UBC Reports | Vol.
50 | No. 11 |
Dec. 2, 2004
By Leah Marchuk
A unique Canadian university outreach program that makes
liberal arts education accessible to inner-city residents
is expanding in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES).
Growing out of the successful Humanities 101 program, which
was started seven years ago and boasts 150 graduates to date,
UBC will begin offering residents a new writing course in
January.
Humanities 101 was started by two UBC students who hoped
that, by offering low-income people access to education in
the humanities, they could correct some of the educational
imbalances that exist between economically polarized groups.
Students pay no fees for resources, including books, materials,
meals, bus transportation, fieldtrips and childcare. The course
seems to have struck a chord. Many graduates have gone on
to further studies and full-time employment.
Now Writing 101, an intensive, hands-on course teaching
the principles of academic, business and creative writing,
has just completed a successful pilot with 15 area residents,
to favourable reviews.
“Learning the basics, getting a foundation after 40
something years – it was nice to have that opportunity,”
says Bruce Alexander, a graduate of the UBC Humanities 101
program.
Alexander, who currently works for a Vancouver auto parts
manufacturer, says he struggled with English grammar his entire
life before taking Writing 101.
“I’ve read a number of books on how to improve
my writing, and it just never really took,” says Alexander,
who says the course made the difference. “It’s
like if you put a boat in a tub of water and it sinks, well
you need to know where the holes are before you can fix it.”
“It’s even improved my ability to communicate
with fellow employees,” he says.
Professor Peter Babiak, academic director of Humanities
101, which covers a broad range of disciplines, says the chance
to learn how to write well resonates in a particular way with
DTES residents.
“Creative writing means more to them than to average
university students,” says Babiak. “It’s
not just a form of expression, it’s a way of being heard.”
“There are stories that you want to tell, that you
want people to hear, that are important for people to hear,”
says Alexander.
Writing 101 assignments were designed to reflect the interests
and concerns of students. Students were required, for example,
to conduct library research on British Columbia’s Safe
Streets Act, which will impose fines on panhandlers.
By encouraging feedback on the course — both in class and
at student-attended steering committees — Babiak hopes students
will have a voice in the direction of Writing 101. “If
it weren’t for the fact that we have the support of
our graduates, the course wouldn’t be nearly as successful.”
From the perspective of Ramona Montagnes, who not only co-developed
Writing 101 but also teaches it, the course is beneficial
for everyone involved.
“The students are lively, intelligent, and highly
motivated. I believe I have learned more from [them] than
they have from me. I was unaware of many of the social issues
that form their lives and found this to be quite humbling.”
Babiak says the innovative Vancouver outreach program is
gaining international attention.
“We have anywhere from 40 to 60 calls per year from
Canada, the US, and abroad who’d like to create an imitation
program,” says Babiak. “It’s not only innovative,
it’s cutting edge. This stuff is just not done at other
universities.”
The program’s web site, http://humanities101.arts.ubc.ca,
features the work of some of its graduates.
Leah Marchuk is a third-year student in the international
relations program, and working as a research assistant at
the Dean of Arts Office.
