The deadline for UFV 50 Program Funds is quickly approaching at midnight on June 24.

This is the second and final round of applications for the $50,000 fund, designed to mark UFV’s 50^th anniversary milestone in meaningful ways. Any university department, unit, or officially recognized student organization is eligible to apply for grants of $500 to $5000 for a project or event of their choice.

Successful applications will include a community engagement piece and align with the goals of UFV’s Integrated Strategic Plan. The projects themselves will take place before March 31, 2025 (within UFV’s 50^th year), and should highlight great work being done at UFV. Multiple programs funded by the first round of grants have already launched with great success.

“We’re really looking to create pride and more awareness about UFV within our various communities,” says Ana Adamik, project manager of the UFV 50 Program Fund. “We wanted other units within the university to do their own unique way of celebrating. How they want to celebrate may be very different than what we envision, and we’d rather have the community celebrate than us telling them how.”

Established grant recipients include a World Bicycle Day celebration from the UFV Centre for Education and Research on Aging, a Celebrating our History – Creating our Future event from Upgrading and University Prep (UUP), and the Indigenous Student Centre’s upcoming Lunch with Elders & Knowledge Keepers. 

Contemplating the future, Adamik says, “I have a son who’s about to turn 16. He’s already thinking about post secondary and I want him to think of UFV first. How can we showcase the research, the service, the great instructors and professors that we have going on? And how students are able to do many things, the same things that a bigger university can do, but in a smaller community.”

Adamik hopes the funded programs will build connections and create more awareness of what UFV has to offer – and show incoming students what they can look forward to right here in the valley.

Visit the website to see photos and learn more, and click here to make a grant application.