Thank you for taking the time to get to know me a little better. The first thing you should know about me is that I am a father of two young children who attend Burnaby public schools. I am deeply invested in making sure that they — and the thousands of other students across the City of Burnaby — receive the BEST education possible.

I am community educator with over 15 years of professional experience in teaching, education research, community engagement, and public service. My education work has taken me across BC, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Madagascar. From publishing peer-reviewed research to exploring professional development opportunities at institutions like UBC and Harvard, the field of education has been a cornerstone of my life.

I was the NDP candidate in the last federal election in Vancouver Quadra, and serve as the Vice-President of the North Burnaby–Seymour federal NDP riding association. I am also a member of Janet Routledge's provincial NDP riding association, and act as Sperling Elementary's District Parental Advisory Committee (DPAC) representative. Having worked with a number of impactful organizations, like the Vancouver Foundation, The Centre for Civic Religious Literacy, The Canadian Race Relations Foundation, and the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, contributing meaningfully and ethically to the communities I call home is something I take great pride in

I am excited to put my name forward to make tangible change as a School Board Trustee. Endeavouring to make Burnaby schools inclusive and responsive spaces for our students, along with ensuring that our schools are well-funded with enough support in place for teachers to be their best selves, are a few of the areas I'm interested in promoting. 

Here are some of the tangible things I want to advocate for:

1. Reinstituting funding for music programs in our schools - Music is a lifelong passion and talent that should start in our schools. 

2. Reinstituting funding for custodial care for our schools - A clean, tidy, and well maintained school inspires our children to do better and to feel cared for. 

3. School beautification and facilities improvements - Let's make sure that our facilities, classrooms and playgrounds offer the best environments for our children to play, learn, and grow. A beautiful school is one that students want to attend. 

4. Continued and increased funding for support staff - Our teachers already do an exceptional job. Let's give them the tools, resoruces, and suport systems so that our children can thrive.

5. Equitable access for all students to access field trips and hot lunches - No child should be excluded from participating in field trips or school hot lunches on the basis of financial need. Let's create a fund that can subsadize every child's access to meaningful classroom experiences. 

Get in touch: alim4office@gmail.com