alumni UBC is calling on members of the University of British Columbia (UBC) community who are making a positive change in the world to tell their stories as part of its “your evolution” program. The program is an innovative, online story-sharing platform that uses the strength of the UBC network to enable alumni, faculty, staff and partners to connect and support fellow alumni working on projects they are passionate about.
“Through “your evolution” we want to support the many ways our 300,000 strong global alumni community is changing the world for the better,” says Jeff Todd, executive director, alumni UBC. “The “your evolution” website allows the UBC community to share details of projects and connect with fellow alumni, find supporters, and inspire others to make a difference.”
UBC graduates, students, faculty, staff, volunteers, and donors who are involved in a socially beneficial project are urged to upload their stories up until March 1 to www.yourevolution.ubc.ca. Ten projects will be shortlisted by March 9 and the public will be asked to vote for their favourite. While only one prize will be awarded, all entrants will receive valuable exposure for their projects via the website and social media.
The winner will receive a “social entrepreneur support kit” including:
- Professional photography session or the production of a video to help its cause
- Mentoring session with UBC President, Professor Arvind Gupta
- Access to a consultation with a UBC faculty member in an area most relevant to the project’s
needs (e.g. business, law, engineering, computer science).
Now in its second year, “your evolution” was first launched in spring 2014 and received more than 130 entries.
“We were thrilled and thoroughly impressed with the quality of last year’s entrants and the difference our alumni and members of the UBC community were making locally, nationally and internationally. The projects addressed a range of issues, both locally and globally, including food security, global education, music therapy, and gender empowerment,” says Todd. “We are looking forward to discovering more of the good work being undertaken by those connected with UBC.”
The 2014 “your evolution” winning project was the Learning Buddies Network (LBN), a registered nonprofit organization that helps vulnerable children who would otherwise not have access to tutoring, develop essential literacy and math skills. The network was founded by UBC alumna Dr. Alisa Lipson, a pediatrician and clinical assistant professor at UBC, and alumna Dr. Alison Lee, a pediatric resident at UBC. The LBN won a professionally-produced video to help promote the organization. To view the video click here.
“Entering “your evolution” and winning a promotional video has helped us significantly raise the profile of the Learning Buddies Network both within UBC and in the community at-large,” says Dr. Alisa Lipson, co- founder of Learning Buddies Network. “I have no doubt this has enabled us to attract volunteers and funding which has been extremely beneficial to our young organization. We also found that the process of developing the video really helped us identify our core values and the message we wanted to send to the public.”
alumni UBC Launches Program to Support UBC Community in Changing the World
For further information and to enter your project, visit www.yourevolution.ubc.ca.
About alumni UBC
alumni UBC is the association representing 300,000 UBC graduates living in more than 120 countries. Its vision is to build a global community with a shared ambition for a better world and an exceptional UBC.
Photo credit: Hover Collective
