The Community Catalyst Program will bring together a cohort of changemakers from 4 - 6 communities across the province who want to find and test new solutions to a “stuck” problem facing their community.

Participants of this 8-month program (Mar - Oct 2020) will Gain:

A supportive peer network
Access to capacity building opportunities and facilitation resources that can help them spark new / different ways of approaching complex problems in their community
Up to $12,000 in funding (which can be used for a stipend and activities to catalyze change in their community)
Opportunities for reflection, learning, and personal growth as they deepen their knowledge of human-centred design, systems change, and other social innovation tools
Opportunities to share the work being done in their communities with a broader network of changemakers across the province and country

Who's Eligible?

Individuals or small teams (up to 3 people working together) can apply to be community catalysts. Applicants must:

Live in Alberta (preference will be given to applicants from rural and Indigenous communities)
Be well-connected within their community and have the support of a local community group or organization
Want to build upon the existing skills and resources in their community to shift how people think about, talk about, and collaborate to address a “stuck” problem (racism, housing crisis, crime, environmental degradation, economic transition… etc.)

Applications for this program are now closed. Applicants have been selected.

Questions about the program? Contact us and/or watch this recording from our recent information session (Jan 8 at 12 pm) to learn more.

More About ABSI Connect & The Program

ABSI Connect is a collective of Alberta-based organizations and individuals who want to address the root causes of our communities’ most pressing issues and believe this requires working and learning together. Our purpose is to find, connect, celebrate, and support Albertans who are creating and testing new ways of approaching society’s most pressing problems.

This pilot program is intended to:

Help changemakers access funding, resources, and relationships that can help them catalyze new / different ways of approaching the “stuck” problems they’re passionate about.
Build relationships between changemakers in different communities, sectors, and issue spaces in Alberta.
Surface, celebrate, and strengthen the work of changemakers in more communities across the province.
Create more opportunities for organizations and individuals in ABSI Connect’s network—whether new or established within this community—to help each other think and act more creatively and systemically.

Not eligible / interested yourself, but want to help make this pilot program a success?

Please share the program details with an amazing changemaker you know, and encourage them to apply!
Save the date for March 2 if you're interested in participating in a systems change / social innovation workshop alongside Community Catalyst program participants (details to come).
Get in touch if you'd like to be included in our list of potential "buddies," mentors / coaches, or facilitators to support the work of one or more community catalysts throughout this program.