Growing up, I’ve been taught that communities are divided. There’s Burnaby, Vancouver, and within these communities are even smaller communities, like North and South Burnaby, or East and West Vancouver. Communities have boundaries, set by the government and marked on a map; the moment you cross Boundary Street you are no longer in Burnaby but in Vancouver, or vice versa. They also have certain traits; a large population of Chinese people reside in Richmond, a large population of Caucasians reside in West Vancouver, and so on.

I thought about this notion of community as I made the trek from my home in Burnaby to the UBC Learning Exchange building in Chinatown. I felt a sense of unease and trepidation. “How do I lead an English conversation circle? What if I can’t think of a good topic? What if they don’t understand? Why are there so many ‘what ifs’?!” As I stepped off the skytrain and onto the platform, I could feel the dread within weighing down my footsteps so that I could delay my arrival in Chinatown. By time I reached the building, I felt like I had concrete blocks for feet…

Read the rest here and find out how students can get involved both at the Learning Exchange and in other community-based learning opportunities.

Tom explains drawing technique

Tom Tam came to Canada as a refugee from Vietnam in the 1970s. Although without formal training, he has always had a passion for drawing and painting. His first painting was of a squirrel, capturing the details using a pencil and then completing the image with traditional Chinese brush painting techniques. Tom says that painting does not have to be an expensive undertaking; you only have to have enthusiasm, paper and a pencil.

Tom introduced traditional Chinese painting to participants at the UBC Learning Exchange in April. His first workshop included a very effective way to welcome people and to persuade hesitant beginners to try their hand. He began by sharing his philosophy on painting – “Draw from your heart, never begin artistic ventures while being angry or emotional and always approach your work with a relaxed mind.” Tom then started to sketch the outline of a rose and passed the canvas on to a learner to continue the drawing. The rose was passed from learner to learner, each making their artistic contribution until the work was complete.

Tom’s ‘Chinese Painting’ workshop has proved to be extremely popular with a diverse group of people, from experienced and professional artists to absolute beginners. His workshops form part of an ongoing series led by Learning Exchange participants, each stepping up to share their skills. The series has also included an introduction to analytical drawing. Next will be sessions on the basics of portraiture.

Sign-up: May 30th, 9:30am

Workshop Times: June 7 – 21

Cost: Free

Where: UBC Learning Exchange, 612 Main Street

More Info: For details phone 604.408.5164 or click here.

Bridging Gaps: Zweig and patron practice dance

Daniel Oh, a fourth-year undergrad majoring in Psychology and Film Studies, ran Movie Chats at the UBC Learning Exchange at 612 Main Street in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) neighbourhood, bringing together a small group of film buffs in the community. But instead of just kicking back and watching movies, an individual and rather isolating experience, the group picked a theme each week and Oh selected some film clips that everybody watched. Then it was time to talk.

The clips were a springboard to discussions that went beneath the surface, creating an opportunity for community members to connect with one another. “… We discussed the films through our own experiences, film analysis and cinematic history,” says Oh. “Everyone has their own opinions on movies, so it’s a great way for people to share their own knowledge and understanding.”

Oh’s impressions of the DTES community have changed through Movie Chats. “I think there’s a very limited perception of the community among many people, including me before my experience … There’s so much more to the community … the people I’ve met at the Learning Exchange have been some of the most pleasant and interesting people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.”

Would Oh volunteer again? Absolutely. “…Volunteering at the Learning Exchange has really given me the opportunity to see what the community is already like, and what it can be. There’s always room for more learning exchange!”

Creating movement, building community

When Daina Zweig, a fourth-year undergrad in Interdisciplinary Studies, came to the Learning Exchange, staff first proposed she lead a course on computer skills, something that really didn’t interest Zweig. Talking further, Zweig happened to mention an interest in yoga. Since yoga (like movie-watching) is an individual experience, it wasn’t the answer for an ideal community activity so the conversation went to a whole new place — movement and connection — and something Zweig’s especially passionate about: dance.

The result? A series of Movement sessions proved popular with Learning Exchange patrons including salsa, Israeli folk dancing and Celtic dancing. At about 90 minutes, each session begins with a quick introduction and a short discussion about the day’s dance theme led by Zweig. That’s followed by a warm-up, dancing and some wrap-up conversation, which gets people talking — and connecting. Because of the informal nature created by dance, Zweig says “… people start to loosen up boundaries, [they] get to know each other a little bit better, then conversation starts to flow naturally, and people just start talking about their lives a bit, what they like, and where they come from ….”

For Zweig getting to know members of the DTES community has been really rewarding, and it has been fun teaching dance movement to an enthusiastic group. Through the experience she’s learned much about the DTES and its residents, that there are many stereotypes which don’t reflect reality. She’s also learned about herself, seeing skills in herself she didn’t recognize she had, and is now considering teaching community dance in her spare time once she graduates and moves home.

“… [Dance] really creates happiness, it creates a connection, a distraction, it creates connectivity to mind/body/soul …” says Zweig. Given that “so much at the Learning Exchange is an exchange,” the Movement sessions have given Zweig, and the small group that’s taken the journey with her, meaningful conversation, exercise, new friendships — and new perspective.

Students interested in getting involved in the community or pitching a community-based project can contact a member of the Learning Exchange team.

Alex is a 4th Year Sauder School of Business Student who has been volunteering with the Learning Exchange since November 2011. He’s been supporting the Contributing Through Computers program, running social media sessions and leading workshops for volunteer facilitators on more advanced aspects of information technology. Here are his thoughts midway through the experience:

My name is Alex and I am an international student studying Finance in the Sauder School of Business. I am very proud to be part of the Contributing through Computers program of the UBC Learning Exchange. Facilitating the computer workshops has really showed me that there is a huge unfulfilled need for free computer training for people from Vancouver. Being young and being in the university, we can sometimes forget there are many people who do not take computer literacy for granted.

When I started volunteering at the UBC Learning Exchange in September, I had only a vague idea of what my experience would be like in the coming months. As an international student, I was interested in understanding the needs of the local communities in Vancouver and I also wanted to spend my time with purpose. As I volunteered not only did I have an opportunity to help the facilitators of the computer workshops but I also got a chance to take a more proactive role by developing two workshops on social media myself. Teaching was a big aspect of my experience.

In the UBC Learning Exchange I have met a lot of great people and it was my turn to learn from them. Communication skills are crucial for me as a business student. Here, I have learnt how to provide explanations in a simpler and more concise way for a different type of audience and I have learnt to understand better what people want. In addition, every once in a while I learn a cool new trick about computers that I hadn’t known before. This is a true exchange of learning.

When I see people learn the skills that they need to potentially get employed, retain their job, or just to keep up with the realities of the modern world, I know that I am doing the right thing. And this feels great.

Interested in Alex’s experience? Check out other community-based opportunities for students.

Sign-up: CORRECTION – May 29-June 1, 1:00pm-5:00pm (originally listed as May 28-June 1)

Workshop Times: June 5 – July 10

Cost: Free

Where: UBC Learning Exchange, 612 Main Street

More Info: For details phone 604.408.5164 or click here.

The UBC Learning Exchange’s first ever Alumni Facilitator’s Event was held in January. Despite the snowfall, there was a good turn out as facilitators from both the ESL program and the Contributing Through Computers program gathered together for food, coffee, and good conversation in the plaza lounge at UBC Robson Square. Following brief opening remarks by Mark Smith, facilitators broke off into focus groups, sharing techniques they’d learned through their experiences and discussing possible future alumni meetings.

The relaxed atmosphere that night encouraged lots of socializing; most of the night consisted of facilitators reuniting with old friends and making new connections with fellow facilitators. The night wound down at 9 PM, long after the originally scheduled close. All in all, the event proved successful and everyone had a lot of fun. The general consensus that night was: more alumni events!

The Learning Exchange is currently planning for these future alumni events. For more information, contact Mark Smith.

When: February 15, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

What to bring: Resume and job posts that interest you

Who: Yvonne Tang, an experienced employment counselor, will lead the workshop

Cost: Free

Where: UBC Learning Exchange, 612 Main Street, Vancouver

To Register: Contact Lisa Okada at 604-408-5183

“The UBC Learning Exchange is an entry point for faculty and students who might develop new relationships with the community beyond our doors.”

— Kathleen Leahy, Director, UBC Learning Exchange

Working with the UBC Learning Exchange and community can be a new experience. For students, it can be challenging but is ultimately rewarding and fun. For faculty who may be contemplating building a community element into a particular course, the Learning Exchange offers an ideal place to get started.

The student view

Michele (pronounced Mee-keh-leh) Morucci, a third-year major in Economics and Anthropology, worked with the Learning Exchange and members of the Downtown Eastside (DTES) community to gather information about which services and programs best serve patrons of the Learning Exchange. Morucci says it was extremely rewarding to learn his findings and subsequent recommendations for change are being carefully considered.

It was also rewarding for Morucci to be able to make connections between the theoretical and the practical, to apply things he’d learned in class in a real-life setting. “Whoever said learning had to be in a classroom and that learning occurs only when you study in your room [was mistaken]. Learning occurs all around you [and through] new experiences [and from] contact through socializing with others.”

For Lizzy Duguay, a fifth-year Human Geography major who collaborated on a DTES tour and mapping project, interviewing and working with local residents to create a more community-based representation of the area was daunting at first but an experience she wholeheartedly recommends:

Being nervous is part of the process! If you felt comfortable going into a new community, you wouldn’t be challenging yourself and learning. Keep an open mind, good intentions, and be willing to ask questions. Very soon that nervousness will disappear. At the Learning Exchange you will meet the most friendly and interesting people, and it is truly a place where ideas and people connect and discussion occurs.

What was most fulfilling for Duguay was “… the feeling of being welcomed into somewhere unfamiliar to me. Everyone I worked with was so friendly and so honest and open to talking about their experiences and relationship with the area. It was really great to work with people who were interested in the project and wanted to share ideas about making it successful. I felt it was a true collaboration.”

A faculty view

For faculty, working with the Learning Exchange team to build a community component into a course is strongly worth considering says Dr. Catherine Douglas, a lecturer in the Department of Economics. She says the support she has received from the Learning Exchange team and its familiarity with community learning has been invaluable in helping her build hands-on community learning into two courses.

“The great thing about the Learning Exchange,” says Douglas, “is that their real focus is on community, and bringing that university learning environment and connecting with community — and responding to community — which is really what community learning is all about.”

She also cites the Learning Exchange team’s ability to make everyone feel comfortable — community members, students, her as a faculty member — as a real positive.

For faculty members thinking about testing the waters with community-based learning, Douglas advises having a clear plan in advance. Otherwise, she says:

Take the risk. Go for it! It really can be such a stimulating experience for the faculty member and for the students to be engaging in the community and seeing how problems are dealt with in the community that perhaps maybe aren’t always apparent when you’re talking about theory, methodology and evidence … it’s a really great complement to all the classroom material.

Faculty members and students can learn more about working with community by contacting a member of the Learning Exchange team.

On December 13th, as part of their annual holiday social, the UBC Classroom Services team joined ESL learners in a first ever, festive carol sing-a-long, at the Learning Exchange. While the team brought seasonal goodies to enjoy as part of the get-together, it was their good cheer and willingness to meet new people—just beginning to learn English—that really struck a note. After only a few songs the ice was broken and the room was filled with conversation. By the end there were even some hugs shared, reminding all that strangers are friends we have yet to meet.

The UBC Classroom Services team also pooled their resources together to make a generous contribution of art supplies—easels and charcoal—for a new drawing workshop for residents in the Downtown Eastside. The workshop will be co-facilitated by Pedro (pictured, first row, 4th from the left), a volunteer with the ESL Program and a newcomer to Canada, and Laura (not pictured), a UBC Anthropology student. In the spring of 2012, staff from Classroom Services and Pedro plan to connect back to hear how the drawing workshop went.