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Photo Credit: Margot Butler |
UBC’s Humanities 101 Community Programme (or Hum for short) offers free university-level education for low income people with a passion for learning and living in and around the Downtown Eastside and Downtown South. Now entering its 13th year, Hum offers Humanities 101 & 201 courses (8 months) and a Writing course (3 months). Through a lottery system, 70 students have been selected to participate in the Hum courses beginning this month at UBC’s main campus.
Hum’s intake sessions were held across the DTES community during the first two weeks of August. Those in attendance were provided with general information about the Programme, encouraged to ask questions at any time, and invited to fill out an application on site. Finally, all interested applicants were asked to briefly go over their application with a Hum faculty or staff member.
Up until 2006, Hum’s intake sessions were held only at the Carnegie Centre and The Gathering Place. But starting in 2007, other sites were added based on recommendations from Hum alumni who spent time or were involved at these locations. This year, Hum’s intake sessions took place at the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre (DEWC), Carnegie Community Centre, Crabtree Corner, Vancouver Recovery Club, Dr. Peter Centre, and The Gathering Place. By expanding the number of sessions (at six locations and during different times in the day), Hum staff hoped to connect with a wider range of potential students. For example, the intake session at DEWC might allow Hum to connect with women who feel less comfortable attending sessions elsewhere. This year, 13 women at the DEWC applied to participate in Hum.
Gentrification leading to the displacement of low-income residents away from the DTES community has also moved Hum staff to a shift in who they accept into the program. Margot Butler, Hum’s Director, explained to those present at the Crabtree Corner intake that displacement has prompted the program to expand their definition of ‘residents of the DTES’ beyond strictly geographical boundaries. This expanded definition includes people who participate in and are part of the DTES community, even though they may not live there.
Staff working at the various locations of Hum’s intake seemed to be supportive of the program and the opportunities it could provide for people. One staff member at the DEWC excitedly commented that the turnout to the intake was “awesome”. At Crabtree Corner, staff members were helpful with directing people up to the intake (it was on the third floor) and extended an invitation to Margot to make an announcement in the dining room where some women were having lunch. A staff member at Crabtree also collected Hum application forms and information for a person keenly interested in applying but who was unable to attend that day.
Often there are Hum alumni volunteering at the intake sessions, such as Antonietta Gesualdi (Hum 2007-08), who also originally suggested the Crabtree as a location for Hum’s intake sessions. Antoinetta has volunteered at the Crabtree intake for the past four years, in addition to serving on the Humanities 101 Steering Committee. Her young daughter, Maria, often accompanies her to the intake and committee meetings (Maria was two and a half when her mom began with Hum). Antoinetta reflects that she likes to participate in the intake session because it allows her to stay involved in the program. “Sometimes I just end up helping out by handing out pens and applications. Sometimes people have questions I can help answer. I think it makes an impact too, for newcomers to see that Hum isn't just a one-time course, but you can stay involved afterwards in different ways.”
