❝ RAISE works to partner with the University of Waterloo to acknowledge and address the impacts of racism and xenophobia, using anti-oppression approach to dismantle systemic barriers that limit the success and affect the experiences of students of campus. ❞

Logo featuring a stylized clenched fist in red on the left and the words "WUSA RAISE" in bold, dark blue text to the right. The design incorporates a modern, powerful theme with a sense of solidarity and empowerment.

About RAISE

RAISE is a student-led WUSA service launched in the Winter 2019 term. RAISE serves to address racism and xenophobia on the University of Waterloo campus with initiatives reflective of RAISE’s three pillars:

  • EDUCATION & ADVOCACY

    • Showcase of artwork from POC artists
    • Support a library collection filled with works that discuss marginalization/racism/intersectionality/xenophobia
    • Seek partnerships with others on campus to provide learning opportunities

  • PEER-TO-PEER SUPPORT

    • Provide accessible and considerate peer support to UWaterloo students

  • COMMUNITY BUILDING

    • Organize social events to cultivate both an uplifting and united community.
    • Maintain an online presence that serves to unite the community

Peer Support

RAISE provides confidential peer support for the racialized undergraduate student community. Peer support is provided by trained RAISE volunteers, executives, and coordinators. Our peer support is student-centered and affirms the lived experiences of racialized students through an intersectional and anti-oppressive lens.

The RAISE BIPOC Advocacy Mentorship Program (RBAMP) is an initiative that seeks to provide first and second-year racialized students with an introduction to advocacy work and campus life with support and guidance from an upper-year student.

Our Mentor Applications are currently closed.

Advocacy Director –advocacy.raise@wusa.ca

The Advocacy Director is responsible for organizing events, services, and campaigns related to advocacy that strive for equity and racialized students’ interests within and for the community of students at UWaterloo .

External Director – external.raise@wusa.ca

The external director is responsible for developing a rapport and a positive relationship with community and campus organizations. As an advocate and ambassador of the service, the external director builds support through engagement on the campus while ensuring that RAISE’s initiatives are aligned with its mission and goals.

Special Project Director – specialprojects.raise@wusa.ca

The Special Project Director is responsible for organizing and planning large-scale projects for the year like the XChanges annual conference and organizing the Mentorship program.

Education Director – education.raise@wusa.ca

The Education Director is responsible for building educational material used by RAISE for training, land acknowledgements, statements, and social media content.

Internal Director – internal.raise@wusa.ca

The internal director will be responsible for organizing internal activities and training within the service.

Marketing and Media Director – marketing.raise@wusa.ca; media.raise@wusa.ca

The marketing and media director is responsible for creating and managing the service’s social platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as promoting the service on campus through increasing engagement online, and on campus. They are responsible for creating and promoting the service on campus through increasing engagement online. The marketing and media director will be assisting with the creative direction of the XChanges Conference alongside the WUSA marketing team & Coordinators.

Social Director – social.raise@wusa.ca

The Social Director is responsible for organizing and implementing small and large-scale social events that enable racialized students and allies to network.

Literacy Director – literacy.raise@wusa.ca

The Literacy Director is responsible for the in-office library, book collection and video/streaming resources for the service. This role is also responsible for the allocation of resources for students that can be found on our social media pages and website.

We carry a sizeable collection of titles of varying genres from Academic Articles all the way to Fictional Novels and even Digital Documentaries. Feel free to visit and check out our library in our office space. You are able to borrow items from the Library by leaving your contact information with the volunteer on duty.

What is XChanges?

Community building is one of RAISE’s three pillars, which is about engaging with the Waterloo community through events. We achieve this by hosting different events, both big and small. Our annual event, called XChanges, is a conference that is usually an opportunity for us to invite external folks to talk about their experiences or share their insight based on a given theme.

Keep an eye on the RAISE page for announcements and details on how you can get involved and the upcoming XChanges Conference.

Connect

Facebook: WUSA Raise
Instagram: @UWRaise
Twitter: @UWRaise
Email: raise@wusa.ca
Secondary Email: raise2@wusa.ca
Discord: UWRAISE Server

Directions & Hours

Student Life Centre, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1
RM 3207

Office Hours:
Mon-Fri: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Counsellor in office Wednesdays 5-6 pm

Drop-in Peer Support:
Mon. & Tues. & Thurs. & Friday: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Get Directions

Forms

WUSA Peer Support Form
To book an appointment, please fill the WUSA Peer Support Form.

Collaborator/ Consult Form
Interested in collaborating/ consulting RAISE? This form allows us to gain an understanding of the nature of the event, collaboration or consultation you or your group are looking for.

WUSA Incident Reporting Form
Share your experiences of feeling unsafe, unwelcome, or marginalized. Fill in this WUSA Incident Reporting Form

Events

  • Illustration of a woman sitting for a headshot session with a photographer and lighting equipment on a yellow background, perfect for LinkedIn.

    January 30 @ 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST

    LinkedIn Headshot Session
  • A man with a trumpet and a woman with a microphone smile joyfully against a musical backdrop, capturing the lively spirit of an Open Mic night.

    February 6 @ 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM EST

    Flowetry: Open Mic & Visual Arts for Black History Month
  • Red background with a golden snake design on a shopping bag and a paintbrush. Logos in the top left corner.

    January 23 @ 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST

    Lunar New Year Tote Bag Painting

Our Policies

We encourage our volunteers, members and anyone interacting with us to abide by the following policies to ensure that we maintain a welcoming physical and virtual environment.

  • Respect personal boundaries
  • Speak up if you or anyone else is uncomfortable
  • Ask for consent before engaging in physical contact, activities, and conversations.
  • It is okay for people to have alone time
  • Avoid making assumptions and judgments
  • Respect privacy of volunteers and office visitors
  • Assume people are always coming from a place of positive intent.
  • Take responsibility for your own actions (effect vs. intent)
  • People sometimes make mistakes…this includes Coordinators and Executives
  • Use constructive criticism
  • Use “I” statements when presenting opinions

  • Recognize any forms of negativity, discrimination, oppression, and stereotypes.
  • Respect all opinions;
    • However, ideas that violate the creation of a safe space will not be tolerated
    •  Avoid:
      • Using oppressive terms,
      • Humor that is linked to systematic oppression (ex. violence, stereotypes),
      • Inside jokes
  • Educate yourself
  • Introduce yourself to everyone and be welcoming

What matters next is what happens next. This organization is dedicated to learning and unlearning. Please make an effort to change learned oppressive behaviour and language. Realize the impact of your words and actions.

  • No sharing confidential RAISE info/private documents
  • No pictures or video without explicit consent
  • Information is for volunteers only
  • Non-volunteers may not use the computer
  • During peer support hours, no visitors allowed
  • No disclosing other volunteers’ schedules
  • Obligation to break confidentiality for the following:
    • Immediate risk of harm to self or others
    • Incidents of child or elder abuse

  • Respect personal boundaries
  • Speak up if you or anyone else is uncomfortable
  • Avoid making assumptions and judgments
  • Respect privacy of volunteers and office visitors
  • Take responsibility for your own actions (intention vs effect)

Frequently Asked Questions

We provide support to all undergraduate students at UW, however, we prioritize those students with marginalized identities (e.g. racial, gender, physical/mental ability, religious, sexual) especially those with overlapping intersectional marginalization.

We are always hiring volunteers and executive members who are crucial to the success of our service each term. Check out the WUSA Jobs and Opportunities page for more information!

As a part of our efforts to prioritize our community, we accept donations such as literature, visual artwork, etc. from persons and organizations to share with students that interact with us! Connect with us via email or a DM on one of our social media channels if you would like to donate to us!

Resources

Clubs List

  • UW Black Association for Student Expression @uw_base
  • UW African Student Association (UWASA) @_uwasa
  • UW Association of Caribbean Students (UWACS) @uwaterlooacs
  • Young Upcoming Talented Empowered Students of the Caribbean (YUTES) @yuteswaterloo
  • International and Candian Student Network (ICSN) @uwicsn
  • International Peer Community (IPC)
  • Queer and Trans People of Colour Kitchener-Waterloo (QTPOC KW) @qtpoc.kw
  • Chinese Student Association (CSA) @uwcsa
  • Filipino Student Association (FSA) @uwaterloofsa
  • Gujarati Student Association (GSA) @uw.gsa
  • UW Hong Kong Student Association (UWHKSA) @uwaterloohksa
  • UW Indian Culture Association (UWICA) @uwindianca
  • Indonesian Student Association (ISA) @uw_isa
  • Iranian Student Association of Waterloo (ISAW) @isaw.official
  • Muslim Student Association (MSA) @uwmsa
  • Sikh Student Association (SSA) @waterloolaurierssa
  • Somali Student Association (SSA) @uofwssa
  • UW Taiwanese Student Society (UWTSS) @uwtss
  • UW Vietnamese Student Association (UWVSA) @uwvsa
  • Waterloo Arab Student Association (WASA) @wasawaterloo
  • University of Waterloo National Society of Black Engineers (UWNSBE) @nsbe.waterloo
  • Fossil Free UW @fossilfreeuw
  • UW Students for Palestinian Rights @uwsfpr

Off-Campus Affiliates

  • CCAWR @ccawr1975
  • KW Palestine @kwpalestine
  • ACB Network @ofacb
  • O:se Kenhionhata:tie @ose.kenhionhatatie
  • Juiciyoga @juiciyoga
  • Community Fridge KW @communityfridgekw
  • Uplift Kitchen Toronto @upliftkitchento

Photo Gallery

XChanges 2024

Students interacting during break and eating.
Students and the keynote speaker participating in an activity during the conference.
Picture of the speakers from XChanges 2024.
Students listening to speaker talking.

Black and Free 2023 Winter event

Performers performing at the event.
Students networking at the RAISE Black and Free 2023 Winter event.
Students smiling and posing for a picture while at the RAISE Black and Free event.

Spring Bonfire

Students at the Spring Bonfire cooking marshmallows in the fire pit.

BIPOC Clubs Fair

Students speaking to a RAISE representative at the BIPOC Clubs Fair.
RAISE representative standing at the booth.
A cup with RAISE pens on a table with fidget spinners and lanyards at the BIPOC Clubs Fair.

XChanges 2023

Students at the RAISE XChanges Conference.
Student volunteers from RAISE pose for a picture in front of the RAISE centre.
Poster for the "XCHANGES: The Complexities of Intersections" RAISE conference. It features four interlocked hands of different skin tones, symbolizing unity and diversity. At the bottom, the RAISE logo includes the tagline "Racial Advocacy for Inclusion, Solidarity & Equity.
Image of a conference banner for "Cultivating Community" with an abstract figure and shadow in warm colors. Text explains the event's purpose to build relationships and community in the aftermath of isolation caused by the pandemic. Event includes Xchanges 2022 logo.
A video conference screen shows four diverse individuals participating in a virtual discussion titled "Borders of Blackness: The Legacy of Invisible Labour." Below the participants is text asking viewers about their location and session preferences, and social media engagement instructions.
A diverse group of young adults posing together in front of a "Federation of Students" backdrop. They are dressed in a mix of formal and cultural attire, smiling and standing close to each other. The backdrop features the acronym "FEDS" repeatedly.
A group of people in a spacious, bright studio doing yoga. They are standing on yoga mats with arms extended upwards, reflecting in wall mirrors. The room has wooden floors, large windows, and exercise balls in the corner.
A group of people participating in a yoga class in a spacious, well-lit room with large windows. They are standing on blue yoga mats and performing a balancing pose. An instructor is guiding them from the front. The room has a bright and calm atmosphere.
An event poster titled "CHANGES: The Borders of Being" for a tribute to Dr. Angela Davis' "Freedom is a Constant Struggle." Surrounded by artwork in vintage frames, it mentions the event dates (March 15-16, 2021) and encourages joining to deconstruct. Hosted by WUSA and WLU SEPR.
A virtual panel discussion displayed on a laptop screen is titled "Borders of Academic Freedom: Academia and Collective Action." Three participants are featured: two women and one man. Below, text invites viewers to share their thoughts using hashtags for an event.
Promotional image for an Intersectional Feminism Virtual Keynote. Includes Selam Debs and Rachel Almaw (she/her) of RAISE. Event date: Wednesday, November 10th, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm on yourwusa live. Logos include WUSA, RAISE, and "University of Waterloo.
A group of diverse young adults is gathered around a table, attentively viewing various items displayed on it. The table is adorned with photographs and small lights. The setting appears to be an indoor event or exhibition with other people and displays in the background.
A grayscale poster for a conference featuring Dr. Angela Davis. Text includes "XChanges: The Borders of Being," dates "March 15-16, 2021," and "Keynote Speaker Dr. Angela Davis." The event is hosted by WUSA Raise and WLU SFPR Conference. Dr. Davis is pictured seated with her hand on her chin.
Illustration featuring diverse, colorful human figures holding hands above and below a quote by bell hooks: "If we want a beloved community, we must stand for justice." The word "RAISE" appears at the bottom center.
A diverse group of people are seated in an audience. Some attendees are in colorful traditional attire, while others wear more contemporary clothing. They appear to be focused on a presentation or speech. The setting suggests a formal event or conference.