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275 million thanks to you!

Campaign infographics

Without you, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Here’s how your commitment to The Power of Engagement campaign has impacted SFU.

Engaging students

Our students think they can change the world, and who are we to argue? One way they’re doing that is through a popular peer tutoring program that donor support makes possible: Friends of Simon. Run out of our Faculty of Education, Friends of Simon connects vulnerable elementary and high school students with university student tutors from all disciplines. Often struggling, these young kids may be recent newcomers, learning a second language, living in poverty or otherwise operating on the fringes of an overwhelmed school system. Our students gain invaluable work experience, earn a wage while studying and build a deeper sense of humanity.  This past year was particularly poignant as a student who had received tutoring as an 8 year old immigrant became a Friends of Simon tutor herself! 

Engaging research

When donors support research that they’re passionate about, amazing things can happen. Take for instance, the commitment to improving gender diversity in the field of computing sciences. A new chair for women in science and engineering in our Faculty of Applied Sciences was created to ensure greater female representation and input in a field typically dominated by men.

Consider also Western Canada’s first research chair dedicated to Aboriginal heart health and wellness. Thanks to the vision of three institutional partners, this innovative position puts First Nations communities in the driver’s seat of heart health research and offers a holistic focus on heart health and disease prevention.

Engaging community

The latest dynamic additions to SFU’s campuses are the downtown Charles Chang Innovation Centre and the Trottier Observatory and Science Courtyard atop Burnaby Mountain. In both instances, our ability to connect and engage with the larger community is greatly enhanced by these state of the art facilities.

Located in the heart of Vancouver, the business centre is a hub for social innovation with lecture spaces, program offices, graduate student residences and community meeting rooms. Available to students from all faculties, a rigourous education focused on innovation and entrepreneurship will be offered through an institute housed within the Beedie School of Business.

Back in Burnaby, the observatory is a hub for science outreach and is a focal point for community members of all ages and astronomy enthusiasts alike.