End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Engagement

Examining Poverty in Surrey

The Surrey Poverty Reduction Coalition (SPRC) is a multi-sectoral, non-partisan coalition of representatives from a range of organizations and government agencies in Surrey. The coalition's mission is to facilitate collective action on eliminating poverty and inspire systemic change in Surrey. SFU is an active member of the SPRC.

Learn more

El camino: The story of the women, poverty and education in Mexico project

Common Journeys was a project created for and by women of similar cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, including Mexican women from Tijuana, and Mexico, as well as Latina refugee and immigrant women living in East Vancouver. The women came together to search for concrete practices that would enable them to confront and potentially overcome the persistent and difficult challenges they face on a daily basis (e.g. low income, loneliness, language barriers and gender bias). 10 years later, a video was produced to highlight the impact of the project on the women by visiting them in Tijuana and seeing how this experience continues to impact their lives, their families and their communities.

See the program webpage.

Research, Teaching and Learning

Empowering Communities to Challenge Poverty Stigma Through Immersive Simulation

Maitland Waddell, a PhD student at Simon Fraser University, explores the psychological impact of the "Making Ends Meet" (MEM) poverty simulation, an intervention designed to reduce poverty stigma. Through collaboration with local organizations like the Harvest Project and the Community Engaged Research Initiative (CERi), Waddell expanded the simulation to include perspectives unique to North Vancouver, such as experiences of recent immigrants and childhood poverty. In a 2024 trial with volunteers and local officials, participants found MEM impactful, and future projects aim to integrate it into broader educational and community contexts to foster empathy and support for poverty-reducing policies.