Coming together with others as part of an intentional learning community provides invaluable opportunities to build new relationships, share knowledge, gain new insights to advance our collective work and ultimately energize and inspire one another.
This page offers a listing of upcoming learning opportunities that you may want to be part of:
These face-to-face events offer you the opportunity to join with colleagues and peers who are actively working in their communities.
2010 Communities Collaborating Institute - Leading Together in Chaotic Times
Tamarack’s 2010 Communities Collaborating Institute, Leading Together in Chaotic Times, is being held at the Delta Kitchener from September 27th to October 1st, 2010. This signature learning event brings together leaders and collaborators from across Canada and beyond who are working to address complex community issues such as poverty reduction, crime prevention, community well-being and environmental sustainability. Being part of this dynamic learning community provides an opportunity for you to advance your skills, share and deepen your knowledge and inspire others.
The event is almost at capacity. If you are interested in registration information, please contact Leisa Nichol by email or by phone at 519-885-5155. For more details about the event including cost, please visit the event web section here or access the event brochure here.
Tamarack and Vibrant Communities offer free tele-learning seminars that are brought to you live via telephone
conference line. Dial-in
information will be emailed to you shortly after you register for an upcoming call. After the seminar,
we will send you a post email with a links and further resources for learning. Note: While there is no fee associated with your participation, the tele-bridge service we use is based in the U.S., so long distance charges through your long distance service provider may apply.
Title: Poverty Strategies and Provincial Policies Series: Poverty Reduction Strategies Series, Vibrant Communities Seminar Series Speakers: Sherri Torjman, Mark Cabaj Location: via conference call Date: Thursday, September 23, 2010, 11:55am, Eastern Details: In the final call of the Provincial Poverty Reduction Strategies Series, Sherri Torjman, Vice President, Caledon Institute of Social Policy will provide perspectives on the substantive elements and process highlights of the provincial strategies. She will explore the important roles that communities can continue to play in advancing and monitoring provincial and territorial strategies.
Note: Spaced is limited to 200 registrants. Be sure to register early to reserve your place!
Practitioners meet by telephone and online to learn and share their experiences.The calls will focus mainly on poverty reduction, but are open and relevant to anyone working with multisectoral, comprehensive and community-based approaches to social issues.
Current Communities of Practice include:
Living Wage - Focuses on employer practices that reduce poverty.
Next call: July 26, 2010, 12pm - 1pm ET
Evaluation - Focuses on evaluation in complex, comprehensive community collaborations.
Next call: July 26, 2010, 12pm - 1pm ET
Strategic Dialogue on Place-Based Poverty Reduction - In May 2010, The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and Tamarack hosted a strategic dialogue about place-based poverty reduction efforts in Canada. Forty-six business, government, philanthropic, academic and community sector leaders reviewed the strengths and challenges of working collaboratively to tackle poverty in Canada and the United States. Although the event has concluded, feel free to browse the event web page for an overview of the Strategic Dialogue, presentations and resources developed for the two day session here.
Reducing Poverty in Ontario - Seize the opportunity to join a dynamic gathering of individuals who share a commitment to reducing poverty in their communities using a comprehensive approach. Be inspired by successful poverty-reduction initiatives from across Canada and learn specific concepts and tools you can use to advance your own community's agenda. Although the event has concluded, feel free to browse the web section here.
The 2008 Communities Collaborating Institute - The Communities Collaborating Institute is designed to bring together collaborators and practitioners from communities across Canada and beyond to advance their skills, share their knowledge and transform the work of renewing communities.
Although the 2008 Institute has concluded, please feel free to browse this web section here.
Collaborative Leadership - Our traditional models of leadership do not serve us well, especially in our increasingly diverse and complex society. Our default position is often to simply avoid making a conscious decision. We choose to focus on a solution rather than a process that brings us to a solution. We can make conscious, inclusive decisions on a community issue. Although the event has concluded, feel free to browse the web section here.
Check out what's happening with our friends and partners. These events are updated monthly for information purposes only. Online registration is not enabled for these events, but registration and contact information is provided where applicable.
Title: Maytree: Five Good Ideas Program Topic: Reimaging Your Organization Type: Lunch & Learn Workshop Speaker: Nick Saul, Executive Director The Stop Community Food Centre Location: Elmsley Hall, 81 St. Mary Street, Toronto, Ontario Date: September 21st, 2010 Time: 12:00 – 2:00 p.m Details: Nick will share Five Good Ideas gleaned from his work in transforming a small, local food bank into a thriving community food centre: a place where people come together over food to build health, hope, skills, self-confidence, environmental sustainability, community and greater equity. Nick's remarks will offer lessons and inspirational ideas for everyone interested in building healthy community organizations, inclusive public space and creating social change. This is a free workshop and a light lunch will be provided but registration is required. For more information, contact the Maytree Foundation via email at leaders@maytree.com, by phone at 416-944-2627 or visit the Maytree website.
Title: Optimizing the Practice of Evaluation Topic: Canadian Evaluation Society - Ontario Chapter 2010 Annual Conference Type: Call for Abstracts - Deadline Friday August 6, 2010 Speakers: To Be Determined Location: Toronto, Ontario Date: October 4th & 5th, 2010 Details:In the context of increasing accountability and a complex "hard-to-measure" world, organizations, funding agencies and clients look to evaluators to provide evidence-based information and insight. This requires evaluators to have competencies in "puzzle solving," "communication," and "research." This year's conference will explore the evolving and expanding practice of evaluation. Specifically we welcome proposals for an oral presentation, case study, workshop or poster highlighting how your work is making a difference in a rich variety of places and spaces across one or more of our three conference themes: Communities of Practice; Actionable Measurement; or, Cultivating a Culture of Evidence.For more information, contact the CES-ON Conference Committee at conference@evaluationontario.ca or visit the Canadian Evaluation Society - Ontario Chapter website.
Title: The Listening Well Topic: The Art and Practice of Circle and Storycatching Type: Workshop Speakers: Christina Baldwin Location: Geneva Park, Orillia Ontario Date: October 21-24, 2010 Details: Leadership includes the skills to elicit and respond effectively to the stories of those around us. Story provides the foundation for how we organize ourselves to get life's business done. In an increasingly complex world - where texting and email are often our primary means of communication - the practice of sitting down together and putting ourselves intentionally into a narrative context is now an essential skill. Drawing from two of her titles The Circle Way: A Leader in Every Chair and Storycatcher, Christina Baldwin - a world elder in the art and practice of circle and story – will lead this 4-day experiential workshop where participants will learn to weave together circle and story to facilitate a deep shirt in how we come together in groups to hear each other especially in times of change and transition. For more information, visit the PeerSpirit website or contact Holly Greenwood by email at hollygreenwood@sympatico.ca or by phone at 519-940-0349.
Title: The Canadian Water Innovation Lab 2010 Topic: A Water Learning Experience for all Canadian change-makers aged 18-35 Type: Learning Lab Location: YMCA Camp Chief Hector, Exshaw, Alberta Date: October 21-24, 2010 Details: This October, 250 young Canadian leaders will come together with key decision-makers of all disciplines for four days of inspired dialogue on water issues. The Canadian Water Innovation Lab is a collaborative "unconference" event designed to cultivate informed future leaders, influence policy, and strengthen the Canadian water stewardship network. Are you concerned about the sustainable development of your community? Seeking inspiration and ways to influence long-term change? We are looking for outstanding young Canadians, aged 18-35 yrs, to join the Lab as participants. You do not need to have experience in water issues – water is everyone’s concern! This is a call for all future leaders to join the discussion on sustainable water management. Successful applicants will stay on-site in the inspiring Rocky Mountains and engage in dialogue on water issues via experiential learning activities, field tours, mentoring and systems theory. The Lab will give you the inspiration, insight, tools and connections to work towards the sustainable management of your local watershed.
Don't miss this exciting opportunity! Spaces are limited and the application deadline is August 15th! Apply now at www.waterlution.org.
Title: Building Wellbeing and Prosperity Together Topic: Taking Action on Poverty Type: Conference Speakers: To Be Determined Location: Truro, Nova Scotia Date: October 26-28, 2010 Details: Anyone interested in social and economic inclusion in Nova Scotia should consider attending this event. The objectives include: to share information and knowledge about the causes and consequences of poverty in Nova Scotia and work done to date; to share and discuss innovative strategies to address poverty; to enhance capacity for meaningful and inclusive collaboration to address poverty; and, to define processes for collaborative action to reduce poverty in Nova Scotia. For more information, contact the conference coordinator, Andy Sherin at working2gether@gmail.com or 902-494-6496.
Title: 2010 Pillar Community Innovation Awards Gala Topic: 2010 Community Innovation Awards Type: Nonprofit Awards Gala Speakers: Betty Ferreira, Principal of ReStructure Nonprofit Consulting Location: London Convention Centre, London Ontario Date: November 4th, 2010 Details: The Pillar Community Innovation Awards celebrate the nonprofit sector organizations, people and partners who make our community brighter. Finalists have been selected for awards in each of the following four categories: community innovation; community leadership; community impact; and, community collaboration. Award recipients will be announced the night of the gala and each will receive $2,500 to be directed back to the registered charity of their choice. For more information or tickets to the gala please visit the Pillar website at www.pillarnonprofit.ca or phone 519-433-7876.
Title: Community-University Partnerships: Bringing Global Perspectives to Local Action Topic: CU Expo 2011 Type: Call for Proposals Deadline – September 10, 2010 Speakers: Dr. Chad Gaffield, President of SSHRC Location: Waterloo Region, Ontario Date: May 10th – 14th, 2011 Details: Complex social issues require global perspectives to inform local action. Community-University partnerships can be an effective way to stimulate innovative solutions for the pressing concerns within our communities. CU Expo 2011 is a Canadian-led Conference designed to showcase the exemplars in Community-University partnerships worldwide, and together to introduce creative ways of strengthening our local communities. For more information, contact Bonnie McCutcheon at the Centre for Community Based Research via email at bonnie@communitybasedresearch.ca or at 519-741-1318, ext.226.
Tamarack’s 2010 Communities Collaborating Institute, Leading Together in Chaotic Times, is being held at the Delta Kitchener from September 27th to October 1st, 2010. This signature learning event brings together leaders and collaborators from across Canada and beyond who are working to address complex community issues such as poverty reduction, crime prevention, community well-being and environmental sustainability. Being part of this dynamic learning community provides an opportunity for you to advance your skills, share and deepen your knowledge and inspire others.
