Community engagement involves relationships that reflect certain values and principles:
SFU's Office of Community Engagement:
Supporting people. Supporting partnerships. Strengthening rigorous community engagement.
About SFU's Office of Community Engagement
The purpose of our office is to advance the practice of community engagement at SFU, across Canada, and beyond. From small programs to international partnerships, we look for ways to help students, faculty, and staff work respectfully and fairly with community partners to advance education, strengthen knowledge, and have meaningful impact on issues that matter.
One of our primary responsibilities is to steward SFU's Strategic Community Engagement Plan, ensuring that it enables community engagement characterized by scholarly rigor and deep attention to reciprocity and equity.
But that's not all we do.
Explore our work, get to know us, and if you have any questions, please get in touch!
Updates from our programs:
Food Security
The SFU Food Pantry and Community Free Fridge together offer a weekly boost of support for students facing financial precarity and rising food costs.
Jan 6 | Volunteers needed! SFU’s Office of Community Engagement has been working with Burnaby organizations and community members to create programs to address food insecurity at SFU because food is pivotal to building culture, good health, and a sense of belonging. Come be a part of the work!
Warren Gill Award for Community Impact (WGACI)
Recognizing and celebrating lifetime achievement in community engagement.
Dec 2 | The Warren Gill Award is named to honour the legacy of former SFU Vice-President Dr. Warren Gill, who in a career spanning over thirty years helped build SFU's definition of the university as an intergral part of our community.
SFU Student-Community Engagement Competition (SCEC)
Up to $30,000 is available to fund SFU students who want to work with community partners to drive meaningful, lasting impact.
Nov 25 | The SFU Student-Community Engagement Competition provides awards in the amount of $2,000 or $3,000 to SFU students who submit innovative ideas for working with community partners on projects that will have meaningful impact.
SFU Surrey–TD Community Engagement Centre (TDCEC)
Fall programs are running at the SFU Surrey TD–CEC — volunteers welcome!
Come volunteer with us! We collaborate with people and organizations in Surrey to co-create programming, share resources, and take action on key challenges. Our initiatives focus on education, mentorship, connection and skill development, primarily reaching children, youth and newcomers to Canada.
SFU's Community Engagement Initiative (CEI)
Congratulations to this year's funded projects!
June 10 | We received 47 proposals this year, the overall quality of which continues to demonstrate SFU’s deep commitment to partnering well with communities. Thank you to everyone who applied—you can see all CEI-funded projects on our funded proposals page.
Connect Fest
That's a wrap for Connect Fest!
May 9 | Wow! What an incredible five days it has been! We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to every event host, venue, partner, volunteer, and guest who contributed to the festival this year. It is only possible to make this event happen because of the dedication of all those involved. Thank you so much!
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July 04, 2025
The SFU Student-Community Engagement Competition provides SFU students with supportive funding...
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November 20, 2024
What was the purpose of your project? By offering accessible arts and crafts workshops, our hope...
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March 08, 2024
Featuring rich programs of community-engaged education, arts-based engagement, and technological...
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March 07, 2024
Dear APSA: Thank you for your Direct Impact on Food Insecurity at SFU. By Chris Yakimov & Tara...
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October 20, 2023
What's been the most fulfilling part of working on this project? Without any exaggeration, every...
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October 19, 2023
What's was a fulfilling part of working on this project? I am a self-made woman who has seen many...
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October 16, 2023
What's been the most fulfilling part of working on this project? The most fulfilling part of the...
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July 31, 2023
When then-Simon Fraser University (SFU) student Saba Fatemi and her peers won the 2019 SFU Student...
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May 11, 2023
The Faculty of Education is excited to have partnered with SFU Public Square, Moving...
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March 23, 2023
Featuring community-engaged research, policy-targeted knowledge mobilization, equity-serving...