Aboriginal Experience UBC

On February 20, 2018, UBC welcomed Aboriginal high school students in grades 10-12 to experience UBC’s Vancouver campus for a day. It was an opportunity for Aboriginal students from the Lower Mainland to learn more about an academic program, explore the campus, connect with current students and professors, and get a feeling for life and learning at UBC.

The programming included both an academic session and a community session. Students had the chance to choose an academic session and attend a fun and interactive faculty-led workshop, mock-lecture, or laboratory. The second part of the programming involved a community session, where they were able to participate in a tour of the First Nations Longhouse and attend a student panel with current UBC students.

The pilot event welcomed more than 280 participants, including students and high school chaperones. Partners from across the UBC community worked together to ensure the success of the event – including more than 30 student volunteers, Faculty representatives, the First Nations House of Learning, the Centre for Student Involvement and Careers, Student Recruitment and Advising, and Enrolment Services. A big thank you to everyone who helped out with the event! And a special shout out to Natasha Latter and Chloe Erlendson for the endless hours, days, and weeks that they worked on planning this event and making it all happen.

This event provided a strong foundation for future initiatives – it is our hopes that the initiative will continue to grow in future years!