Co-op Student, Prevention, Screening and Hereditary Cancer Program
BC Cancer
Vancouver, BC
The co-op student will support BC Cancer’s Health Promotion team in raising awareness about cancer prevention and screening services across the Lower Mainland. The primary responsibility of this role is to participate in scheduled in-person community engagement activities such as health fairs, expos, Mammovan community visits, and other public health events to share information, answer questions, and engage with the public in a positive and approachable manner.
As part of these engagement activities, the student will also participate in screening workshops where they will receive training to help community members book screening mammogram appointments and determine eligibility for cervix self-screening kits.
When not attending events, the co-op student will assist the Cancer Prevention and Screening Promotion team with various health promotion initiatives. This may include conducting outreach phone calls related to specific BC Cancer campaigns and providing administrative or project support to help advance population-level cancer prevention efforts.
What you'll do
1. Community engagement - events and workshops - Most of the students time will be at events and workshops where the student will oversee:
- Booth management including things like set up and take down of the booth at events
- Manage resources for events - stocking, maintaining and replenishing booth resources from the BC Cancer office in Vancouver.
- Public engagement including providing information to the public and answering questions about BC Cancer screening and prevention services.
- Record all screening mammogram bookings and distribution of cervix self-screening kits at workshops.
- Research and applying for other events
- Communicate effectively with the Health Promotion team about events and workshops attended via emails and in person meetings.
- Report on events and workshops via post event summary reports and monthly reports.
2. Patient outreach and health promotion tasks - When there are no events or workshops scheduled, the student will assist in some of the following:
- Conduct outreach phone calls related to specific BC Cancer campaigns
- Provide administrative or project support to help advance population-level cancer prevention efforts.
- Support team projects
- Support administrative tasks related to the community engagement program
What you bring
Qualifications:
- Current third- or fourth-year student at SFU or UBC, ideally from the Faculty of Health Sciences, Sciences, or Arts (e.g., Communication or Marketing).
- Energetic and motivated, with a strong interest in promoting health and wellness.
- Positive attitude and a willingness to engage with the public in a friendly, approachable way.
- Strong listening skills and the ability to provide excellent customer service.
- Adaptability and comfort working in a variety of community settings and situations.
- Effective communication skills, both oral and written, with the ability to interact respectfully with diverse groups of people.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills to support event coordination and administrative tasks.
- Conflict management skills, with the ability to remain calm and professional in challenging interactions.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs, including Excel and Word, and the ability to learn new software as needed.
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
- Physical ability to lift small boxes (10–20 lbs) and support event setup.
- Comfort engaging with the public, including individuals who may share personal or emotional cancer experiences.
- Capacity to maintain energy across multiple weekly events, which may involve extended periods of standing.
- Access to a personal vehicle to transport event supplies (mileage and parking will be reimbursed).
Core Competencies:
- Brings an understanding of the Indigenous specific racism and the broader systemic racism that exists in the colonial health care structure and has demonstrated initiatives in breaking down barriers and ensuring a safe environment ensuring a sense of belonging to all and informed by Indigenous Cultural Safety.
- Awareness of social, economic, political and historical realities of settler colonialism on Indigenous Peoples and familiarity with addressing Indigenous-specific anti-racism, anti-racism and Indigenous Cultural Safety and foundational documents and legislative commitments (the Declaration Act, the Declaration Action Plan, TRC, IPS, Remembering Keegan, etc.).
You have:
- Demonstrates a commitment to beginning and/or continuing their personal learning journey related to Indigenous-specific racism and dismantling systems of oppression, as well as addressing racism more broadly. Shows willingness to articulate and share their learning experiences to contribute to a culture of motivation and inspiration among peers.
- Demonstrates foundational knowledge of the social, economic, and political realities of settler-colonialism and its impacts on Indigenous peoples and equity-deserving groups within social and health contexts. Understands the impact of social determinants of health-on-health outcomes. Shows a commitment to learning about and upholding legislative obligations and provincial commitments outlined in foundational documents such as the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan, Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study, the BC Human Rights Code, Anti-Racism Data Act, and the Distinctions Based Approach.
What we bring
Every PHSA employee enables the best possible patient care for our patients and their families. Whether you are providing direct care, conducting research, or making it possible for others to do their work, you impact the lives of British Columbians today and in the future. That’s why we’re focused on your care too – offering health, wellness, development programs to support you – at work and at home.
- Competitive salary
- Days off in lieu of working weekends.
- Support and development – access to all BC Cancer resources and education modules to help you with health promotion knowledge. Weekly meetings with supervisor for support and professional development.
- Access to many of our Provincial learning hub courses for BC Cancer, health and wellness and mindfulness, Indigenous anti-racism courses and 2SLGBTQIA+ safe space.
- Reimbursement for mileage and parking when traveling to events.
Job Type: Temporary, Full-Time (Until April 30, 2026)
Hourly Wage: $24 per hour.
Location: 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver BC, V5Z 1G1; Hybrid (1 day in office, 4 days remote)
Applications will be accepted until position is filled.
Hours of Work: Monday- Friday; 0900 - 1700
Requisition Number: CAS-192931E
What we do
BC Cancer provides comprehensive cancer control for the people of British Columbia. BC Cancer is part of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).
The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) plans, manages and evaluates specialized health services with the BC health authorities to provide equitable and cost-effective health care for people throughout the province. Our values reflect our commitment to excellence and include: Respect people – Be compassionate – Dare to innovate – Create equity – Be courageous.
Learn more about PHSA and our programs: jobs.phsa.ca/programs-and-services
PHSA (and program) are committed to anti-racism and equity in our hiring and employment practices. With learning and compassion, we are addressing existing inequities and barriers throughout our systems. PHSA is seeking to create a diverse workforce and to establish an inclusive and culturally safe environment. We invite applications and enquiries from all people, particularly those belonging to the historically, systemically, and/or persistently excluded groups identified under the B.C. Human Rights Code.
One of PHSA’s North Star priorities is to eradicate Indigenous-specific racism, which includes ongoing commitments to Indigenous recruitment and employee experience as well as dismantling barriers to health care employment at every level. We welcome Indigenous individuals to apply and/or contact the Sanya’k̓ula Team (Indigenous Recruitment & Employee Experience) for support at indigenous.employment@phsa.ca.
Indigenous-specific anti-racism initiatives are rooted in addressing the unique forms of discrimination, historical and ongoing injustices, and exclusion faced by Indigenous peoples. These initiatives align with an Indigenous rights-based approach, recognizing the inherent rights and title of BC First Nations and self-determination of all First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. PHSA is mandated to uphold legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents including the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study.