Poverty Awareness & Community Action
Poverty Awareness & Community Action (PACA) offers poverty awareness workshops and advocacy training for UM students and community members. The group is made up of lived experience educators, supported by students and staff, who believe in sharing the knowledge and solutions of people with lived experiences with poverty.

Volunteer with PACA
PACA will be facilitating five online poverty awareness workshops in the Fall Term and we are looking for volunteer facilitators who can support the lived experience educators in their work.
Volunteer facilitators will need to:
- Be available for a five-hour afternoon shift
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of poverty and poverty reduction
- Attend an online orientation session
- Have a working computer with microphone and webcam and reliable Internet access
- Be proficient with using Zoom; experiencing hosting or co-hosting is an asset
- Have strong skills in facilitating discussion
Book a workshop
Community Engaged Learning facilitates online and in-person poverty awareness workshops for students, staff and faculty at the University of Manitoba. To book a workshop, please email povertyawareness@umanitoba.ca.
If you are from the wider community, please contact the United Way of Winnipeg to book their workshop, Living on the Edge: Taking a Look at Poverty.
Timing
The workshop is 3-4 hours long and is preferably scheduled in the afternoon or evening.
Cost
Workshop fees are charged on a partial cost-recovery basis of $1,000.
The workshop fee covers:
- Student staff wages
- Food, transportation, and venue costs
- Wrap-around supports for the lived experience educators, such as training, mutual aid, and recreational programming
Fees can be paid via interdepartmental charge (ID charge) to FOAP 127062 307006 710408 1700.
Each workshop can accommodate 25-60 students. We limit workshops to 60 students to enable a more intimate learning atmosphere and encourage deeper discussion.
Interested participants who may not be able to book their own workshop should inquire about joining another workshop!