Workshops 2024
Concurrent workshops will be running in the morning and in the afternoon. Participants will have the opportunity to attend one workshop in each block.
No need to sign up! Workshops are first come, first served. Volunteers will help you find the workshop locations at Children of the Earth High School.
Visit the Speakers page for Speaker bios.
Workshop ONE
10:45 am – 12:00 pm
This session will describe the research, advocacy and transformative potential of Make Poverty History Manitoba, a coalition of organizations and individuals pushing for progressive public policy to end poverty in Manitoba. Make Poverty History has used the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives—Manitoba research to develop a policy recommendation on a Liveable Basic Needs Benefit income transfer to the Province of Manitoba.
This proposal would replace the provincial social assistance program, remove the “welfare wall” and create a portable, dignified benefit for low-income people in Manitoba. Until there is federal leadership for a guaranteed income, the Liveable Basic Needs Benefit is a viable proposal for a sub-national, provincial government to action in Canada.
Speakers: Molly McCracken, Desiree McIvor
Organization: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – Manitoba, Make Poverty History Manitoba
Level: Introductory
Join us for an engaging and interactive workshop, “Anchoring in Community: Igniting Innovation and Collaboration for Food Systems Transformation.” In this dynamic session, we’ll explore the transformative power of innovation and collaboration in community building. Through real-world case studies, hands-on activities, and thought-provoking discussions, participants will delve into the heart of driving positive change within their communities.
Discover techniques for sparking creative thinking, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, and reverse thinking, and witness firsthand their application to innovative food systems solutions. Engage in a mini brainstorming session to address real community challenges and opportunities, and witness the collective power of diverse perspectives.
Prepare to be inspired, share insights, and forge connections with fellow community builders. Together, we’ll shape a future of resilient and sustainable food systems, anchored in collaboration and innovation.
Speakers: Erica McNabb
Organization: Manitoba Harm Reduction Network
Level: Introductory
The Social Justice and Taking Action workshop will thoroughly explore strategies for driving local change. Participants will discuss systemic inequalities and gain practical skills for grassroots activism. The workshop will focus on key issues such as Indigenous rights, racial equity, and economic disparity, with a strong emphasis on the importance of allyship and coalition-building. This will help the audience feel connected and part of a larger movement.
Attendees will participate in interactive sessions that will provide tools for organizing community events, leveraging social media for advocacy, and influencing policy changes. By presenting successful case studies from Manitoba and other regions, the workshop will demonstrate the impact of collective action and community involvement. The session will conclude with a call to action, motivating participants to apply their new skills to foster meaningful change and contribute to a more just and equitable society.
Speakers: Sandra Krahn,
Organization: The Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties (MARL)
Level: All levels
It is possible to combine creating impact with earning revenue as a nonprofit. Social enterprise is just one way of looking to get paid for some of the value you create.
In this session, we will checklist of what you should have in place to start selling products and services as a nonprofit. We will start with descriptions of what social enterprise is and what you’re able to do based on your organization’s structure. There will be opportunities to collaborate with others in the room, and to build up a basic action plan to build a testable prototype from scratch. We will also go over some of the common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid during this phase, to help you start testing your models with as little risk as possible.
Speaker: Matthew Rempel
Organization: Strategy Made Simple
Level: Introductory
Cultural competence is more than just a buzzword; it’s an essential skill for creating inclusive and vibrant communities in our diverse and interconnected world. This workshop uses folktales and personal storytelling to highlight the important role that cultural competence plays in bridging differences and improving our ability to interact effectively and meaningfully with people across cultures.
In the session, participants will:
- Understand what cultural competence is and why it is so needed in our workplaces, organizations, and communities
- Discover strategies to develop your cultural competence
- Gain insights from sharing and discussing experiences with fellow participants
Speaker: Robyn Penner Thiessen, Amna Burki
Organization: Robyn Penner Thiessen Consulting, StoriesMatter
Level: Intermediate
This presentation aims to explore and highlight the unique opportunities, challenges, and strategies related to entrepreneurship for Muslim women. It will delve into the initiatives and programs designed by HMF in collaboration with Seeds Winnipeg to empower Muslim women in the business world.
Speakers: Humaira Jaleel, Amna Iqbal, Afsheen Siddiqui
Organization: Healthy Muslim Families
Level: All levels
The failures of growth economics and evidence of collapse are all around us yet we are not getting at the root of the problems of inflation and concentration of wealth. This workshop will explore a framework for just transition with a focus on the economics in terms of the rise in corporate profits, inequity and cost of living, and the erosion of democracy in politics. We will discuss tools and strategies to address the challenges, draw from the book Occupy Money – An Economy that Works for Everyone by Margerit Kennedy as well as Radical Transformation by Kevin MacKay, and other resources.
Speaker: Marianne Cerilli
Organization: Marianne Cerilli – Change Agent
Level: All levels
This session will explore how your organization can align and integrate your economic and social objectives to increase your financial resilience and community outcomes. Through an interactive process, you will spend time understanding what would be different if your organization had the resources it needed to do its work. You will learn what revenue is possible and what your organization might want to consider regarding a revenue or economic stream.
Building on the Thriving Non-Profits program, organizations will examine revenue diversification strategies to build strong and responsive organizations that can navigate and thrive in a fast and changing world, which affects how we are able to collaborate and show up for collective solutions.
Speaker: Kristi Rivait
Organization: Scale Collaborative
Level: All levels
The session will explore the theme of advocating for systemic change and settlement sector action through the lens of Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus), focusing on Manitoba’s GBA Plus Capacity in the settlement and integration sector. GBA Plus is a critical analytical tool that extends beyond gender to include multiple intersecting identity factors such as age, disability, and ethnicity, aiming to create more inclusive and responsive policies and programs.
The Manitoba GBA Plus Capacity initiative, part of a national project, seeks to enhance the integration of GBA Plus in the settlement and integration sectors, addressing systemic inequities and advancing equity through an intersectional approach. Key highlights of the initiative include the development of sector-specific guidance on mainstreaming GBA Plus and the identification of assets, gaps, and opportunities within organizations.
Speaker: Dr Sally Ogoe, Erika Frey Morote
Organization: The Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations (MANSO)
Level: All levels
In this session, participants will explore how community enterprises can leverage the Community Enterprise Development Tax Credit (CEDTC) to support sustainable growth and collective action in their organizations. We’ll use Peg City Car Co-op as a case study to dive into practical strategies for applying for the tax credit, like managing investments and using the incentive to attract community-based support. Attendees will gain insights into the application process, compliance requirements, and best practices for maximizing the benefits of the CEDTC.
Speaker: Philip Mikulec,
Organization: Peg City Car Co-op
Level: Intermediate
In an era where digital threats are constantly evolving, the strongest defense isn’t just in software—it’s in people. This workshop explores how organizations can cultivate a culture of cybersecurity that empowers every individual to be an active participant in protecting digital assets. Through interactive discussions, real-world case studies, and practical exercises, participants will learn how to transform their workforce into a “human firewall” that strengthens their organization’s overall security posture.
Speaker: Hernan Popper
Organization: POPP3R Cybersecurity
Level: All Levels
In this session, participants will be invited to envision the qualities of an ‘ideal’ community, learn about how economic action influences community, and consider how we can shape our economy to get closer to a more ideal vision. To build a more ideal community for all, the concept of Community Economic Development will be introduced, exploring key CED concepts and frameworks and considering the values, purpose, and intended impact of CED models and enterprises. Participants will be invited to think of what their organization is and can do to build toward a more ideal community and implement CED practices.
Speaker: Brendan Reimer
Organization: Assiniboine Credit Union
Level: Introductory
Workshop TWO
1:30 – 2:45 pm
The presentation will provide a general overview of the organizing and advocacy model used by the Right to Housing coalition in Manitoba to call on governments at all levels to expand the supply of social housing. Concrete strategies, tools, and lessons learned will be offered that can be applied to other organizing and advocacy efforts in Manitoba.
Session participants will also hear about Right to Housing’s most recent activities and campaigns and discover opportunities for getting involved in organizing for more social housing in Manitoba.
Speaker: Kirsten Bernas and Shauna MacKinnon,
Organization: Right to Housing Coalition
Level: All levels
Social enterprise is a powerful business model to tackle the challenges our economy and communities are facing today. Buy Social Canada has released the new Guide to Social Enterprise: Plan, sustain and grow your impact with a social enterprise business plan. This workshop is for you if you are thinking about starting a social enterprise or want to sustain or grow your enterprise activities and impact.
Buy Social Canada works to drive demand for social enterprise by working with the City of Winnipeg, RRC Polytech and other purchasers on their social procurement policies and practices. Come learn about how social procurement is an opportunity for your social enterprise.
Join this session to learn:
- how to Plan, Sustain and Grow your social enterprise using the 5Ms: Mission, Market, Manger, Money and Measure
- to hear advice, insights and stories to support business planning and maintenance
Speaker: Sabrina Musto
Organization: Buy Social Canada
Level: All levels
In this session we will review what a co-op is and the various forms co-ops can take. Then we will invite our panelists to share about their co-ops and co-op projects so we can learn about the co-op model in action.
Moderator: Vera Goussaert
Panel: Judith Harris, Michelle Kirkbride, Wendy Peterson
Organizations: Manitoba Co-operative Association, UWinnipeg Urban and Inner-City Studies, NorWest Co-op Community Health, Community Futures Westman
Level: Introductory
Inclusivity and accessibility often align with our values, but many of us are left out of the conversations of what that can look like in community spaces. As community builders with experience in collective action, MLPD wants to shift that conversation. We’re looking encourage and support community and organizations to apply a Lived Experience of Disability Analysis as a collaborative process alongside people with disabilities and gifts.
This session is proposed as a fun and informative process to explore our understanding of accessibility, inclusion and how that relates to collective action. We will be exploring some of these ideas with examples of people with disabilities doing collective action, and with a friendly game of Accessibility and Inclusion Bingo. We’re also looking to have conversations about how accessibility and inclusion can drive collective change towards social and economic transformation.
Speakers: Melissa Graham, Sheryl Peters, Ella Rockar, Debby McLeod
Organization: Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities
Level: All levels
As Baby Boomer Canadians move into their older years, our society has work to do to combat an accepted form of discrimination: Ageism. Despite clear evidence of the negative impacts of this form of discrimination, many people believe ageist stereotypes about older adults, and, as we ourselves grow older, apply those stereotypes to how we see ourselves.
This presentation will describe ageism, including individual and societal impacts, and the tools that are available for individuals and organizations to raise awareness and work towards a society where all of us are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of age.
Speaker: Kathy Majowski
Organization: Healthy Aging Resource Team (HART) – WRHA
Level: Introductory
For people in leadership positions to explore the significance of mental health thinking in leadership, the healing power of creativity, and how leading with people in mind transforms workplaces and communities.
Speaker: Uyen Pham
Organization: Artbeat Studio
Level: Introductory
Drawing on research from year one of a four-year study of construction social enaterprises in Toronto, Winnipeg and Saskatoon, this session shares “unresolved” issues and tensions social enterprises focused on employment face. Pointing to diverse strategies and experiments social enterprises have developed to support people marginalized by “mainstream” employers, the session explores how social enterprises change and challenge the “mainstream” in the process. The session will identify topics for community leadership and the broader community to consider as they advocate and develop social enterprises.
Speaker: Jonah Pearce
Organization: Sixteenth Letter Collaborative
Level: All levels
With the rise in number of refugee claimants applying for asylum in Manitoba, Healthy Muslim Families (HMF) refugee claimant legal clinic will present their new initiative.
Speakers: Humaira Jaleel, Muhammad Zain Munshi, Omar Fahmaw, Hani A. Al-Ubeady
Organization: Healthy Muslim Families (HMF)
Level: All levels
This workshop is for anyone from an organization who have have been doing harm reduction work during the toxic drug poisoning crisis, Syphilis and new HIV Infection surges. This session will hold space for reflection, connection and discussion on the challenges, complexities and questions that come with Harm Reduction work in community.
Erica McNabb (they / them), the Education Coordinator at Manitoba Harm Reduction Network will be there to guide discussion and share relevant information.
Speakers: Erica McNabb
Organization: Manitoba Harm Reduction Network
Level: Intermediate
This session will present the results of a research conducted by Manitoba’s Climate Action Team on the state of rural inter-community public transit in Manitoba. Participants will learn about how inter-community public transit is an example of “multi-solving,” addressing challenges relating to rural healthcare access, affordability and equity, building resilient rural communities, allowing seniors to age in place, newcomer settlement, and tackling climate change. They will learn about how other provinces are building strong rural transit systems, and how that could be applied here. They’ll learn about what’s already happening in Manitoba, including the results of community conversations and a survey of rural community members conducted by MCAT, and the proposed solutions that came out of the conversation.
Speakers: Hannah Muhajarine, Bethany Daman
Organization: Manitoba Climate Action Team
Level: Intermediate
CED in small populations is a completely different prospect than in larger centers. This presentation covers the 10 major differences, and how we address these differences in small population communities (2500 and under).
This is an important presentation for those working in community economic development in communities that do not have the resources or the tax bases of larger ones.
Speakers: Amy Black, Natalie Wiebe
Organizations: Community Financial Counselling Services, SEED Winnipeg
Level: All levels
Workshop THREE
3:00 – 4:15 pm
We are all dealing with more and more complexity in our societies. As organizations that work to strengthen communities, build local economies and add to collective action for systems change, it is imperative that we stand out and have a clear understanding of how we uniquely contribute to change, what our priorities are, how we can contribute to the collective and our roadmap for action. Too often strategic plans are sitting on a shelf until the next one. What if we could create an actual usable strategic plan? This dynamic interactive workshop will assist participants embarking on the strategic planning journey.
Speaker: Laurie Ringaert
Organization: Change Weavers Consulting
Level: All levels
How is climate change impacting our community? What is needed to build a future that, in the face of these impacts, ensures the well-being of our community? Frontline community-based organizations (CBOs) provide critical services and support to our community. These services and the individuals they support already are, and will continue to be, disproportionately impacted by climate change.
The Prairie Climate Centre, at the University of Winnipeg, is undertaking a project that aims to build awareness and a more complete understanding of the impacts of climate change on the day-to-day operations of CBOs. This understanding is essential to planning for the robust delivery of these critical community services.
This interactive workshop will aim to foster dialogue and knowledge sharing to better understand how CBOs are experiencing climate change, what they need to adequately respond to it, and to identify important questions, challenges, and considerations in planning for the future.
Speakers: Christey Allen, Erika MacPherson, Matthew Loxley
Organization: Prairie Climate Centre
Level: All levels
This workshop would outline Heartwood’s Anti-Oppressive Practice journey, highlight how to center AOP in your organization’s work, how to build AOP into the structure of your organization, and how to live AOP values in the non-profit sector. This workshop would also give attendees the chance to start their own AOP action plan and identify AOP priorities for their organization.
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This session will provide information on the goals and objectives of Age Friendly Intergenerational Communities, Manitoba Association of Senior Communities and Social Prescribing. Through interactive small group work we hope to give you ideas on how to connect people and actions for moving forward in your own communities.
Speakers: Erica McNabb; Kelsey Guyot, Cara McCaskill
Organization: Righting Relations and Heartwood Healing Centre
Level: All levels
Imagine a world where companies go beyond a financial bottom line and are guided by the impact they want to make in our communities. As our communities grapple with challenges like escalating inequality, systemic racism, and climate change, companies are seeking to create value that’s good for business AND good for our community. There is a global network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.
This workshop will discuss the role of United Way of Winnipeg’s Social Purpose Institute, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, the global B Corp Certification community, and showcase some local Manitoba companies using business as a force for good. You will walk away with a deeper understanding of how business can leverage more of their resources, build a stronger bond between business and community, and create a financially more successful business in the long-term.
Speakers: Connor Milligan, Kayla Penelton
Organization: Fort Whyte Farms
Level: All levels
Strategic thinking shouldn’t happen only once every three years.
In this session, we will go over techniques that we use in our coaching practice to help leaders think strategically on an ongoing basis. We will discuss reviewing activities in progress, prioritizing, accountability, setting action items, and how to follow through.
You will walk away from this session with some tools to be able to consistently review where you are in your strategy, how to identify when and where there are opportunities to pivot within the constraints you have in your programming and funding.
Our ideal outcome is that this gives you the confidence to lead your teams and programs through change, and to be able to adjust to changing needs and circumstances.
Speaker: Matthew Rempel
Organization: Strategy Made Simple
Level: Introductory
Interested in post-secondary education – whether as a student, instructor, professor, or general thinker? Big believer in building intentional relationships with others? Considering breaking down walls but recognize incremental steps are a necessary part of the larger dream vested in liberation?
Join the Walls to Bridges Program Presentation alongside two former inside and outside Walls to Bridges students as they share their experiences studying within Manitoba’s federal penitentiary, Stony Mountain Institution, and how, following 4 years, they have remained connected to Walls to Bridges.
Walls to Bridges offers college and university courses in both provincial jails and federal penitentiaries, in which half the students are held “inside” the carceral institution and half enter the institution from “outside.” Together, they study as peers in for-credit, semester-long seminar courses that emphasize dialogue, collaboration and problem-solving.
Speaker: Chanelle Lajoie
Organization: Walls-to-Bridges
Level: All levels
This session will provide information on the goals and objectives of Age Friendly Intergenerational Communities, Manitoba Association of Senior Communities and Social Prescribing. Through interactive small group work we hope to give you ideas on how to connect people and actions for moving forward in your own communities.
Speakers: Linda Brown, Serena Bittner, Marg Fraser
Organization: Manitoba Association of Senior Communities
Level: All levels
This session will provide information on the goals and objectives of Age Friendly Intergenerational Communities, Manitoba Association of Senior Communities and Social Prescribing. Through interactive small group work we hope to give you ideas on how to connect people and actions for moving forward in your own communities.
Speakers: Azka Ahmed, Erica McNabb
Organization: Righting Relations
Level: All levels
In this interactive workshop, we will explore how AI can be harnessed for common good, focusing on its uses in collective action in community development. AI technologies have the potential to drive meaningful change, but they also present ethical challenges that must be carefully navigated. Together, we will examine real-world examples of how AI uses can support community organizing and advocacy. We’ll also discuss the ethical considerations crucial to ensuring that AI tools are used equitably and responsibly. Participants will engage in discussions on how to integrate AI into their own community work while upholding ethical principles. By the end of the session, attendees will leave with practical insights and ethical guidelines for leveraging AI in their efforts to build more inclusive and sustainable communities. This session is designed for community helpers, community builders, organizers, and anyone interested in the intersection of technology and ethics.
Speakers: Melissa Chung Mowat and Liz Cron
Organization: Blueprint Inc.
Level: Introductory
The Village Co-operative emerges from an effort to return to holistic, Indigenous ways of community functioning and decision-making. The Village Co-operative is a community-driven organization established to provide key services and holistically based support to the North End community. The co-operative is structured to prioritize the needs and strengths of the neighbourhood and encourage the inclusion and participation of the community members themselves to reclaim control over essential services. It is through this model that the co-operative will invoke a “role-play” presentation, especially regarding the implementation of a laundromat as a “hub” for social and communal gatherings, exchange of in-kind services, and youth employment opportunities. Weaving together different perspectives and experiences; the Village Co-operative will paint a picture of how an initiative such as this comes to fruition and how it will ultimately have a butterfly effect on all those involved.
Speakers: Gerrie Prymak, Judith Harris, Virginia Hunter, Vivian Spence, Edda Livingstone
Organization: The Village Co-operative
Level: All levels
This session will immerse participants in the three core principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): being present, opening up, and doing what matters. Attendees will gain theoretical knowledge about mental health and participate in practical exercises and experiential activities to integrate ACT teachings into their community work. Practicing ACT can help us manage anxiety and the challenges of heavy and demanding work. It also allows us to transform our relationship with anxiety and suffering from one of frustration and avoidance to one of acceptance and willingness.
Speaker: Rebecca Trudeau, Nicole Closs
Organization: YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg Mental Health Services
Level: Intermediate
Community development organizations have been chronically underfunded while working on the front lines to support people through various crises, including the COVID 19 pandemic, dire housing shortages, and a skyrocketing cost of living. A recently release report by CCPA Manitoba and CCEDNet Manitoba, titled Supporting Community-Led Development in Manitoba: Policy Alternatives for Inclusive and Participatory Community Renewal, provides recommendations to the provincial government to reinstate adequate funding and support to the community-led development sector. Come learn about the findings of this report and join in a discussion for the best pathway forward for renewing government support for our sector.
Speakers: Jesse Hajer, Holly Scotland
Organization: Deptarment of Economics, University of Manitoba
Level: All levels
This casual presentation and conversation will provide attendees an introductory level overview of what social finance is and what it is not, and will explain the MB Social Finance context and process to apply for social financing though MB’s social finance intermediary.
Speakers: Carinna D’Abramo Rosales, Peter Cantelon
Organizations: SEED Winnipeg, The Jubilee Fund
Level: Introductory