Are you a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) youth in Metro Vancouver? Are you interested in shaping and reimagining our cities’ futures? Do you wish to gain hands-on experience while learning about the roles that urban planning and civic governance play in our cities? Do you wish to form meaningful connections with other BIPOC young professionals and industry mentors? Apply to join the Urban ReVision: BIPOC Mentorship Studio today!
Urban ReVision: BIPOC Mentorship Studio is a 13-week long program for BIPOC youth, aged 18-30, who are passionate about shaping the future of their city. This program aims to support BIPOC youth who are interested in exploring the fields of urban planning and civic governance through mentorship. The program will take place from March to May 2024, and we will meet in-person in Downtown Vancouver and the City of Surrey.
Throughout this program, you will learn about the multi-faceted aspects of urban planning and civic governance, as well as their community impacts. You will work in groups to ideate and complete a project relevant to a current and locally-based City Plan with the guidance of an industry mentor. At the end of the program, your group will share your project at the Community Showcase & Networking Event — an event to celebrate program participants’ projects with our community.
By the end of the program, you will have gained more insights about the experiences of being a BIPOC practitioner in the fields of urban planning and civic governance. As well, you will have had the opportunity to put your critical thinking skills and creativity to practice by developing a mock City Plan in collaboration with peers and industry mentors.
Following the knowledge-to-action framework, you will…
LEARN:
You will learn about the traditional and non-traditional routes of urban planning and civic governance, pursuing education and careers in these fields, as well as the diverse sectors and themes within these fields (including but not limited to land, climate action, and intersectionality). You will have the opportunities to learn from guest speakers and industry mentors throughout the program.
We will be exploring questions, such as:
- What is urban planning and civic governance?
- What are the strengths and challenges of working within urban planning and civic governance?
- What does it mean to be a BIPOC planner in unceded lands?
- How can we promote a more inclusive and intersectional perspective in urban planning and civic governance that considers diverse identities within our cities?
EXPLORE & IDEATE:
In your group of 4-5 program participants and an industry mentor, you will develop a mock City Plan, based on a current and locally-based Plan already in the works. Your group will begin by exploring the existing City Plan further through taking a site visit as part of a program session. Additionally, your group may conduct further investigative research to further your understanding of the City Plan. With the support of your industry mentor, your group will ideate what you would want your mock City Plan to prioritize. You will develop and put into practice skills such as project management, decision making, communication, and mock budgeting.
APPLY & CREATE:
With the ideas that were developed, your group will have the opportunity to create the mock City Plan! At this stage, you will have time during our program sessions to work together, seek feedback from industry mentors, and to gain skills in presenting and communicating your project to diverse audiences. You should also anticipate spending 2-5 hours working on project-related tasks outside of the program sessions from Session 7 until the end of the program.
PRESENT:
At the end of the program, your group will have the opportunity to share your project and to learn about other program groups’ projects at the Community Showcase & Networking Event. At this event, we will get to celebrate you with our community!
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM?
BIPOC youth that are aged 18-30 and based in Metro Vancouver can apply. No previous experience in urban planning or civic governance is needed to participate in this program — in fact, we welcome BIPOC youth of any and all backgrounds, and strongly encourage applications from these individuals.
We are committed to fostering just, inclusive and accessible spaces for all youth, especially those from communities experiencing social, economic and other barriers. This includes (and is not limited to) youth who identify as disabled, 2SLGBTQIA+, and newcomers. We strongly encourage applications from individuals belonging to these communities.
We only have room for a limited number of people in this program. If you are selected for this program, you will receive an honorarium for your time and participation in the program.
Please feel free to email Vicky (vicky@cityhive.ca) with any questions regarding the program or application process, and if you would like to further discuss how we can best support your program journey.
SESSION DATES
Learn Modules
Session 1: Introductions and What is Planning & Civics? (Part I)
Saturday, March 2nd, 2024, 10am-3pm
City of Surrey
Session 2: What is Planning & Civics? (Part II)
Thursday, March 7th, 2024, 6pm-8:30pm
Downtown Vancouver
Session 3: Land & Indigenous History
Thursday, March 14th, 2024, 6pm-8:30pm
Downtown Vancouver
Session 4: Project Overview
Thursday, March 21st, 2024, 6pm-8:30pm
City of Surrey
Session 5: Intersectional Planning & Climate Conscious Cities
Thursday, March 28th, 2024, 6pm-8:30pm
Downtown Vancouver
Explore & Ideate Modules
Session 6: Meet the Mentors
Thursday, April 4th, 2024, 6pm-8:30pm
Downtown Vancouver
Session 7: Team Building
Thursday, April 11th, 2024, 6pm-8:30pm
Downtown Vancouver
Session 8: Project Building & Skills Workshop
Thursday, April 18th, 2024, 6pm-8:30pm
City of Surrey
Apply & Create Modules
Session 9: Project Working Session
Thursday, May 2nd, 2024, 6pm-8:30pm
City of Surrey
Session 10: Project Working Session
Thursday, May 9th, 2024, 6pm-8:30pm
City of Surrey
Session 11: Community Building & Project Working Session
Saturday, May 11th, 2024, 10am-3pm
City of Surrey
Session 12: Project Feedback Session
Thursday, May 16th, 2024, 6pm-8:30pm
City of Surrey
Session 13: Communication & Presentation
Thursday, May 23rd, 2024, 6pm-8:30pm
City of Surrey
Session 14: Final Preparations
Thursday, May 30th, 2024, 6pm-8:30pm
City of Surrey
Presentation!
Community Showcase & Networking Event
June 2024 (exact date TBC)
City of Surrey
Consultants
Divine Ndemeye
Divine Ndemeye is an award winning landscape designer, artist, and educator (Adjunct professor at UBC School of Architecture + Landscape Architecture).
Divine is the Founder and Principal of Remesha Design Lab, a research-design firm that provides services in landscape architecture, public art, community engagement and education. Established in 2020 and based in Vancouver, the firm operates locally and internationally. Remesha Design operates within the framework of decoloniality, Indigeneity and Afrofuturism; a school of thought which combines ancient wisdom from Africa with technology and creativity to envision social change and alternative futures. Divine works to center Black and Indigenous World Views into landscape systems. She focuses on community empowerment, sustainability, and community-lead design approaches. Prior to pursuing a career in design, Divine worked in different municipalities in strategic and urban planning, and has over 10 years of experience in community building and engagement.
Divine is the founder and Co-Director of the Black+Indigenous Design Collective; a social enterprise working to build the capacity of Black and Indigenous Youth in the spatial design fields and public art, and working to increase the visibility and agency of Black and Indigenous communities in urban spaces. She is also the host and producer of the Design unmuted podcast, a platform that elevates marginalized voices in design, art and all things creative.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the program start and how long is it?
The program starts on March 2nd, 2024 and workshops will run weekly Thursday evenings until May 30th, 2024. There will be two Saturday sessions.
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How long does the program run each week?
Each week we will meet for 2.5 hours between 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
(We will be meeting in-person in Downtown Vancouver and the City of Surrey, with the specific location TBD. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. for participants to eat – yes, we will provide food and beverages!)
Weekend sessions will be from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
In addition to program time, you should anticipate spending 2-5 hours working on project-related tasks from Session 7 until the end of the program.
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How do I apply?
You can apply using the link at the top of this page. You will have the opportunity to complete a written application using the link above. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any issues with a written application; we will assist you.
Applications are open until February 18th, 2024.
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How much does it cost to join?
Our programs are free to you! There is ZERO cost to join Urban ReVision: BIPOC Mentorship Studio. We will offer honoraria to all participants. Please contact us for more information.
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I don’t live in the Metro Vancouver region, is that okay?
Due to the place-based nature of the program and its in-person workshops, we require all participants to be located in Metro Vancouver for the duration of the program.
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Who will I meet?
We bring together a diverse group of 20-25 youths with various backgrounds. You will meet other BIPOC youth participants who are just as eager as you to explore the realms of urban planning and civic governance. You will also meet a diversity of BIPOC planners working in traditional and non-traditional planning settings and who are in different stages of their career, local government officials, thought leaders, and subject matter experts and have chances to meet community members, and your mentors!
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What do we do during the program sessions?
Our program sessions are pretty jam-packed. Our sessions are hands-on and interactive – and encourage active participation. We like to say that you’ll get out what you put in. We make sure to utilize body breaks throughout the sessions.
We blend content delivery and workshops with dialogue, group discussions, breakout sessions, peer-to-peer learning, and dedicated time to connect with your mentor. You can expect that we will deliver a presentation and invite you into conversation with your peers as we learn together.
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What’s the program like - how much time will I spend working on these projects?
The program is designed for you to get what you put into it. This is a project-based program where you are expected to work collaboratively with your peers and mentors to develop a mock City Plan. This may require community engagement, critical thinking and some investigative research to understand the problems of urban issues better. From Session 7 until the end of the program, you can expect to spend between 2-5 hours each week, in addition to program session time, working with your group.
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THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS
This program wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of:
