Re-Visioning cities through community and mentorship
Theme of Cohort 3: Civic Action, Dialogue & Community Building
Are you a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) youth in Metro Vancouver? Are you interested in shaping and reimagining our cities’ futures?
Applications are open until March 23rd, 2025 at 11:59PM
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 April to June 2025. 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 civic action, dialogue, community building and engagement, policy, and advocacy. Our learnings and dialogues will centre BIPOC perspectives. Moreover, you will work in groups to ideate and complete a project relevant to current and local events in collaboration with Citizens’ Climate Lobby. 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). In alignment with the cohort theme, the sessions will be exploring the ideas and themes of city shaping through the lens of civic action, dialogue, community building and engagement, policy, and advocacy. Our learnings and dialogues will centre BIPOC perspectives. 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. We will be exploring questions, such as: 1. What is urban planning and civic governance? 2. What are the strengths and challenges of working within urban planning and civic governance? 3. How do civic action and urban planning connect, and how do they impact various aspects of our cities and communities? 4. What does it mean to be a BIPOC planner and community member taking civic action on unceded lands? 5. 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 local and current event. Your group will begin by conducting investigative research to further your understanding of your project’s focal area. With the support of the community partner, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, your group will develop a project that allows you to reimagine your dream city and put into practice skills in civic action such as project management, decision making, and communication. 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 June 2025, you will have the opportunity to conduct your project. |
Quick Facts
All sessions are in-person in Vancouver (exact location to be confirmed).
Learn Module
- Session 1: Saturday, April 5th from 10am-3pm
- Session 2: Wednesday, April 9th from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 3: Saturday, April 12th from 10am-3pm
- Session 4: Wednesday, April 16th from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 5: Wednesday, April 23rd from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 6: Wednesday, April 30th from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 7: Saturday, May 3rd from 10am-3pm
Explore & Ideate Module
- Session 8: Wednesday, May 7th from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 9: Wednesday, May 14th from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 10: Wednesday, May 21st from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 11: Saturday, May 24th from 10am-3pm
Apply & Create Module
- Session 12: Wednesday, May 28th from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 13: Saturday, May 31st from 10am-3pm
- Session 14: Wednesday, June 4th from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 15: Wednesday, June 11th from 6pm-8:30pm
- Session 16: Wednesday, June 18th from 6pm-8:30pm
Project Delivery: June 2025 outside of program time (exact dates TBD)
End-of-Program Celebration: June 2025 (exact dates TBD)
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.
❞
This program surrounded me with the inspiration I needed to pursue a career in urban planning by showing success through representation of BIPOC leaders. I had an excellent time learning about everything urban planning looking through the lenses of the BIPOC experience. I was a blank slate before I entered this program and now I will carry these lessons and look back fondly through my journey towards a career in urban planning
Participant
Urban ReVision Cohort 2
❞
It was a great program to learn about civic work and planning. What networking means and why it is important. The mentorship was great. Many of us are confused about what to do and this program was a great to know that your journey doesn’t need ro be linear! The best part of professional journey is by trying everything.
Participant
Urban ReVision Cohort 2
❞
I had an amazing time with CityHive. I got to be in such a rich environment filled with diverse opinions and learn from people in the industry. I have left CityHive with a heightened passion for urban planning and engaging communities for climate action. It helped me connect to the grassroot level of work and feel a sense of hopefulness.
Participant
Urban ReVision Cohort 2
Funders
Sponsor
Partner
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the program start and how long is it?
The program sessions will take place from April 5th, 2025 to June 18th, 2025, where the cohort will meet weekly on Wednesday evenings. There will also be five Saturday sessions during this period. In June 2025, you will have the opportunity to conduct your project (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 March 23rd, 2025 at 11:59PM
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 (outside program sessions) during the Explore & Ideate and Apply & Create modules, working on 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, guest speakers, 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, civic governance and action, community engagement, policy, and advocacy. You will also meet a diversity of BIPOC mentors and community members working in traditional and non-traditional planning and civics settings, and who are in different stages of their career, local government officials, thought leaders, and subject matter experts!
Ready to re-vision cities?
Applications Open
Application Deadline: March 23, 2025
