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
Register now to be part of Tamarack’s 2010 Communities Collaborating Institute, Leading Together in Chaotic Times, 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. To learn more about the evolving list of dynamic thought-leaders now confirmed as part of our learning community, please access the event brochure here or visit the event web section 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: Peter Block - Community: The Structure of Belonging Series: Seeking Community in Chaotic Times Speakers: Peter Block, Paul Born Location: via conference call Date: Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 12:00pm, Eastern Details: Join Paul Born as he interviews Peter Block live about his latest book on community and belonging. Find out why Peter wrote the book, why he feels community is needed now more than ever and how we might work differently to change our communities for the better. Paul will also engage Peter in questions about the imperatives of our time: What is going on around us? How do we make sense of this together?
Peter writes, "Modern society is characterized by isolation and a weakened social fabric. The various sectors of our communities - businesses, schools, social service organizations, churches, government-work in parallel, not in concert. They exist in their own worlds as do so many individual citizens, who long for connection but end up marginalized, their gifts overlooked, their potential contributions lost. This disconnection and detachment makes it hard if not impossible to envision a common future and work towards it together."
Peter Block is the author of several best selling books. Many of us know Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest (1993) and the wildly successful Flawless Consulting (2000). His books are about ways to create workplaces and communities that work for all. They offer an alternative to the patriarchal beliefs that dominate our culture. His work is to bring change into the world through consent and connectedness rather than through mandate and force.
Note: Although we have reached our 200-person capacity, you may register your name with us to be included in the post-event email send which contains links to the audio clips and other resources from the call.
Title: Newfoundland & Labrador’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Series: Poverty Reduction Strategies Series, Vibrant Communities Seminar Series Speakers: Mark Cabaj, Donna O’Brien and Daniel Mason Location: via conference call Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 12:00pm, Eastern Details: In December 2009, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador released its first progress report on its poverty reduction strategy – Empowering People, Engaging Community, Enabling Success. In 2009-10, the provincial government will invest over $132 million in the strategy. The incidence, depth and persistence of poverty in Newfoundland and Labrador have seen significant decreases. Donna O’Brien, Director and Daniel Mason, Senior Policy Analyst of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Poverty Reduction Strategy will share perspectives on the significant progress made within government and in the community.
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: March 8, 2010, 1pm - 2pm ET
Evaluation - focuses on evaluation in complex, comprehensive community collaborations.
Next call: March 29, 2010, 12-1 pm ET
Engaging Business - focuses on collaborating with the business sector for social change.
Next call - April 20, 2010, 12-1pm ET
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: Centre for Social Innovation Topic: Blogging for People Who Should: An Introduction to Social Media Type: Workshop Speaker: Eric Sqair Location: 215 Spadina Avenue, Suite 400, Toronto Date: March 2nd, 2010, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Details: If you are doing work in the social sector and want people to know about it, this workshop is for you. Blogging for People Who Should is both an introduction to the science of blogging (and social media) and a workshop on the art of telling your story online in an authentic and engaging way. Eric Squair has been blogging, and teaching people to blog, at organizations such as Greenpeace Canada and Make Poverty History, since 2003. He works out of the Centre for Social Innovation, facilitating email, web and social media capacity and strategy for non profits and independent businesses. For more information please visit the Blogging for People Who Should website or contact Eric at 647-405-3742.
Title: Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition Topic: e-Learning - Leadership Training Type: Webinar Speaker: Ernie Ginsler Location: Online Dates: Mar 11th, 2010 Details: OHCC is now offering a series of six webinars to assist staff and board members of not-for-profit organizations enhance their skills and build capacity within their organizations. The six part webinar series costs $40 per webinar or can be purchased as a "value bundle" for $200 for the entire series. Each webinar is limited to 20 participants. Download the registration form here. For more information please contact Jadie McDonnell, Communications Coordinator at 416-408-4841 x 3 or by email at jadiem@ohcc-ccso.ca.
Title: The Ontario Rural Council Topic: Transforming Northern Health: Innovations Making a Difference Type: Workshop Location: Sault Ste. Marie Date: March 31st, 2010, 8:30 – 3:00 p.m. Details: Join keynote, Dr. Carolyn Bennett at this shared learning and dialogue event focused on the innovations that are reshaping northern health. Topics to be explored include: current trends in rural and northern health care; innovative community solutions; health innovations and economic development opportunities; and, how rural and northern communities can adopt innovations to improve health and health care in their communities. For more information and/or to register please visit www.torc.on.ca or call them at (519) 826-4128.
Title: Art Miles Mural Project: Canada to Egypt Topic: Belong and collaboration through art Type: Collaborative Art/Muralists wanted Location: Worldwide Date: May 1, 2010 Details: The Art Miles Mural Project Canada is looking for artists (young and old, individuals or groups) who would be willing to paint a 12 ft X 5 ft mural(s) depicting peace, unity and healing and the rights of children and youth to live in A Canada Fit for Children and A World Fit for Children. Your mural will join 12 miles of murals in May 2010 circling the pyramids in Egypt in an Olympic size vernissage. The hope is that Canada will contribute 1,000 murals towards the global effort. Please help realize this visual arts opportunity in partnership with and on behalf of children and youth across Canada and around the world! For more information on how to participate, visit The Art Miles Mural Project's website.
Title: Shambala Summer Institute Topic: Leadership program Type: Workshop Speakers: Glenda Eoyang, Adam Kahane, Art Kleiner, Barry Oshry, Wendy Palmer, C. Otto Scharmer, Bill Torbert, Margaret Wheatley Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Date: June 6 – 12, 2010 Details: This five-day leadership program takes you into the "innovation zone" found in today's successful organizations - the zone between too much open-ended process and too much command-and-control; the zone of creativity, collaboration, and accountability in environments of complexity. The Summer Institute includes in-depth skill-building tracks led by the founders of emerging new leadership fields. For more information, visit the ALIA Institute website or contact Cara Lynn Garvock at clgarvock@aliainstitute.org or 902-425-0492 ext 223.
Register now to be part of Tamarack’s 2010 Communities Collaborating Institute, Leading Together in Chaotic Times, 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. To learn more about the evolving list of dynamic thought-leaders now confirmed as part of our learning community, please access the event brochure 
