The UBC Learning Exchange was established in 1999 to establish a community presence for the University in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES). The Learning Exchange's first initiative was the Trek Program (named after UBC's Trek 2000 vision), which placed UBC student volunteers with eight non-profit organizations and two elementary schools. In 2000 the Learning Exchange opened a storefront office at 121 Main Street, offering free computer access to DTES residents. Other programmes followed, including a music appreciation course partnered with the UBC School of Music; volunteer opportunities catering to students during Reading Week; ESL conversation programmes; and computer training, tutoring, and after-school activities. The Vancouver School Board was the primary partner. Funding and support came from various sources outside the University, including TELUS, HSBC Bank of Canada, the Kahanoff Foundation, the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, and Dr. Lloyd and Mrs. Kay Chapman. In 2002, the Learning Exchange began working with UBC faculty members to formally integrate students' community-based experiences into their academic coursework, an approach called Community Service Learning (CSL). A new Learning Exchange programme was established at UBC-Okanagan in 2006. Two years later, the Vancouver programme moved into a larger storefront office in Chinatown. In 2009, in support of the Learning Exchange's contributions to UBC's strategic vision, the University began providing ongoing core funding.
The Learning Exchange worked parallel with the UBC Community Learning Initiative (CLI), founded in 2006 to develop curricular community-engaged learning opportunities. There was a great deal of overlap between the two programmes. They initially reported to the same Director, Margo Fryer. However, in 2011 the Learning Exchange and CLI were separated into two distinct units, each with its director. The Learning Exchange reported to the Vice-President, External Relations.