On the heels of two recent elections, climate rallies, the Wexit movement, and so forth… divisions within our country, province, and communities can start to feel overwhelming. And yet, beautiful work continues to emerge in our province with the aim of building bridges, understanding and addressing the root causes of complex problems, and building healthier and more resilient communities.
Feeling the news blues? Take a few minutes to explore a few of the links below and get inspired by the creative, thoughtful, and collaborative work happening across our province.
Edmonton’s Skills Society Design by Doing 2.0: Culturally Adapting a Social Innovation Process
Design by Doing 2.0 was a collaborative social innovation lab led by Skills Society, the City of Edmonton, EndPoverty Edmonton, the Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative, and the Bhutanese community in Edmonton. What was unique about this lab was that the entire process was culturally adapted in partnership with the Bhutanese community. Check out this summary of the process, which includes a video in which collaborators and participants reflect on the process.
Exploring Student Sustainability Initiatives Across Alberta
Climate change has been a polarizing issue at the forefront of many recent political conversations. Take a look at these creative examples of sustainability leadership from students and youth across our province, ranging from the Centre for Creative Reuse at Concordia University to a Farm to Table program at Westwood Highschool in Fort McMurray. Thanks to the University of Alberta’s Student Sustainability Service for compiling these inspiring examples.
Together Alberta; Alberta Organizations on the SDG Map and Stories
Together Alberta is a collaborative effort to share a diverse collection of stories about the inspiring sustainable development work being done by Albertans and Alberta-based organizations in Canada and across the globe. Visit the Together Alberta website to find an interactive map, stories, and report featuring the incredible work people across the province are doing to advance the sustainable development goals.
Keep Alberta Strong
Keep Alberta Strong is a growing coalition of Albertan individuals and organizations committed to ensuring that all of us have access to the opportunities and resources we need to contribute to our province's economic prosperity. This recent Calgary Journal article tells the story of the Keep Alberta Strong movement and why various local organizations are participating.
Alberta Healthy Communities Hub
The Alberta Healthy Communities Hub supports communities as they journey to build supportive, health-promoting environments. They connect people, organizations, and communities: share evidence-based resources, strategies and promising practices: provide tools and ideas to help people do their work: and share community highlights, stories, and examples of the work they are seeing across the province. Check out the great community stories featured on their site.
Content Curated by Naomi Mahaffy and Elise Martinoski
ABSI Connect’s blog features examples, learnings, and reflections related to social innovation and systemic change in Alberta. Do you have a story, idea, or insight you’d like to share with the ABSI Connect community? Let us know.