Section: Community Engagement

Community Engagement

Loy Excellentia peer mentorship program seeks mentors and mentees

The Loy Excellentia Initiative — a non-profit organization founded by BU professor Dr. Aloysius Anyichie in 2023 — has opened registration for a peer mentorship program that’s designed to support students of African descent studying at post-secondary institutions across Canada in the 2025–26 academic year.

This free mentorship program pairs incoming or early-stage students with experienced students, or pairs students in their final year with professionals who can provide guidance, shared cultural understanding, and practical strategies for success in academic, personal and professional life in Canada.

Community Engagement

Halloween Coffee Break scares up donations for United Way

Brandon University’s “Community In Action” committee kicked off campus’ annual United Way workplace campaign with a spooky and delicious Halloween Coffee Break.

The potluck-style event brought campus together for cookies, candy, and camaraderie — as well as a few words about the good works done supported by the United Way and information about how to donate through payroll deduction.

Community Engagement

BU Symphonic Band unites Westman musicians for CancerCare Fundraiser

Reposted with permission from Discover Westman

By Betty Sawatzky

The Brandon University Symphonic Band invites the public to join them in a powerful evening of instrument and choir performances tomorrow evening at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium (WMCA) for their Fall concert.  The annual concert will draw hundreds of students together from Brandon U’s School of Music and from across the Westman Region.

Community Engagement

BU partners with Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum to launch new exhibition on the Women’s Division in WWII

The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum (CATPM) and Brandon University’s Public History Program are proud to announce a new collaboration that will shine a spotlight on the overlooked contributions of women in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War.

The project, titled Stories from the Women’s Division, is being developed by Brandon University student Seraphina Gilbert as part of their Practice of Public History class. The exhibition will be featured at Brandon’s Shopper’s Mall later this winter, where it will reach wide audiences with untold stories of women who stepped forward to serve their country.

Community Engagement

BU Co-op connects Brandon and beyond at inaugural Welcome Back Co-op Breakfast

Brandon University kicked off Homecoming Week activities with an inaugural Welcome Back Co-op Breakfast, bringing together more than 100 students, alumni, faculty, employers, and community leaders to celebrate the power of co-operative education.

Held Tuesday morning on campus, the event highlighted how BU’s Co-op program connects students to meaningful work opportunities across Manitoba, across Canada, and around the world — and how those experiences help build stronger communities and stronger futures.

Community Engagement

National beginning band composition competition launched at Brandon University

The Brandon University Student Music Educators Association (BUSMEA), in partnership with the Westman Band Directors Association (WMBDA), instrumental music teachers, and stakeholders in the Westman region, are proud to announce the launch of a national Beginning Band Composition Competition, with a submission deadline of Nov. 1, 2025.

This landmark initiative coincides with two major milestones for BUSMEA: the organization’s 40th anniversary and the 20th annual Da Capo Conference, hosted by the Brandon University School of Music.