Community Connections: How Can Your Organization Build Connections to Strengthen Communities?

Title: How can your organization build connections to strengthen communities?

Organized by: Emergency and Disaster Preparedness for Older Adults in Alberta CORE Group

Description: With the rise in social isolation and loneliness in our communities, organizations need to rethink how our programs and activities show up in your communities. To address loneliness we need to shift from doing “to and for” community to create connections that support communities to do “with and by” themselves. 

Agenda:

10:30 - Setting the stage – how our communities have changed over time and trends

10:45 - Reflecting on current community change efforts – To/For/By/With and top down power struggle

11:00 - Individual exercise – where do your efforts mostly sit?

11:10 - Connecting your community, what are connectors and 4 questions to help connect

11: 25 - Weaving the connections together – types of connections

11:40 - Wrap up and questions

About the Presenter:

Heather Keam is the Associate Director for Cities Deepening Community practice with the Tamarack Institute. Before this position she was a Manager in the Learning Centre where she organized Community of Practices, learning opportunities, tools and resources for community change. Heather brings over 13 years of public health knowledge to this position and 20 years of experience generating action at a grassroots level using ABCD and Collective Impact. Heather is a lifelong learner and has just recently got her certificate in Knowledge Mobilization from the University of Guelph. She has a Bachelor's degree in Health Studies from Brock University, a Graduate diploma in Nutritional Science from Canberra University, Australia, a Graduate Diploma in Health Promotion from Canadore College. Heather loves guiding groups through the community development process of planning, engagement, implementation, and sustainability of local community efforts. Heather has presented at several provincial, national and international conferences regarding her work on walkable communities and building healthy communities. Heather resides in Ontario with her family. When she is not baking, she is either camping or volunteering her time at her children's school, local Scouting and as a member of the local Optimist club.

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