Re-Visioning cities through community and mentorship
Theme of Cohort 2: Transportation
Are you a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) youth in Metro Vancouver? Are you interested in shaping and reimagining our cities’ futures?
Overview
Urban ReVision: BIPOC Mentorship Studio is a program for BIPOC youth, aged 18-30ish, 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 hands-on learning, mentorship, and project completion. The program will take place in-person in Vancouver from October 2024 to January 2025 (with a winter break in December 2024). Throughout this program, you will learn about the multi-faceted aspects of urban planning and civic governance, including traditional and non-traditional education and career pathways. In alignment with the cohort theme, the sessions will be exploring the ideas and themes of city shaping through the lens of transportation. Moreover, you will work in groups to ideate and complete a project relevant to current and locally-based plans in collaboration with a community partner. By the end of the program, you will have gained more insights about the experiences of being a BIPOC practitioner in the city-shaping field, have put your critical thinking skills and creativity to practice, and be part of a tight-knit community of BIPOC peers and mentors.
The workshop series follows the Knowledge-to-Action Framework:
CityHive’s Knowledge-to-Action Framework is rooted in community-based learning, relationship building, and partner-supported action planning. This framework builds a learning arc that enables youth to come to the program with any level of understanding or knowledge about civics, climate change, and public space to then develop bold actions to address local challenges.
What You’ll Do
| LEARN: You will learn about the traditional and non-traditional routes of city-shaping, including urban planning and civic governance education and career pathways, as well as the diverse sectors and themes within these fields (including but not limited to land, climate action, and intersectionality). With the theme of this cohort being Transportation, you will have the opportunity to explore planning topics through the lens of transportation in the local context. You will have the opportunities to learn from guest speakers, as well as to connect with BIPOC industry mentors throughout the program to learn more about these fields. You can expect to spend around 1-2 hours each week on homework from this point in the program onward (in addition to program session time). 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? How does transportation planning connect to other aspects of our cities and communities? 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, you will ideate a youth engagement project based on a locally-based plan that the community partner is involved in. Your group will begin by exploring the existing plan through investigative research to further your understanding. With the support of the community partner, your group will develop a project that allows you to reimagine your dream city and put into practice skills such as project management, decision-making, and communication. You can expect to spend between 2-5 hours each week working with your group on the project from this point in the program onward (in addition to program session time). APPLY & CREATE: With the ideas that were developed, your group will have the opportunity to create your project! At this stage, you will have time during our program sessions to work together, seek feedback from the community partner and your peers, and to gain skills in presenting and communicating your project to diverse audiences. In January 2025, you will have the opportunity to participate in engagement events with the community partner about a locally-based plan already in the works. |
Quick Facts
All sessions are in-person in Vancouver (exact location to be confirmed).
Learn Module
- Session 1: Saturday, October 5th from 10am-3pm
- Session 2: Wednesday, October 9th from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 3: Wednesday, October 16th from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 4: Wednesday, October 23rd from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 5: Saturday, October 26th from 10am-3pm
Explore & Ideate Module
- Session 6: Wednesday, October 30th from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 7: Wednesday, November 6th from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 8: Wednesday, November 13th from 6pm-8:30pm
Apply & Create Module
- Session 9: Wednesday, November 20th from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 10: Saturday, November 23rd from 10am-3pm
- Session 11: Wednesday, November 27th from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 12: Wednesday, December 4th from 6pm-8:30pm
Community Engagement Events: January 2025 (exact dates to be confirmed)
Testimonials
Eligibility:
- BIPOC youth that are aged 18-30ish 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.
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Collaborating with like-minded individuals from 18-30 years old in different stages of their life is a blessing. I genuinely could connect with many people’s hopes and aspirations for a better city. And despite our many similarities in our visions for the future, it’s so amazing to see how many different fields and backgrounds we come from. This cohort never failed to be an inclusive and kind space for people to grow and learn. I’m so proud of my peers – wherever they go off to next, I’m sure I’ll see them around.
Participant
Urban ReVision Cohort 1
❞
This program has connected me to so many changemakers in a city that felt very vast and disconnected. I’ve been able to build strong friendships, and learn about different career potentials by the BEST mentors and facilitators.
Participant
Urban ReVision Cohort 1
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“I’m so glad I applied for this program. It was a fantastic opportunity to engage with like minded young BIPOC, make connections and really feel like being part of a community. I was able to learn so much in such a short time about planning, our civic systems and how I fit into them as a citizen. I highly recommend signing up for the program if you’re interested in learning about and improving our built environments and make some great friends along the way.
Participant
Urban ReVision Cohort 1
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the program start and how long is it?
The program sessions will take place from October 5th, 2024 to December 4th, 2024, where the cohort will meet weekly on Wednesday evenings and on three Saturdays. There will be three Saturday sessions during this period. In January 2025, there will be engagement events happening that participants will be part of (exact dates to be confirmed).
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 September 17th, 2024.
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 Vancouver, with the specific location TBD. Doors open at 5:30 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 each week from early October to early December 2024 working on homework or project-related tasks.
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.
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.
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.
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 a community partner. This may require community engagement, critical thinking and some investigative research to understand the problems of urban issues better. You can expect to spend between 2-5 hours each week working on homework or project work (in addition to program session time).
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!
Ready to re-vision cities?
Applications will open on August 29, 2024
Application Deadline: September 17th, 2024.
Got Questions?
Email Vicky (BIPOC Mentorship Program Coordinator) at vicky@cityhive.ca to connect and learn more!
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