certification
Social Enterprise certification program
What's THE PROGRAM ABOUT?
The “Developing a Social Enterprise & Social Purpose Certification Program ” is an interactive 7-day training course that builds the capacity of individuals and employees of an organization to make diversity, equity, and inclusion real in their everyday work.
Our program emphasizes a dynamic, hands-on approach to inclusive education. We believe that the most effective way to learn about equity and inclusion is for each employee to learn how to develop their own initiative that addresses barriers to inclusion in their organization or community.
Throughout the training, our team of facilitators are closely involved to provide foundational equity and inclusion education, and support learners through introspective and interactive exercises as they bring their initiative to life.
Participants will also be trained to evaluate the impact of their social initiative, and develop community partnerships to amplify impact.
Our overall approach has yielded exceptional results that not only imparts inclusive skills and concepts, but also empowers each participant to create a real social impact within their community and organization.
Why This Training Is Needed For The Market
The nation has reached a very progressive point where we are now aware of the systemic barriers that some citizens face due to their diversity. The dialogue has done tremendous good, but it is our collective responsibility to make it actionable.
It is time for all of us as diverse people and diversity allies to shift towards change-making action; and there is no group more capable of sparking significant change than an organization’s individuals and employees. With their blend of skills, resources, networks, and motivation, individuals and employees are uniquely positioned to drive real inclusive change in our communities.
This is why we have developed a program specifically for individuals and employees to mobilize their unique strengths and launch their own social impact initiative that addresses barriers to inclusion in their company or community.
Many of the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs that are currently offered to an organization’s individuals and employees fail to provide a practical element, and as a result, few individuals and employees are in a position to integrate their learnings into their professional work or communities in a meaningful way.
Individuals and employees may attend a one-day workshop and return to their office the following day not knowing how or having the time to integrate what they learned into their work life; or they may lack the support from colleagues to make their attempts successful.
To actually implement an impactful social initiative, individuals and employees need hands-on learning that translates their unique strengths and experiences into practice
We understand that individuals and employees juggle a number of varied time-consuming responsibilities, and scheduling dedicated time for professional development can be very difficult. However, we also recognize the value of being able to interact with colleagues in a collaborative environment, and having experienced facilitators guiding the direction of their training. For this reason, our training is delivered as an online program; which combines synchronous and asynchronous learning through in-person and virtual delivery. Should the desire for an in-person component become necessary, we are able to meet those learning needs.
Goals
Overall Goals & Objectives
This Project Includes Three Specific Goals
Learning theoretical fundamentals of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) within the context of industry organizations.
Creating a social impact initiative that addresses barriers to inclusion within their organization or community.
Establishing a community presence as a JEDI leader.
Through participation in our program, individuals and employees and advocates will be able to effectively integrate inclusive practices into their work, and simultaneously have the potential to create meaningful impact throughout their community. Participants of our program can expect to sustain their learnings and impact far beyond the training period, as the concepts they learn can be used to continuously spark new social initiatives, while remaining connected to an online network of change-makers who can collaborate as they implement their initiative.
Because the program is delivered both synchronously/asynchronously and in-person/online, we can offer the flexibility needed to accommodate the varied schedules and professional development needs of individuals and employees.
Course Outline
Description and Objectives for Module 1: Ideation
DAY 1 (9AM TO 1PM Facilitator led) / (1PM TO 4PM Self- directed)
Module 1 is all about exploration and ideation. Participants will start off by exploring successful social inclusion initiatives created by other professionals. They will use this to not only understand the elements of a successful social initiative, but to also internally explore the justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion causes that are most meaningful to them. Participants will then complete a series of workshop exercises to ideate their own social initiatives that address barriers to inclusion. By the end of Module 1, participants can expect achieve the following Goals:
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the key elements of a successful justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion initiative
- Understand your ‘why’: Why do you want to make a difference in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion
- Ideate their own social initiatives that address barriers to inclusion
Module 1 Outline:
Part 1- Module 1 : Introduction & Ideation
- Introduction to DEI for individuals and employees
- Industry disparities within Canada
- Organization conditions and disparities
- Discourse analysis: disparity, inequity, inequality, and burden
- Employee goals
- Readings and exercises
- Pre-reading and assignment for Module 1 (Ideation)
- Research other successful justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives that have been launched by industry organizations and professionals
Part 2 – Module 1: Ideation (cont’d)
- Live session with facilitator
- Online workshop with individual and group exercises (2-hour synchronous session)
- Participants will be guided through a series of synchronous exercises
- Exercise 1: Discover why you want to make a difference in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion
- Exercise 2: Understand the specific cause that you want to impact
- Exercise 3: Brainstorm social initiatives that you can launch to address barriers to inclusion in your company or community
Part 3 – Module 1: Ideation (cont’d)
- Post-session exercise and facilitator office hours regarding Module 1
- Exercise: Review individual responses as a group
- Follow-up Office Hours: Meeting with facilitator for questions (1-hour online)
Description and Objectives for Module 2: Planning
DAY 2 (9AM TO 1PM Facilitator led) / (1PM TO 4PM Self- directed)
Module 2 focuses on planning for the social initiative. Participants need to know and demonstrate empathy while solving issues within industry spaces to achieve industry equity. This module will focus on helping the participants understand the benefits of social initiatives to embark on a journey of planning their social initiative. They will use research techniques and creative tools to determine the problem and its magnitude. In addition, they will engage with key stakeholders to envision a sustainable solution for how an inclusive industry should look. Participants will then complete a series of workshop exercises to develop a social initiative to transform how they work in the industry spaces.
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the benefits of social initiatives in their industry, and beyond
- Evaluate the “current state” of the operations to identify the problem and envision a “future state” where they can achieve industry equity
- Determine which social initiative is most feasible, desirable and viable to solve
- Develop a social initiative business plan to lead your team and solve the problem
Module 2 Outline:
Part 1 – Module 2: Planning
Pre-recorded class (asynchronous)
Readings and exercises
Part 2- Module 2: Planning (cont’d)
Live session with facilitator (2 hour live facilitation)
Part 3 – Module 2: Planning (cont’d)
Review individual responses as a group
Post-exercise readings, discussion and 1 hr facilitator office hour
Description and Objectives for Module 3: Impact Measurement
DAY 3 (9AM TO 1PM Facilitator led) / (1PM TO 4PM Self- directed)
Based on the design and planning done in the first two modules, this module will aim to document specific needs for research and data collection regarding gaps in support and the ability to involve individuals and employees and organizations to provide equitable service. The participant will identify the scope of their project to improve equitable service and/or offer flexibility when serving diverse groups in Module 2. They will identify specific underlying issues and their impact on making service less effective. Then, the participant will clearly document direct links between issues identified and the plan formed for activities in Module 2. In Module 3, the focus will be on analyzing this plan and identifying the appropriate desired outcomes and impacts that the participant wants to see come from the designed plan. These target outcomes and impact should be both short term and long term, and connect to the initial goals plus a process of collecting feedback from the community. The participant will:
Learning Outcomes:
- Determine what resources and expertise are needed to complete the activities identified
- Clearly articulate the desired impact using a methodology that will drive internal actions and reporting to external stakeholders and communities
- Link gaps and goals to relevant Key Performance Indicators and set benchmarks
- Design a data collection and reporting mechanism for increased ability to provide equitable care and minimization of gaps in service
- Develop a balanced approach in assessing program effectiveness based on data collection methods and sharing specific experiences that highlight and/or address gaps
- Evaluate the effectiveness of training programs and changes in operating methods implemented by the participant and their organizations
- Determine the return on investment on time and resources taken to make changes, and their impact on providing more equitable service and better results for the community
Module 3 Outline:
Part 1 – Module 3: Impact Measurement
Pre-recorded class (asynchronous)
Readings and exercises to fill in impact and activities plan from Modules 1 and 2 and branching that out to an Impact Measurement plan from Module 3 that aligns and KPIs towards learned outcomes for participants
Part 2- Module 3: Impact Measurement (cont’d)
Module 3 live session with the facilitator to review KPIs and measurement plan
Reviewing examples and best practices
Connecting research, ideation and initiatives to create an effective and lasting impact
Part 3 – Module 3: Impact Measurement (cont’d)
Post-exercise readings, discussion and 1-hr facilitator office hour
Description and Objectives for Module 4 : Branding and Marketing
DAY 4 (9AM TO 1PM Facilitator led) / (1PM TO 4PM Self- directed)
Module 4 focuses on developing multicultural and multi-identity brand strategies committed to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry. With research exercises, participants will discover their audience motivations, aspirations, and purchase drivers for their brand’s services and products. This module will uncover differences and similarities that must be thoughtfully and intentionally evaluated when building an authentic relationship between a brand and its audience, both internal or external. Students will learn how to create messaging to reflect the country’s diversity, attract more people and help change perspectives.
The role of a brand and whom you are marketing to has changed. It is time to ask new questions, make different decisions, and possibly change the way people think.
Learning Outcomes:
- Review past and present marketing of famous brands, what has changed and what still needs to change
- Understand the importance of brand values, what you stand for, what you believe, and how you want to be perceived
- Create effective brand messaging using your brand DEI positioning statement and story
- Learn how and where to use your brand message to influence a socially inclusive audience and attract ideal clients
Module 4 Outline:
Part 1- Module 4: Impact Branding
Pre-recorded videos and exercises
Research project of past and present marketing with DEI
Writing exercises; create your brand positioning statement and story
Develop a marketing plan
Part 2 – Module 4: Impact Branding (cont’d)
Live session with facilitator for exercise review and Q&A (2 Hours)
Part 3 – Module 4: Impact Branding (cont’d)
Post-exercise follow-up
Follow-up Office Hours: Meeting with facilitator for questions (1 hour online)
Description and Objectives for Module 5: Community Engagement
DAY 5 (9AM TO 1PM Facilitator led) / (1PM TO 4PM Self- directed)
This module provides a broad overview of community engagement philosophies, practices, and skills. Offered to working professionals, it prepares co-learners to begin incorporating community engagement approaches and values into their own work in diverse urban settings. By taking a multi-sectoral lens to both course structure and activities, co-learners are encouraged to network, build relationships, and incorporate aspects of their professional experience into the weekly sessions. In addition to experiencing talks, workshops, and activities with a community engagement focus, co-learners will have opportunities to reflect on their learning through individual assignments and group discussion. Co-learners will practice their emerging community engagement skills by planning and troubleshooting a community initiative with a small, multi-sectoral group of their co learners.
Learning Outcomes:
- How to develop and communicate an ecosystem strategy for business growth
- Develop and support the implementation of an engagement plan with diverse communities
- Explain personal perceptions, biases, and expectations in relation to working with communities
- Identify and critically analyze issues of power dynamics, identity, privilege, and equity, as they intersect with the complexities of working across differences within diverse urban settings
- Identify the basic principles of stakeholder engagement and articulate their importance to community projects
- Identify and evaluate the increasing use of technology (mobile and other) and media in community engagement
- Develop professional networks to support common goals related to community & meeting new people
Module 5 Outline:
Part 1 – Module 5: Community Engagement
Readings and exercises: What exactly does “community engagement” mean? What do we mean by “community”?
Learn how to write a stakeholder engagement plan.
We will explore these questions and the related concepts of community, community engagement, citizenship, social responsibility, and experiential education through theoretical and practical approaches.
Part 2 – Module 5: Community Engagement (cont’d)
Live session with a facilitator to discuss differentiating types of engagement: volunteerism, activism, public service, advocacy.
Group Activity: Live Stakeholder Engagement Session via Zoom Breakout Rooms (1.5 Hours)
Part 3 – Module 5: Community Engagement (cont’d)
Learn how to develop and communicate an ecosystem strategy for business growth.
Post-exercise readings and follow-up.
Office Hours – 1 Hour Q&A.
Description and Objectives for Module 6: Implementation
DAY 6 (9AM TO 1PM Facilitator led) / (1PM TO 4PM Self- directed)
Module 6 focuses on implementing a social initiative. Participants will put their social initiative to the test. Using evidence and insights gathered from the experiment, they will decide whether or not to continue, iterate, pivot or stop their proposed solution. This module will help participants determine their next steps and whether their solution will genuinely make the industry spaces more inclusive and safe for all.
Learning Outcomes:
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Design a minimal viable solution to test for impact
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Identify and utilize tools to test their social initiative in a cost effective way
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Establish a hypothesis, test and learn from the feedback
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Learn how to gauge the interest-level of key stakeholders for their solution
Module 6 Outline:
Part 1 – Module 6: Implementation
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Pre-recorded class (asynchronous)
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Readings and exercises
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Testing Social Initiative
Part 2 – Module 6: Implementation (cont’d)
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Live session with entire facilitator team
Part 3 – Module 6: Implementation (cont’d)
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Post-exercise readings and follow-up
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Evaluating Feedback
Description and Objectives for Module 7: Leadership
DAY 7 (9AM TO 1PM Facilitator led) / (1PM TO 4PM Self- directed)
In this section, the learners will have the opportunity to take a reflective standpoint to their learning and creatively explore the impact of integrating DEI practices within industry settings. Learners will critically examine the structure of other industry organizations and how they developed a dynamic of DEI leadership. Within that critique, learners have the opportunity to engage within a philosophical discussion around the decolonizing of our current concepts around integrative and traditional medicines as they relate to DEI and healthcare policies.
Learning Outcomes:
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Discovering the various impacts of creating a more inclusive DEI strategy within an industry settings
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DEI Leadership and goals in industry organizations
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Decolonizing health and health approaches
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Acknowledging and valuing traditional medicines
Module 7 Outline:
Part 1 – Module 7: (leadership discussion around integrative and traditional medicines as they relate to DEI and healthcare policies)
DEI Leadership and goals in healthcare organizations
Decolonizing health and health approaches
Acknowledging and valuing traditional medicines
Part 2: Module 7
- Office hour week
Part 3: Module 7
Showcase of work-in-progress projects
Participants will be given an opportunity to showcase their projects, discuss the progress they have made, and put out an ask for support from other participants
