Celebrating RBC’s support of the Inner-City Work Study program at UWinnipeg
Thu. Oct. 19, 2023
On Tuesday October 17th, 2023, the University of Winnipeg Foundation hosted a luncheon at Merchants Corner in celebration and recognition of the transformative $500,000 pledge RBC gifted to the university’s Inner-City Work Study program in 2018.
“Housed in the Department of Urban and Inner-City Studies, this innovative sixteen-week program enables Indigenous, non-Indigenous, and newcomer students to learn and work together within Winnipeg's inner-city. The program collaborates with community based inner-city organizations to cooperatively design work placements that meet students' skills and interests. Rooted in reconciliation, the program is a place for diverse students to wrestle with complex issues, better understand each other, gain work experience, and a post-secondary education credit.”
In attendance at the luncheon were representatives from RBC, including Ms. Kim Ulmer, Regional President for Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nunavut and Western Ontario; Mr. Raj Patel, Vice President of Commercial Financial Services; Ms. Mandi Taylor, Regional Director of Community Marketing & Citizenship; Mr. Brian Puls, Senior Commercial Markets; Mr. Michael Dunne, Community Manager; Ms. Sandy Kwong, Regional Manager of Marketing, Brand and Communications; and Mr. Chris White, Regional Vice President-Winnipeg Market.
Leading the proceedings were Dr. Shauna MacKinnon, Professor and Chair, UICS (Urban and Inner-City Studies) and Mr. Kerniel Aasland, lead coordinator for the Inner-City Work Study program. After lunch was served, four students who had graduated from the program shared their personal and heartfelt stories from their experience in the program. Ms Ulmer closed out the luncheon by thanking everyone involved in making the program a success.
If you’d like to learn more about the program and hear from program advocates, feel free to watch the video below.