11th Canadian CityStudio to launch in Chilliwack, BC
CHILLIWACK, BC – CityStudio Vancouver, the University of Fraser Valley (UFV), and the City of Chilliwack are excited to announce a partnership that will bring civic innovation and city-campus collaboration to Chilliwack, BC through the launch of CityStudio Chilliwack.
As the 11th CityStudio to launch in Canada and the 14th to launch globally, Chilliwack joins a growing movement of municipalities worldwide that are applying the unique CityStudio framework of city-campus collaboration to bring post-secondary students to the table to innovate and experiment with the way their communities are built.
Chilliwack, which is located about 100 km southwest of Vancouver, is recognized as a business-friendly community, with a rising population and employment growth. CityStudio Chilliwack is one of five CityStudios in the province.
“We’re very pleased to welcome the City of Chilliwack into the CityStudio Network, and expand work-integrated learning opportunities for UFV students in the Fraser Valley,” remarks Duane Elverum, Executive Director and Co-Founder of CityStudio Vancouver. “Students can often do a lot more than we ask them to do in their classes, and we look forward to seeing how their creativity and energy can support projects for the city.”
CityStudio Chilliwack will help augment the problem solving capacity of City staff by leveraging the skills, knowledge, and creativity of post-secondary students and faculty. For students, this is a unique experiential-learning opportunity to work directly with City staff to solve civic issues and gain valuable employment skills.
“I am delighted to see CityStudio expand further into the Fraser Valley. It is so important that our students are provided opportunities for experiential and problem-based learning in which they can share and develop their wealth of innovative ideas,” says Dr. Joanne MacLean, UFV’s President.
“As a Council, we know that prioritizing youth leadership opportunities is a vital part of creating a healthy and equitable community for all and we look forward to this shared learning experience through CityStudio,” says Ken Popove, the Mayor of Chilliwack.
Students in a UFV Environmental Science and Communications course and the City of Chilliwack have recently used the CityStudio model and tackled the issue of water shortages in Chilliwack. Students have had discussions with a local journalist and city experts and have done research with the aim of providing the City with some potential solutions to the problem of water shortage.
“Working with the CityStudio program has allowed us to break barriers that have traditionally existed in our field. I look forward to furthering partnerships that will facilitate learning and communication between local governance and university curricula,” remarks Dr. Carin Bondar, an instructor for GEOG/CMNS 257, alongside Dr. Paul Fontaine at UFV.
Chilliwack joins 13 other cities in the CityStudio Network, which include: Abbotsford, BC; Brantford, ON; Corner Brook, NL; Durham, ON; London, ON; Montreal, QC; North Vancouver, BC; Vancouver, BC; Victoria, BC; Waterloo, ON; as well as Logan and Bendigo, Australia; and Oslo, Norway. As of Summer 2020, over 9100 students, 500 municipal staff, and 490 faculty members have participated in CityStudio programming, resulting in over 1590 projects and 220,000 student hours.
CityStudio Vancouver was founded in 2011 to accelerate sustainability in higher education and to provide students with direct opportunities to work in and with cities on urban challenges. Through its social franchising arm, CityStudio Global, it has evolved into a replicable and adaptable partnership model that enables strategic collaboration between academic institutions and municipal governments. Since 2015, CityStudio Global has supported the launch and operations of 14 CityStudios in municipalities across Canada and abroad, helping them collaborate effectively and efficiently for more sustainable, liveable, joyful, and inclusive cities.
University of the Fraser Valley
The University of the Fraser Valley enrols 15,000 students per year and is situated on the unceded traditional territory of the Stó:lō people. UFV offers more than 100 programs including undergraduate and graduate degrees, applied and technical studies, diplomas, and micro-credentials.
UFV has seven campuses and centres, including a growing presence in Chandigarh, India.The Chilliwack campus features an Indigenous gathering place and is the main campus for Health Sciences, Agriculture, and Applied and Technical Studies. A broad range of subjects means learners can pursue diverse pathways of scholarship leading to community connections, reconciliation, and academic success. UFV is known in Halq’eméylem, the language of the local Stó:lō people, as the House of Transformation.
Media Contact
CityStudio Vancouver:
Alix Linaker
City of Chilliwack:
Jamie Leggatt, Director of Communications
604.793.2716
University of the Fraser Valley:
Dave Pinton, Director of Communications
