Working Groups are often referred to as the heart of a PIRG. They are semi-autonomous groups of students and community members who organize around specific issues of environmental and social justice. These groups operate on a consensus-based decision making model, which aims to reduce as much as possible the coercive elements often times present in other decision making models.
Upon approved application, a Working Group will receive:
- Support and funding of up to $500 per semester,
- Space on the RPIRG webpage,
- Access to office resources, such as photocopying and the button maker,
- Networking access, and
- The ability to apply for Project/Event funding.
Do you have an idea for a working group? RPIRG has yearly funds available for working groups. If you are interested in forming a Working Group, fill out the Working Group Application Form and bring it to the RPIRG office (Riddell Centre, Room 222), where the RPIRG staff would be happy to assist you in making your application a successful one!
Active Working Groups
The following Working Groups are currently taking action in their area of interest. If you would like to join one of these groups, please contact the group directly at the email address provided!
- CHANGE
- Cinema Politica
- Fruit For Thought
- People Before Profit
- Regina Books Through Bars
- SEARCH – Students’ Energy in Action for Regina Community Health
- UR Pride Leadership Programming
Past Working Groups
Due to the nature of student life and changing members, some Working Groups are “put on the shelf” as their organizers convocate while they wait for other students to revive them. If you are interested in rejuvenating one of the following groups, let us know!
Regina Food Fight
Our Mandate and Goals
Formed in September 2009, Food Fight is a U of R student group that organizes around food issues as they relate to social and environmental justice. With a focus on both local and international issues, Food Fight aims to raise awareness and create change towards a food system that is more equitable and sustainable, both environmentally and socially. This includes the objectives of food sovereignty, supporting local initiatives, and healthy alternatives. Although a very young group, Food Fight has been very active on campus through tabling and hosts a lively Facebook group.
Our current campaign is to remove Coca-Cola and its associated products from the U of R campus and replace them with a more socially just alternative as a reaction to the human rights violations committed by the corporation. We have already acquired 516 student signatures in support of this initiative. As a result of the Coca Cola campaign, questions about bottled water on campus have been raised by the group and we hope this continues to evolve. We are also planning to host Pachamama Alliance: Awaken the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium, which draws on the connections between the environment, social justice, and personal wellbeing, and we plan on having a few smaller events leading up to it.
University of Regina Environmental Club
Our Mandate and Goals
The Environmental Club at the University of Regina believes that education is the best way to initiate change within the U of R student body.
We work to understand the environmental systems around us, including land, water, and air. This gives us a unique opportunity to appreciate the importance of these systems, and believe that if we can educate students to understand the importance of these systems, we can induce positive environmental action within individuals, the community, and the world.
Secondary School Public Interest Research Group (SSPIRG)
Our Mandate and Goals
The Secondary School Public Interest Research Group (SSPIRG) is a group of educators that are interested in fostering PIRG’s at a high school level. The working group will involve post-interns (U of R students in their final semester of Education with direct/personal ties to a high school). These connections will allow the groups to find immediate success in setting up several PIRG’s.
Secondary students become passionate and empowered when given the opportunity to research and act on their own ideas. High school students should also be encouraged to critically think about societal ideas and learn to question the status quo. By setting up PIRG’s in high schools, students get the chance to act on their beliefs, and educate their peers about important issues that are felt both locally and beyond.
