BA 2013: Double Major, Art History & Anthropology

Where did Clara work?

Work term 1 (4 months):
Summer Museum Interpreter, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

Work term 2 (4 months):
Project Assistant, Vancouver Adapted Music Society

What did Clara accomplish? 

Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Clara’s most memorable co-op experience was at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff, Alberta. As a Summer Museum Interpreter, she provided interpretive tours of the galleries and heritage homes for visitors, thereby improving her public speaking. Clara also delivered the family painting program, “Earth Meets Sky—Elements of Art,” teaching children about landscape painting. In addition, she enhanced her organization and research skills through data entry for the museum archives, creating new records, scanning and filing. Although Clara had no initial connections in Banff, she soon met people through her work at the museum, as well as by networking through associated non-profit organizations such as BanffLIFE.

Vancouver Adapted Music Society
As a Project Assistant for the Vancouver Adapted Music Society (VAMS), Clara gained valuable project management skills as she assisted in organizing all of VAMS’ special events. One such project she helped to coordinate was the “Music Saves” music video in partnership with the Sam Sullivan Disability Foundation and Shore 104.3 FM. This music video is created each year, featuring several artists who cover a Canadian song in different locations around Vancouver. The goal is to raise awareness of the value of music to both artists with or without disabilities.

As the intermediary between the Disability Foundation and Shore 104.3 FM, Clara was responsible for scheduling VAMS artists for video shooting and arranging meetings between the two organizations. She also completed research for the VAMS studio, including research on equipment options, jam session locations, and potential sponsors and venues for a possible fall concert.

What would Clara tell others about Arts Co-op?

Through Clara’s work term experiences, she realized how essential co-op has been in developing her overall character and employability. When asked for her advice to prospective students, she said, “There is nothing to lose and everything to gain from your co-op experience. For those who are unsure still, I would go further to say that your co-op experience is largely determined by you. If you choose to work hard, make connections and strive for excellence, your co-op experience will reflect that.”

How did Arts Co-op benefit Clara?

Discovery of New Interests
Both of Clara’s co-op work terms opened up new avenues of interest for her. At the Whyte Museum, she discovered that she really enjoys working in a museum setting and began to consider a future in this area, including potential fields of interest in public programming, archives, curatorship or arts administration. Since Clara was also interested in arts-related non-profit organizations, she chose to work at VAMS for her second term and found an affinity for interacting with clients and other organizations. Equipped with this new knowledge of her strengths and interests, Clara is able to identify that no matter whether her career leads to work at a museum or a non-profit, she would like “to interact with the public in a positive way.”

Professional Experience
Through her work terms, Clara gained many different transferable skills, including interpersonal, written and spoken communication, organizational and research skills. Most importantly, Clara was introduced to the intricacies of the workplace that are not discussed within the university classroom. Her co-op terms give Clara the confidence to say, “When I graduate, I think I will not only have the necessary knowledge to begin my career, but I will also have the experience required to carry myself properly in the workplace.”

In addition to this valuable, first-hand work experience, Clara will graduate with excellent resume-writing skills, letters of reference and contacts in the workforce who may be able to help her find positions that are not advertised to the general public.

BA 2013: Major, Geography

Where did Victor work?

Work Term 1 (4 months):
Marketing and Artistic Coordinator, Arts Club Theatre Company

Work Term 2 (4 months):
Learning Technology Assistant, UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology

Work Term 3 (4 months):
Water Conservation Program Assistant, City of Vancouver

What did Victor accomplish? 

Arts Club Theatre Company
As a Marketing and Artistic Coordinator for the Arts Club Theatre Company, Victor supported the summer marketing campaign and worked on advertising and promotional plans. He organized the annual General Auditions, providing show and event support, and assisting in budgetary planning, sales analysis and media buys. Victor was also able to use his academic skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) through a project where he analyzed the Arts Club’s subscription market share by performing address geocoding and mapping to improve their direct mail campaign.

UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT)
At the CTLT, Victor acted as a Learning Technology Assistant and provided technology support to the UBC community. This consisted of developing student resources for the UBC Learning Commons, workshop facilitation, skills training, and providing technical support and troubleshooting at the Chapman Learning Commons Help Desk. Victor also assisted in running World Cafe sessions, which looked at the components for an ideal learning environment, and co-presented the findings at UBC’s 10th Annual Learning Conference.

City of Vancouver
In his position as a Water Conservation Program Assistant, Victor made strong connections between his academic studies and his future career path while he co-designed and conducted a pilot study for the City of Vancouver’s Greenest City 2020 Action Plan. The study evaluated the effectiveness of using community-based social marketing practices for a public education campaign to promote and inspire water-efficient behaviour. Victor also attended community events to educate the public about water conservation, proper lawn care, water-wise gardening, and Vancouver’s regional watersheds.

What would Victor tell others about Arts Co-op?

When asked what he would say to students considering Arts Co-op, Victor says, “Do it. There is so much to gain from it and you will not regret it.” Victor joined Arts Co-op to get a taste of a variety of different career paths, and through his terms, he has realized what his passions are and what is important for his future career. He encourages prospective students to apply for Arts Co-op and considers it the “best decision” he has made at UBC.

How did Arts Co-op benefit Victor?

Bridging the Gap between Academics and Work
One of the main reasons Victor joined Arts Co-op was to gain work experience in his field of study. After completing his first work term with the Arts Club, he discovered that being a part of a community and working towards a greater good are valuable to him. In addition to learning more about his passions, his experience eventually led to a position with the City of Vancouver, where he developed his research skills by drawing upon classroom knowledge to perform literature reviews, research design, database construction, and mapping. He even co-authored an in-depth report outlining all the research he completed during his work term, underscoring to him the importance of strong writing skills. Applying his academic skills and knowledge in a work setting strengthened his passion for the environment and urban planning, and gave him confidence that this is indeed the right career path for him.

Sparking New Connections
Victor is sure that “having a strong set of experience before you graduate sets the foundation for career success and is absolutely the best thing you can do for yourself.” He has made great connections for his network at all three of his work terms and his transferable skills continue to build upon one another. Even positions and experiences that Victor initially thought would not be related to his degree have turned out to be beneficial for his intended career in urban planning.

Developing Critical Skills
Confidence is one of the greatest assets Victor has gained during his work terms. Based on his work experience, he is now more certain of the skills and abilities he has to offer to future employers. Victor also highlights his ability to write a strong resume and cover letter—an important skill he appreciated all the more when, at the Arts Club, he reviewed over 200 applications for general auditions and had to spend about 30 seconds per application. Victor credits the Arts Co-op pre-employment training for helping develop this “critical” capacity to tailor quality applications to job postings.

March 19, 2012 – UBC Arts Co-op student Sophia Kim has been recognized by the Canadian Association For Co-operative Education (CAFCE) for her outstanding work with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC). The honour is being presented to Sophia as part of National Co-op Week (March 19-23, 2012).

During her co-op work term with AANDC last summer, Sophia was given what her supervisor describes as “an ambitious research project examining the economic impact of treaties on First Nations in British Columbia.” Much of Sophia’s research involved conducting interviews with individuals from First Nations groups, the private sector, and government – culminating in preliminary conclusions on the relationship between treaties and economic development.

Sophia produced and presented a report to colleagues in Treaties and Aboriginal Government – Negotiations West, where her findings sparked debate about the treaty system as it relates to economic development.

“Sophia’s work was particularly helpful in shedding light on the First Nations’ perspective,” says Chiara Taylor, AANDC’s Senior Negotiations Advisor who supported Sophia’s nomination for the CAFCE award. “In our daily work, it is not always easy to access this perspective and so her findings were highly relevant and important.” Likewise, for at least one First Nations government member participating in this research project, saying, “Sophia has made some very important observations that will be instructive for AANDC and the Treaty Process.”

For Sophia, then in her second year of studies at UBC, this exposure to first-hand accounts of the First Nations experience brought to light real-life implications of the theories she had learned through her majors in economics and international relations.

“Although the social inequality that exists between First Nations communities and the rest of Canada seemed unjust to me and in need of immediate repair, this negotiation process made me realize just how complicated it would be to create a solution,” said Sophia.

In addition to this honourable mention for CAFCE’s national award, Sophia also received an honourable mention for provincial co-op student of the year by the Association for Co-operative Education in BC and Yukon, as well as top undergraduate co-op student of the year by the UBC Arts Co-op Program.

How does the contest work? Just visit www.coopweek.com once a day during National Co-op Week (March 19-23) and follow the daily challenge instructions. Some challenges are as easy as “Answer today’s facebook poll” and some ask you a question like “The #1 thing Co-op has taught me is…”  Each time you complete a challenge, we’ll enter you in our prize draw. The previous day’s winners will be announced each day by 9:00am on the contest website.

Undergraduate Arts Co-op Student of the Year Winner:

Sophia Kim, for her work term with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. Read Sophia’s profile here.

SLAIS Master of Archival Studies Co-op Student of the Year Winner:

Dan Gillean, for his work term with the BC Government’s Records Management Operations. Read Dan’s profile here.

SLAIS Master of Library and Information Studies Co-op Student of the Year Winner:

Naomi Schemm, for her work term with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. Read Naomi’s profile here.

Each year, the Arts Co-op Program recognizes two SLAIS co-op students for outstanding achievement in all aspects of student performance, including academics, the workplace, and professional and/or community involvement.

This year’s Master of Archival Studies winner is Dual Master of Archival & Master of Library and Information Studies candidate Dan Gillean. In his work as an Archivist with the BC Government’s Records Management Operations (RMO), Dan designed innovative communication tools that accomplished “far more” than what his employer had counted on; this work earned him an outstanding reference letter from his supervisor, Susan Hart, and her “highest possible recommendation” for this year’s award.

Outside of Co-op, Dan’s many accomplishments include several student scholarships, publication in Archivi, and active executive member positions in the Association of Canadian Archivists student chapter at UBC (ACA@UBC) and the Library and Archival Studies Student Association (LASSA).

Excellence in the Workplace

Dan’s stellar performance in RMO surpassed all his employers could have hoped for, says Susan, and quickly won him a valued position as “a fully contributing member of this team.”

During his work term, Dan was responsible not only for appraising and selecting provincial government records for retention in the archives, but also for developing a new series of guides for use by all BC Government employees. His supervisor commends him highly for his “outstanding” work in synthesizing, analyzing and writing these guides. Describing his communication tool designs as “innovative” and “unlike anything we had produced thus far in our branch,” Susan praises Dan for far exceeding expectations.

In addition, Dan was part of the team of archival professionals responsible for developing and advising upon government records management policy, with an emphasis on digital records management. To succeed in this role, it is imperative for team members to actively participate, shift priorities and yield to group consensus when needed, and to balance the capacity to work independently with consulting team members. His supervisor points out that while not every individual is capable of working in this fashion, Dan “leapt into our team … with energy, thoughtfulness, grace, agility, and tremendous goodwill.” It is a testament to Dan’s extraordinary qualifications and personality that his whole team expresses hopes for his continued work in the information management field after he graduates.

These qualities also manifest themselves in the manner in which Dan successfully bridges his co-op experiences with his academics. In 2011, he wrote an essay based on his co-op experience with RMO and submitted it to the ARMA International Education Foundation; this won him a substantial scholarship in August. Dan also speaks to how co-op deepens his understanding of SLAIS classes: drawing on his experiences with Enterprise Document Records Management Systems and Microsoft’s SharePoint 2010, he is able to participate and contribute more in class than he used to, thereby benefitting his fellow students.

Each year, the Arts Co-op Program recognizes two SLAIS co-op students for outstanding achievement in all aspects of student performance, including academics, the workplace, and professional and/or community involvement.

Naomi Schemm is this year’s Master of Library and Information Studies winner. As a Records Management Co-op Student with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC), Naomi’s performance and contributions towards improving her unit’s information file management “exceeded expectations,” her manager Heather Leong says.

In addition to her workplace achievements, Naomi continued to take part-time MLIS classes while on her work term, and developed herself professionally in activities such as co-founding the SLAIS chapter of the American Library Association (ALA), volunteering for two years as a member of the BC Library Association (BCLA) at their annual conference, and acting as the SLAIS student representative for the BLCA interest group Academic Librarians in Public Service.

Excellence in the Workplace

Following an introductory SLAIS course to the field of records management, Naomi was keen to gain work experience in the area; her eight-month co-op term with the Community Infrastructure Directorate of AANDC gave her exactly that.

In her position as the Records Management Co-op Student, Naomi was responsible for analyzing existing gaps in the Directorate’s information file management, and developing strategies and procedures for electronic file management. She gained significant hands-on experience through this position, implementing skills such as gathering information on an organization’s records, interviewing employees to understand workflows and information needs, and researching and consulting with other professionals to familiarize herself with current practices and recommended standards.

As the sole records manager in her unit, Naomi’s contributions created more efficient processes and improved the Directorate’s consistency of file management. Naomi’s colleagues also particularly commend her interpersonal skills, as demonstrated through the instructional workshops she developed and delivered to colleagues on best practices and procedures, and which garnered very positive feedback. To excel in her co-op job, Naomi built strong working relationships with fellow employees in order to successfully interview and understand their information needs. Her early and continual efforts to build these positive connections impressed her work supervisor.

As the Directorate’s first UBC SLAIS Co-op student, Naomi exemplified the high quality of the Co-op Program’s students through her workplace achievements and professional conduct. In turn, this position gave Naomi great insight into the challenges and rewards of records management, allowing her to put into practice theories she had only heard about in the classroom. Co-op was, Naomi asserts, “one of the best decisions I made while at SLAIS.”

Each year, the Arts Co-op Program recognizes an undergraduate co-op student for outstanding achievement in all aspects of student performance, including academic achievement, workplace achievement, and contribution to co-operative education and extra-curricular activities.

This year’s winner, Sophia Kim, fulfils all of the above and more. In a glowing evaluation from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC), her supervisor Chiara Taylor writes, “Sophia surpassed all our expectations… We have hosted several co-op students in the past and while all have been welcome additions to the team, Sophia certainly stands out amongst them.” Outside of the workplace, Sophia currently serves as a Publishing Co-Executive for the UBC Arts Co-op Students’ Association.

Excellence in the Workplace

Sophia is a student who continually goes above and beyond her colleagues’ expectations.

During her first co-op term with the Financial Arrangements and Cost Sharing (FACS) group at AANDC, Sophia was given what her supervisor describes as “an ambitious research project examining the economic impact of treaties on First Nations in British Columbia.” She was responsible for reviewing existing literature, collecting data through the form of interviews with individuals from First Nations, the private sector and the government, and formulating preliminary conclusions on the subject.

Her research culminated in a formal presentation to employees of Treaties and Aboriginal Government-Negotiations West, and a written paper of what her supervisor deemed “graduate-level quality” that thoroughly impressed her work team, with many requests to share the paper with AANDC’s policy colleagues in Ottawa. Sophia’s findings also impressed a member of a First Nations government, who commented that she had made “some very important findings that will be instructive for AANDC and the Treaty Process.”

While much of her project was not initially well-defined, Sophia took its ever-evolving nature in her stride, adapting easily even to major changes in the project’s scope. Sophia’s supervisor commends her not only for her remarkable resourcefulness in overcoming obstacles, but also her consistently respectful and professional demeanor both towards her colleagues and towards contacts outside the workplace.

During her time at AANDC, Sophia gained valuable insight into the sometimes unintended effects of government policies. Her co-op experience added to the knowledge she’d gained from academics, giving her a “real life” understanding of how and why certain problems emerge. Through the skills and experience gained from this term, Sophia was able to land her “dream job” as a Junior Trade Commissioner at the Consulate General of Canada in San Francisco/Silicon Valley for her second co-op term.

The program subsidizes up to 2,780 opportunities for summer jobs and internships offered to Canadian students and graduates.

Young Canada Works sponsors 3 summer job programs for students: YCW for Aboriginal Urban Youth, YCW in Heritage Organizations, and YCW in Both Official Languages.

The deadline to apply is February 1, 2012, so visit the YCW website to get started today.

Canada Summer Jobs, another annual source for wage subsidies, provides funding for not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers, and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create high-quality summer job opportunities for students.

The application period will take place from February 1-29, 2012 and the applicant guide will be available online starting February 1st. In the meantime, visit Canada Summer Jobs to make sure you’re ready by understanding what the program offers and how you may be eligible.

The Need: Hiring from UBC Arts Co-op

Developmental Neuroscience and Child Health (DNCH) at UBC is a diverse organization within the Child and Family Research Institute (CFRI) that promotes collaborative and interdisciplinary research in order to improve the well-being of children, youth and families. In a study taking place at UBC, tasks range from day-to-day operations to managing large research databases over time. Students not only free up time for other staff, but also bring fresh ideas to the table and provide insights for improving the way the organization conducts research.

The Solution: Working with a UBC Arts Co-op Student

In addition to general administrative duties, Student Research Assistants enter, track and analyze data, as well as generate reports. The Student Research Assistant also plays a vital role with updating the website and keeping up with social media such as Twitter and Facebook. In addition, students help create newsletters by writing articles, as well as doing the layout and design twice per year.

One student who worked with Gail Andrews, a Clinical Research Coordinator at DNCH, created a useful, colourful data management manual that will serve as “the foundation of [their] research data management system for years in the future.” Gail goes on to say, “her enthusiasm for improving our old system was contagious!”

The Result: Benefits of Working with UBC Arts Co-op

Through working with UBC Arts Co-op students, Gail has observed that “[they] engage their work with fresh energy for new projects. Students also bring original perspectives to improve on routine tasks.” They are “creative, good communicators and willing to learn,” qualities which are essential for success in the role of a Research Assistant.