Vanbridge
Vanbridge
Our
Mission
Vanbridge | "Step Up With Us"
Founded in 2022 as Vanbridge by three Vancouver high school students, we aim to bridge the gap between international students and the local community. Our vision is to facilitate a smooth transition for international students into the Vancouver lifestyle. We accomplish this through a variety of non-profit activities including after-school reading circles, student tutoring programs, and cultural introductory videos. In our biweekly sessions, we implemented innovative teaching methods like games and debates on a weekly basis, to not only enhance language skills but also to build a sense of community within this diverse group. Our team of experienced students who are fluent in more than two languages provides one-on-one guidance, providing personalized feedback to help ELL students in different public schools switch to regular English classes. Over the course of five months, more than ten students in the program successfully made their way to the school's regular English session.
Interview Videos
Vancouver, Canada
© 2022 | Alisa Zhang
TangHua Elementary School
Tanghua Elementary School is situated in a mountainous region of Guizhou, China, supporting left-behind children who have limited access to diverse educational resources. Given the geographical constraints and lack of teachers, the school has faced challenges in providing a developed curriculum that incorporates both academic and extracurricular activities. With this in mind, I fundraised a remote learning system using my profit from my photography studio in order to implement the 'Stepping into the World' program in the school. By doing this, I aim to bridge the mountain village children with the rest of the world using my power, and most importantly, the other volunteers' power. Education is their future. If more people are willing to teach those students remotely, we might be able to change their possibility of getting opportunities and open a new window of life for them.
Florescence Charity Bazaar
Art Hope Foundation
Florescence Charity Bazaar at Art Vancouverowntown is a non-profit sale featuring artworks from students and emerging artists from across Vancouver, BC. It is named for the blooming of blossoms during Vancouver's sunny summer, parallel to Art Hope Foundation's goal of fostering the community's hope for a brighter future through supporting charity, education, and especially healthcare. In the past three years, the initiated Charity Bazaars donated $6000+ (newest update) to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation to provide more medical opportunities to those in need.
Art Master
Anything but the Brush🎨🖌️
I had the great honor of attending the Art Master painting competition on August 16, 2023. Designed to showcase artists' abilities under one-hour constraints, each of us was given a theme and a mystery box of supplies to create a piece that embodies that topic. In the picture on the far left, the theme for that round was "Imagination." The piece I created was included in a silent auction associated with the event, along with works from seven other professional artists.
Beyond Mundus
Mundus is "World" in Latin
Not only do we promote and showcase artworks from international niche artists, but we also collaborate on meaningful activities designed to enhance viewers' cultural appreciation and understanding within the context of art.
Cultural week
We introduce cultural artworks from different backgrounds around the world each month, including watercolor, painting, digital art, and even music and dance.
black history month
in february, we invited multiple black artists around the globe to share their understanding, culture, and artworks on instagram, expressing their perspectives on life and identity. we selected different art mediums from acrylics to digital painting in order to promote various art types and forms.
christmas tree drawing
everyone can draw, and everyone draws differently. to celebrate this diversity in artistic expression, we embarked on a project on christmas eve. we visited three different malls in richmond, canada, and randomly approached people to draw christmas trees in their own unique way and style. this activity not only showcased the varied talents and perspectives of the community but also enriched our understanding of how a simple concept like a christmas tree can be interpreted differently by each person.
lunar new year
in collaboration with the lord byng secondary school diy club, we conducted another culturally enriching activity aimed at emphasizing the importance of artistic expression. on new year's eve in the year of the rabbit, we gathered over 20 students to create bunny origami red packets. additionally, we invited participants to answer cultural questions about the new year. "what's your zodiac animal?" -"dog" most importantly, students donated their handmade red packets, in which we placed small gifts inside, sharing warmth on new year's day with homeless individuals on the streets of downtown. as we handed out these packets, we took the opportunity to spread lunar new year words by wishing them "新年快乐，恭喜发财," thereby promoting the culture surrounding this important holiday.
