally, students will be asked to research and produce principles as to what a community guide should look like and how the current guide on citizen science has been adapted through their community consultations and recommendations for further adaptations. As mentioned above, this is cohort #3 of a five-part project: students are not expected to entirely complete the community guide, but to critically engage with the work of cohorts #1 and #2 and to move the project forward in an incremental and meaningful way. While the program’s facilitators will create a program structure for the first half of the project, students will be given the flexibility to co-design and modify their final outcomes as they deem relevant and in coordination with ORICE project managers.

Academic integration:

Please note this is a not-for-credit unpaid research opportunity. If you are interested in making this a student-directed study course, please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca to discuss the process to explore this option.

Anti-Racism and Ethics of Engagement:

Eligibility

- Be an undergraduate or graduate student (domestic or international) at the University of British Columbia with 60 or more completed credits as of September 1st, 2020. (Note: recent grads are welcome to apply but priority will be given to current undergraduate students);
- Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers and attend all meetings remotely;
- Demonstrate ability to think critically and creatively;
- Prior knowledge about or interest in citizen science, data justice, gender intersectionality, and community-based data collection initiatives is an asset, but not necessary.

Timeline

Deadline: January 12th, 2021 @ 11.59pm PST
Successful candidates contacted: On a rolling basis
Short interviews: On a rolling basis
Project dates: January 15th – April 2nd, 2021

How to apply

All positions for this engagementship have been filled. Follow us on social media (@ubc_orice) to find out about future program offerings!

Please reach out to us at ubc.orice@ubc.ca if you have any questions.

About the Gender+ in Research Collective:

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1 https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/04/30/Race-Matters-Pandemic-Data/

2 https://globalhealth5050.org/covid19/; https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-without-gender-data-we-leave-critical-covid-19-clues-on-the-table-97110; https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/covid-19-gender-data-resources-sarah-boyd/

3 https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/indigenous-covid-19-data-collection-1.5563433

4 https://www.casda.ca/covid-19-data-coordination-response/; https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/research-disabilities

5 https://www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-and-psb-research-release-data-on-economic-impact-of-covid-19-on-lgbtq; https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/researchers-scramble-to-inform-doctors-of-barriers-lgbtq-people-face-in-getting-covid-19-care-1.4913848; https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/lawmakers-urge-trump-administration-collect-data-lgbtq-covid-19-patients-n1211641

6 https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-its-impact-cannot-be-explained-away-through-the-prism-of-race-138046;

7 https://www.citylab.com/equity/2015/02/the-tragedy-of-canadas-census/385846/; https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/october-2018/the-role-of-statistics-canada-in-a-post-truth-world/

8 https://civicsoftwarefoundation.org/posts/structured-context-data-feminism; http://datafeminism.io

9 https://ccla.org/coronavirus-update-data-surveillance/

10 https://www.covidnearyou.org/ca/en-CA/

11 Taylor, L. (2017). What is data justice? The case for connecting digital rights and freedoms globally. Big Data & Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951717736335

12 Citizen science is the practice of involving members of the public in collecting data and participating in data monitoring programs, generally in collaboration with professional scientists and researchers, but also with community-based organizations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science; https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/citizen-science/; https://www.citizenscience.org/about-3/values/

13 https://blog.ucsusa.org/science-blogger/funding-equitable-scientific-research-after-covid?_ga=2.222074577.859762065.1591292535-1839320598.1591292535

BIPOC Creatives Community Research Project (Cohort #2)

BIPOC Creative Association:

The BIPOC Creative Association looks to reclaim Black and Indigenous voices. They seek to empower talented creatives and take back their spaces within the Arts and Culture industry in British Columbia. Together, the BIPOC Creative Association marks the beginning of reform for Black and Indigenous creatives. Through advocating for representation and the equal and ethical distribution of wealth, the BIPOC Creative Association will work together to create opportunities and spaces for BIPOC creatives to come together. They seek to bring communities to the forefront of the Arts and Culture industry in British Columbia, an industry in which BIPOC creatives have historically and systemically been marginalized.

Racism is inclusive of the body, cultural, psychological, and institutional impacts it has on the conditioning of the human mind and experience. Representation of Black and Indigenous creatives and leadership is often excluded from a seat at the table. As an industry, they have to work to unpack and understand the machinery that continues to benefit from the richness of our artistry, while simultaneously removing themselves from the forefront of creative progress. Within the context of Vancouver, Black and Indigenous artists are systematically disenfranchised voices within Vancouver arts and culture.

The BIPOC Creative Association is a newly formed organization. Culture Day, their first event on July 1st 2020, brought together members of communities in a celebration and protest. Moving forward, they aim to continue with organizing events, ensuring that artists are being paid fairly for their work, gaining exposure, and having a place to gather and create connections. Furthermore, they aim to expand to have a physical space for artists to come together. Safe studio and gathering spaces for Black and Indigenous artists have all but disappeared, and the organization seeks to bring back these spaces to ensure artists can excel together in the community.

Student Opportunity:

This student engagement opportunity will be undertaken by a team of 3-4 BIPOC students who will spend 4-6 hours each week during the months of Term 2 (Jan- Apr 2021) to work on PHASE II of a Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) project. The first cohort (PHASE I) began this project in the Fall of 2020. The second cohort, for which we are now recruiting, will build upon the work of the previous group by addressing the research questions below.

Participatory action research has the dual purpose of undertaking an in-depth analysis or study and then purposefully working towards transformative change on the identified issue. This project further approaches the CPAR process through a decolonizing lens that prioritizes an ethical framework that foregrounds BIPOC ways of knowing. Through this CPAR project, BIPOC-CA seeks to understand and act upon the following questions:

Explore the interconnection and lived experience of physical and psychological safety for BIPOC Creatives pre- and during COVID-19.
Increase awareness and understanding of BIPOC Creative’s unique lived experiences of practicing in the Vancouver Arts and Culture sector;
Empower the entrepreneurship and leadership of BIPOC Creatives through healing workshops based on input gathered from our community through the CPAR study.
Identify, name and advocate for transformative changes necessary to address systemic racism and discrimination in the sector, in part, through the collection of race-based participatory data.

Expectations:

Attending a series of ORICE facilitated group sessions.
Maintaining frequent communication with BIPOC-CA and taking leadership from the organization research coordinator.
Collaborating with team members to create and follow through on a work plan, milestones, and outputs

Key responsibilities:

Conduct a literature review to help inform further phases of the CPAR study.
Conduct a review (environmental scan) of the cultural fabric in Vancouver e.g. number of BIPOC creative features in commercial galleries, creative pockets etc.
Design and pilot participatory tools for community-based research.
Identify and support grant writing for funds that will help to further the vision of BIPOC-CA as it relates to the mission of the organization and research being undertaken.
Provide a final report detailing work completed in the study to date with recommendations for subsequent phases of the CPAR study. Note: This is an unpaid, research opportunity

Involvement dates: January 15th – April 2nd, 2021 (12 weeks)

Ethics of Engagement:

UBC ORICE is committed to embedding anti-oppression and social justice in our daily work and ongoing projects. Students are encouraged and expected to consider how they can apply an anti-oppression and social justice lens when producing and/or using the developed content through ORICE, as well as utilize connections between community-based organizations, academics, and government. This might include, but is not limited to, ensuring the incorporation of the ongoing and often unrecognized work of organizations advocating for justice for minorities, particularly during the current pandemic, engaging with the politics of citation in including and citing the work of non-white scholars and other researchers among other ideas.

Eligibility:

Open to Indigenous UBC undergraduate (with 60 credits by September 2020) and graduate students (domestic or international). Recent graduates are welcome to apply, but priority will be given to current UBC students.
Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers and attend all meetings remotely.
Demonstrate ability to think critically and creatively, but also be open to learning from and understanding different perspectives.
Prior knowledge about, or interest, in the creative sector.
Prior experience or interest in critical participatory action research or participatory projects.

Timeline

Deadline: January 12th, 2021 @ 11.59pm PST
Successful candidates contacted by: On a rolling basis
Short interviews: On a rolling basis
Project dates: January 15th – April 2nd, 2021

How to apply

Applications have been extended for individuals who identify as Indigenous, please fill out the application form here. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and will close once positions are filled.

Follow us on social media (@ubc_orice) to find out about future program offerings! Please reach out to us at ubc.orice@ubc.ca if you have any questions.

News

Discover the latest news and announcements from the talented team and partners at ORICE.

BIPOC Creatives Community Research Project – Cohort 1

BIPOC Creative Association:

The BIPOC Creative Association looks to reclaim Black and Indigenous voices. They seek to empower talented creatives and take back their spaces within the Arts and Culture industry in British Columbia. Together, the BIPOC Creative Association marks the beginning of reform for Black and Indigenous creatives. Through advocating for representation and the equal and ethical distribution of wealth, the BIPOC Creative Association will work together to create opportunities and spaces for BIPOC creatives to come together. They seek to bring communities to the forefront of the Arts and Culture industry in British Columbia, an industry in which historically and systemically face marginalization.

Racism is inclusive of the body, cultural, psychological, and institutional impacts its conditioning of the human mind and experience. Representation of Black and Indigenous creatives and leadership is excluded from a seat at the table. As an industry, they have to work to unpack and understand the machinery that continues to benefit from the richness of our artistry, while simultaneously removing themselves from the forefront of creative progress. Within the context of Vancouver, Black and Indigenous artists are systematically disenfranchised voices within Vancouver Arts and Culture.

The BIPOC Creative Association is a newly formed organization. Culture Day, their first event on July 1st 2020, brought together members of communities in a celebration and protest. Moving forward, they aim to continue with organizing events, ensuring that artists are being paid fairly for their work, gaining exposure, and having a place to gather and create connections. Furthermore, they aim to expand to have a physical space for artists to come together. Safe studio and gathering spaces for Black and Indigenous artists have all but disappeared, they will work to bring back these spaces so our artists can excel together in community.

Student Opportunity:

This student engagement opportunity will be undertaken by a team of 3-4 BIPOC students who will spend 4-6 hours each week during the months of October and November 2020 on PHASE I of the following critical participatory action research (CPAR) project. Participatory action research has the dual purpose of undertaking an in-depth analysis or study and then purposefully working towards transformative change on the identified issue. This CPAR process will be further guided by a decolonizing lens that prioritizes an ethical framework that foregrounds BIPOC ways of knowing. Through this CPAR project, BIPOC-CA seeks to understand and act upon the following questions:

The purpose of this research study is to:

Explore the interconnection and lived experience of physical and psychological safety for BIPOC Creatives pre and during COVID-19.
Increase awareness and understanding of BIPOC Creatives unique lived experiences practicing in the Vancouver Arts and Culture sector;
Empower entrepreneurial and leadership of BIPOC Creatives through healing workshops based on the input of our community gathered through the CPAR study.
Identify, name and advocate for transformative changes necessary to address systemic racism and discrimination in the sector, in part, through the collection of race based participatory data.

Expectations:

Attending weekly ORICE facilitated sessions.
Maintaining frequent communication with BIPOC-CA and taking leadership from the organization research coordinator.
Collaborating with team members to create and follow through on a work plan, milestones, and outputs

Key responsibilities:

Conduct a literature review to help inform further phases of the CPAR study.
Conduct a review (environmental scan) of the cultural fabric in Vancouver e.g. number of BIPOC creative featured in commercial galleries, creative pockets etc.
Design and pilot participatory tools for community based research.
Identify and support grant writing for funds that will help to further the vision of BIPOC-CA as it relates to the mission of the organization and research being undertaken.
Provide a final report detailing work completed in the study to date with recommendations for subsequent phases of the CPAR studyNote: This is an unpaid, research opportunity

Involvement dates:

October 1 2020 – December 5, 2020*

OR October 1, 2020 – April 30, 2021

*Students able to commit to both terms are preferred to maintain continuity in the development of the study but students available will still be considered.

Ethics of Engagement:

Eligibility:

Open to all BIPOC UBC undergraduate (with 60 credits by September 2020) and graduate students (domestic or international). Recent graduates are welcome to apply but priority will be given to current UBC students.
Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers and attend all meetings remotely;
Demonstrate ability to think critically and creatively
Prior knowledge about or interest in the creative sector.
Prior experience or interest in critical participatory action research or participatory projects.

Timeline

Successful short-listed candidates contacted by: September 23, 2020
Short interviews: September 24-28, 2020
Offers sent by: September 29, 2020
Project dates: October 1, 2020 – December 4, 2020OR October 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021

How to apply

Thank you for your interest. We are no longer accepting applications.

Deadline: September 20, 2020 @ 11.59pm PST