Outreach Presenters

IMG_4527“My relationship with Musqueam began in 1999, as an artist, when I was adopted into the family of Susan Point and Jeff Cannell. For ten years I worked and often lived under the tutelage of master artists and carvers, watching as icons took shape. The family included me in their travels, most extensively in wild BC, and taught me much about living with nature. In 2011, I entered into the Global Resource Systems (GRS) Program in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS). I learned a great deal about food production and how community is shaped by it. As a part of the curriculum, armed with UBC access to current resources and technology, I engaged with many community partners, participating in local and global communities to provide insight to real world problems. As a directed studies project, I took on a proposal to build a youth garden on Musqueam, under the supervision of Brent Skura, Director of GRS. I volunteered myself to provide some programming related to growing food in the garden. I taught the children in class, while eating pizza, about the life cycle of garlic. I joined the group to transplant some indigenous food plants supplied by the UBC Botanical Gardens. We also harvested kale and prepared kale chips as a snack. The most thrilling part of this project has been the interest and expression I see in the children when they are in the garden space and the enjoyment they have in preparing and eating a healthy snack. My hope is that they take these ideas into their homes and share good food with their families.”
- James Simon, UBC Land and Food Systems
IMG_8754“I am a 2nd year undergraduate student studying Engineering Physics, and am currently working for the UBC Physics & Astronomy Outreach Program through UBC Science Co-op. I have worked with youth of different ages and backgrounds for many years now, but I’ve never had an experience quite like that of working with the Musqueam youth; there is a unique sense of community that accompanies working with this group. In the 3 short days I spent there, I learned a lot about teaching, social interactions, and the Musqueam community from interacting with the diverse spectrum of personalities present, and find great joy in the fact that in turn the youth have learned something (about physics) from me as well. It was interesting to watch their unique personalities be reflected in the designs of their wind turbine blades and bottle rockets; and the curiosity that they displayed while playing with electronics in the squishy circuits lesson has reminded me of what it is to love learning. Working alongside those from the Bridge Through Sport Math & Science Club, and UBC Physics & Astronomy Outreach, to blend creativity and science has been an enriching addition to my university experience.”
- Emma Ostereicher, UBC Applied Science
IMG_9103“I am a 3rd year Dental Hygiene student and I began working with the Musqueam youth as part of a community rotation out of the Vancouver Community College Dental Hygiene Program. It was my first time working with and teaching youth of this age group. This experience has been both challenging and rewarding. Through it I’ve learned so much about how to connect, interact and educate the youth of this age. It has also helped me develop my understanding of the aboriginal youth in the area of Musqueam. It was great teaching the youth about dental health which included brushing, flossing, smoking cessation, diabetes and healthy snacks. The most amazing thing was how much interest the youth had in learning about these topics, and also how much they already knew without me telling them. Even though it was only 3-4 days, I felt that I had really begun to connect with the people of the Musqueam community. Working along-side the leaders and volunteers of the Bridge Through Sport Math and Science Club was very enjoyable. They helped make the teaching experience more fun and exciting and made my brief stay with the Musqueam youth much smoother.”
- David Quach, VCC Dental Hygiene
IMG_9106“In 1981, I first connected with First Nations people in my rural hometown in northern BC, building close and enduring relationships. My mother eventually met a First Nations husband who became a spiritual guide to me before disability diminished his quality of life. I became his health advocate as we worked through the many obstacles and benefits of applying for his “status.” These early experiences sparked my interest in First Nations health and wellness. Today, I am a Dental Hygiene educator and community health coordinator at Vancouver Community College. I am also working towards my Master’s degree in Public Health from Simon Fraser University, and have supported the writing of grant proposals and research for pilot interventions that support Aboriginal health, wellness, and access to oral health care. I first connected with the Musqueam community in 2010 when Vancouver Community College Dental Hygiene Program partnered with the Tweenz Cooking Club. Today, the focus is promoting oral health in the Youth After-School Program. Each year, I reflect on the transformation that the Dental Hygiene students make in their approach as they engage with this distinct community over four sessions each February. The experiences are memorable and rewarding especially as the Musqueam youth grow into capable and self-determined individuals well rooted within their community and supported by the many programs offered.”
- Kimberley Laing, SFU Health Sciences