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.

About

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 for Fall 2022 are now open! Apply here!

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.

Transition and Metric Director transition.raise@wusa.ca

The Transition and Metric Director is responsible for ensuring organizational continuity from one term to the next.

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 Director marketing.raise@wusa.ca

The marketing 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.

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

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.

Media Director

The media director is responsible for creating and promoting the service on campus through increasing engagement online in conjunction with the marketing director. In the winter term, the media director will be assisting with the creative direction of the XChanges Conference alongside the WUSA marketing team & Coordinators.

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.

Events

  • March 23 @ 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM EDT

    Rhythmic Wrap-Up

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 African Student Association (UWASA) @_uwasa
  • UW Black Association for Student Expression (UWBASE) @uw_base
  • 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