News Stories
VIU Giving Tuesday campaign raises funds for students in need
November 17, 2022
University’s ninth annual campaign runs from November 15 to 29, 2022. Access to quality, nutritious food is vital to academic success, but with inflation eroding students’ spending power, it is getting harder for some to meet this basic need. That’s why the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Foundation is raising money for Give a Meal, a new initiative launched by VIU’s Ancillary and Food Services... Read more
VIU hosts summer camps for Indigenous students
June 29, 2022
The camps are organized by the ‘su’luqw’a’ Community Cousins Indigenous mentorship program. A pair of free summer camps that aim to make the transition to university easier for Indigenous youth are returning to in-person delivery at Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Nanaimo campus this summer. The Thuy’she’num Tu Smun’eem: Building a Foundation for our Youth summer camps take place July 18-22... Read more
Paper Excellence and Vancouver Island University create Indigenous Success Fund
June 21, 2022
Paper Excellence has partnered with Vancouver Island University (VIU) to create the Paper Excellence Indigenous Success Fund. The new scholarship fund is offering financial support to Indigenous students enrolled in trades programs at VIU. Paper Excellence has contributed $60,000 to the fund, which will be distributed over three years. “On behalf of Paper Excellence, we are very excited to be... Read more
Giving Tuesday at VIU Raises Funds for Students in Need
November 4, 2021
VIU’s eighth annual Giving Tuesday campaign runs from November 15 to November 30, 2021. Vancouver Island University (VIU) welcomes learners of all different ages and backgrounds. Sometimes learners need a little extra help to make their educational goals a reality, which is why the University has run a Giving Tuesday campaign for the past eight years. Giving Tuesday is a global movement to give... Read more
VIU and Island School Districts Partner to Promote Education Savings Grants
June 14, 2021
Families are being encouraged to open a no-fee, no contribution required Registered Education Savings Plan to access federal and provincial grants. Vancouver Island, BC: Every year, Vancouver Island students miss out on millions of dollars in education savings grants from the provincial government because families don’t sign up to receive them. That’s why Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s)... Read more
VIU’s Milner Gardens Marks 20 Years as a Public Garden
May 13, 2021
Donated to VIU 25 years ago, the property is home to a range of educational activities, community events and research projects. From programs that connect children to nature, to the magic of Christmas in the garden, to studying the effects of climate change on local plants, Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Milner Gardens & Woodland has been inspiring, delighting and educating students... Read more
VIU Alum Makes an Impact Through Endowment Awards
March 8, 2021
Thanks to generous support from community, three annual awards will be given out to VIU students in the name of Micah Messent, who passed away in a plane crash in March 2019. Every year, three Indigenous students will have their financial burdens eased a little in the name of Micah Messent, a Vancouver Island University (VIU) graduate who lost his life in a tragic crash two years ago. Messent,... Read more
VIU Focuses Fundraising Campaign on Helping Students Impacted by Pandemic
November 13, 2020
The University’s seventh annual Giving Tuesday campaign, which runs from November 16 to December 1, will target supports for students impacted financially and mentally by COVID-19. Vancouver Island University (VIU) students, employees and community friends are teaming up to support our most vulnerable students on Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday is a global movement for giving that falls on the... Read more
VIU Exceeds Fundraising Goal for Imagine VIU Campaign
September 23, 2020
The campaign raised $7.3 million to complete three new buildings on campus, create new scholarships, awards and bursaries, and acquire cutting-edge equipment. From new equipment to learn on, to increased research opportunities, to dozens of new student scholarships, awards and bursaries – the impact of the Imagine VIU campaign has expanded beyond its initial goal of equipping and completing three... Read more
VIU Alumni Adapt to New Realities of COVID-19 Pandemic
May 1, 2020
During #GivingTuesdayNow on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, VIU is highlighting stories of alumni who are making a difference and supporting communities in a time of crisis. March 2020 will go down in history as the month many of us had our lives drastically altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from the swift shuttering of many businesses, to a mass transition to working and learning from home, to... Read more