Mathematics: beyond abstraction

While it is something that is essential to our everyday lives, mathematics often has negative connotations attached to it, especially among students. Math Catcher, an outreach program run out of Simon Fraser University, works with students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and aims to fight the idea that math is abstract and just boring work…

The odyssey of a djembefola

Master drummer Bolokada Condé will be hosting a series of djembe workshops at the Britannia Community Centre and CBC’s Studio 700 from September 6–9. In addition to being one of the most highly-regarded djembefolas, Condé has also been celebrated as one of the most important teachers of West African drumming, having taught at universities throughout…

Youth initiatives for a diverse society

Every five years, Statistics Canada produces the Canadian Survey on Disability, a national survey of Canadians aged 15 and older whose everyday activities are limited as a result of a long-term health condition or health-related problems. While the number of Canadians with developmental disabilities is less than 1%, the latest survey also shows that 13.7%…

The meeting of genders, cultures, and nations

The International Federation for Research on Women’s History/La Federation Internationale Pour la Recherche en Histoire des Femmes (IFRWH/FIRHF) will hold its 12th conference at Simon Fraser University from Aug. 9–12. This year’s theme, Transnationalisms, Transgressions, Translations: Conversations and Controversies, will explore frameworks, narratives, interactions and power relations across time and space at local, national and global…

A mediator at heart

“How we treat the poorest and the most vulnerable people in our community is an indication of what we are like as a society and it’s really important to make sure no one is left behind,” says Zulie Sachedina, Vice President, Human Resources and General Counsel at Providence Health Care. Sachedina, a 2018 YWCA Women…

Autism finds its rhythm

“Rock for Autism is a concept found all over the world, and we need support to graduate to becoming a charity that supports as many of these folks as possible. Why? Because these are the people who remind us of our own humanity, and in our own humility we should work with them as we…

An Indigenous storyteller finds a new home

After competing with her fellow storytellers, T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss had more than her fingers crossed when applying for the Vancouver Public Library’s Indigenous Storyteller in Residence Program. Having survived the interview and panel process, she was honoured to be chosen and couldn’t wait to start sharing stories and redefining what people thought of storytelling. According to…

Chemically transformed through Soap for Hope

What is the fate of leftover hotel bar soaps? How could it possibly be linked to battling drug and alcohol addiction? Soap for Hope, a student-run non-profit project out of SFU has made the creative and bold attempt to bridge the two and has successfully helped both the environment and the marginalised people of society…

Preventative health as a lifestyle

Zili, a non-profit organization, will hold the Women’s Preventative Health or Zili Conference on May 26, 2018 at the Vancouver Convention Centre to inform women about evidence-based preventative health, provide them with tools to take ownership of their health, and offer a platform to share ideas on how to make the healthcare system more effective.…

The helping HIPPY

It’s not a drop in. The site works very hard with the family to establish a routine because we want the family to establish a routine for learning. Wazi Dlamini-Kapenda, director of Multicultural Programs at the Mothers Matter Centre The HIPPY program works with mothers and their children to help mothers gain the confidence to…

Cohousing – a community of individuals

The concept of cohousing often generates a fair amount of skepticism. Can individuals retain their privacy and a sense of self within a community? Can cohousing accommodate the different needs of a diverse group? Does cohousing truly address issues such as isolation and loneliness? These are some of the issues that will be examined at…

A gala to celebrate Muslim women in B.C.

Voices of Muslim Women (VMW), a non-profit organization, will be holding their annual gala on April 22, 2018 at the Bell Performing Arts Centre in Surrey to celebrate and inform the community about the accomplishments, talents and fearlessness of local women in Metro Vancouver. Hosts of this year’s gala include UBC Associate Professor and Canada…

SFU is in a new _space

Business of Design students and faculty at Simon Fraser University have carved out a makerspace leading students to make more than just connections in the classroom and hopefully reaching people across the Lower Mainland. The Business of Design program is a very young, year-long program that began in the fall of 2016. According to the…