Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s president Dr. Alan Davis considers AT-CURA a model for future offerings at the school.

As Acting Together-CURA enters its fifth year, Kwantlen Polytechnic University faculty are recognizing the project’s local partnerships as a model for the university’s future goals for community engagement.

KPU president Alan Davis sees community involvement as an instrumental aspect of the university’s offerings, one that benefits both the student participants and the community as a whole. AT-CURA not only reflects the potential for KPU’s community impact; it also indicates to Davis that “KPU is in fact part of the communities it serves.”

“Our vision at KPU is to ensure that every program includes such authentic community engagement and we are looking to double the overall impact we have within our region. In this respect, AT-CURA is a model for the kind of work we should and could be involved with our community partners,” said Davis. Read more…

My name is Alisha Chauhan and I am a third-year psychology student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. I have been with the Acting Together-CURA project for almost a year now. I am currently a research assistant who also uses creativity to designs various bookmarks, cards and banners. I started off volunteering with them for various events, but the event I volunteered for that has been close to my heart was the Chris Mohan Memorial Youth Forum.

Chris Mohan was an innocent victim of the Surrey Six slaying in 2007. He was only 22 years old. On that day, Chris Mohan was leaving his home to go to his basketball game, his greatest passion. He had no idea he was living next to gang members. He was very actively involved with his family and friends. Chris also loved to refurbish old cars. In fact, he had spent months working with friends to rebuild two old cars. After his death, Chris’ mother decided to donate her son’s car to the Surrey School District. He was a good person who had a promising future ahead of him and was looked up to by many of his peers. Read more…

My life probably started out much like yours. I grew up in a middle class suburb, with parents who earned above-average incomes. I played sports, was popular, and generally did everything that regular suburban middle class kids do. In school, I had some minor behavioural issues but nothing that could have foreshadowed what was to come for me. I grew up and became a “gangster.” I don’t like using the term “gangster” as it carries the connotation of respect in our ever-changing pop culture, but for the sake of familiarity, I will use it here now.

My slippery slope started right after high school. I was attending college and had become quite bored with academic pursuits. As a result, I began to associate myself with some people I had met who seemed to have it all going for them. I was introduced to a world of fast money, violence, greed and betrayal. I became infatuated with this lifestyle, as it seemed like these people had the perfect life. They never went to school or work, had money to burn and were feared by most ordinary people they came across. Before I knew it, I was hooked. Read more…