Explores the roots of economic shifts and examines the stages a community goes through from notification to revitalization and what action practitioners can take to assist the transition.

Looks at the ways in which communities organize in order to build the skills, knowledge and confidence of local people to act for social, economic and political change.

 

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This workshop is part of SFU's Certificate Program for Community Economic Development Professionals: www.sfu.ca/cscd/ced

What people are saying about the program...

"The Program's broad-based, grassroots approach to community economic development is extremely valuable, surprisingly innovative, and completely refreshing. Every economic development professional should take the SFU-CED Program!"

- David Kalinchuk, Economic Development Manager, Rocky View, Alberta

"I loved every second of the program. I was expecting to leave with a deeper understanding of CED, and I did, but more importantly I connected with my fellow students and have been inspired by their passion and enthusiasm for making a difference in their communities."

- Michelle Eggli, enterprising non-profits program, Vancity

 

 

 

 

This year, we are offering courses in Victoria, Vancouver, Haida Gwaii, Dawson Creek, Smithers, Williams Lake and Vanderhoof. To find out more contact Nicole Chaland, at certced@sfu.ca or 250-478-3294.

Upcoming Courses

Course: Community Organizing within Community Economic Development

Looks at the ways in which communities organize in order to build the skills, knowledge and confidence of local people to act for social, economic and political change.
Date: September 18 and 19
Location: downtown Vancouver

Course: Natural Resource Communities in Transition

Explores the roots of economic shifts and examines the stages a community goes through from notification to revitalization and what action practitioners can take to assist the transition.
Date: September 24 and 25
Location: Haida Gwaii, Dawson Creek, Smithers, Williams Lake, Vanderhoof (via videoconference)

Course: Sustainable Community Development

Community economic development is a means to achieve sustainable community development: an integrated approach to economic, social, cultural and environmental objectives. Learners will be able to develop a framework for sustainable community development, access and use sustainability tools, and contribute towards designing effective sustainable community development policy.
Date: October 22 and 23
Location: Haida Gwaii, Dawson Creek, Smithers, Williams Lake, Vanderhoof (via videoconference)

Course: Local Development and the Global Economy

Explores how globalization has transformed the way economies operate and what this means for local and regional economic development.
Date: October 23 and 24
Location: downtown Victoria

Course: Community Organizing within Community Economic Development

Looks at the ways in which communities organize in order to build the skills, knowledge and confidence of local people to act for social, economic and political change.
Date: November 19 and 20
Location: Haida Gwaii, Dawson Creek, Smithers, Williams Lake, Vanderhoof (via videoconference)

Course: Developing Community Economic Development Ventures

Explore venture development and analysis processes from the point of view of an economic development practitioner. Participants will start from regional economic analysis, follow a series of steps including selection criteria, feasibility studies, and business plans, and end with an examination of different business forms to find the one that best fits the venture.
Date: November 27 and 28
Location: downtown Vancouver

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What people are saying about the program...

"The Program's broad-based, grassroots approach to community economic development is extremely valuable, surprisingly innovative, and completely refreshing. Every economic development professional should take the SFU-CED Program!"

- David Kalinchuk, Economic Development Manager, Rocky View, Alberta

"I loved every second of the program. I was expecting to leave with a deeper understanding of CED, and I did, but more importantly I connected with my fellow students and have been inspired by their passion and enthusiasm for making a difference in their communities."

- Michelle Eggli, enterprising non-profits program, Vancity

"The CED courses at SFU have proven to be an invaluable asset for my staff who have participated. They not only get instruction from highly qualified instructors but, in most cases, from instructors who are still working at the grass roots level in CED."

- Ray Gerow, Manager, Prince George Aboriginal Business Development Centre

 

Mike Lewis is the Director of the Canadian Centre for Community Renewal and well-known author in the field of community economic development. Individual change and global change are important, but what about our communities and regions, how do we reweave and reorganize our economic life into a more self-reliant and co-operative framework? There are no simple answers. But there are strategic pathways and signposts. This talk will illustrate ideas and innovations critical to meeting our basic needs - finance, fuel, food and shelter - seeking realistic solutions and our capacity to secure the changes we make as we struggle to build pathways to a very different future.

With support from Faculty of Business,
Central 1 Credit Union, Federated Co-operatives and The Co-operators

The Canadian Worker Co-op Federation ("CWCF") is pleased to announce its 2009 national Conference: operations

• The focus at the 2009 CWCF Conference will be on practical training and sharing which will be highly relevant for worker co-ops. An additional focus this year will be on how worker co-ops can be part of the solution, survive and even thrive in times of economic crisis such as the current period, as well as in the face of environmental crisis. Last but not least, we will focus on having fun: WC Trade Fair, WC Jam Session, time for socializing together, etc.
• Keynote speaker will be Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada, who has stated that one of the three most influential people in her life was Moses Coady, founder of the Antigonish Co-operative Movement.
• Video link from the CICOPA Conference occurring in Geneva, Switzerland, sharing information on what's happening with worker co-ops internationally. (CICOPA in the international worker co-op federation.)
• Focus on welcoming a diversity of participants including immigrants, aboriginal people, youth, etc.
• Participatory training workshops, including "Worker Co-ops 101", and on various issues of relevance to running a worker co-op - for worker co-op members, co-op developers, and the general public. There will be information on resources available to assist in developing worker co-operatives.

WEBINAR #1: September 16th 1:30 - 3:00 pm EDT
Co-operatives in Periods of Economic Crisis
Paul Hazen: President, National Cooperative Business Association.

What lessons can we learn from how co-operatives have helped people to weather tough times in the past? Paul Hazen will overview the history of how people have used co-ops in recessionary times. He will also discuss how co-ops in the U.S. and abroad are managing during the current economic crisis.

WEBINAR #2: September 17th 1:30 - 3:00 pm EDT
Preserving Main Streets Through Co-operatives
Howard Brodsky: Co-Founder, Chairman, and Co-CEO of CCA Global Partners.

Small family-owned businesses can and do compete with big-box stores. Howard Brodsky will review the shared services co-operative model and how it has enabled thousands of small, Main Street business owners to successfully compete against Goliath outlets like Wal-Mart and Home Depot.

WEBINAR #3: October 14th 1:30 - 3:00 pm EDT
How are Credit Unions Performing in the Current Banking Crisis?
(Moderator) Jessica Gordon Nembhard: Associate Professor, John Jay College.
(Panelists) Ronald Covey: President & CEO, St. Mary's Bank. Clifford Rosenthal:
President & CEO, National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions.

This session will be a panel discussion about how credit unions and community development credit unions are doing in this period of bank foreclosures and bailouts. The panelists will elaborate on how credit unions are working with their members to not only survive the current economic downturn; but also to build assets for themselves and their families.

WEBINAR #4: October 21st 1:30 - 3:00 pm EDT
Housing Co-operatives in a Time of Foreclosures
Terry Lewis, Esq.: LIA Associates & Chair, Co-operative Development Foundation.
Co-operatives and Public Policy
John Holdsclaw: Director of Policy Development, NCB Capital Impact.

They will also talk about how they are working with low-income residents to access banking services and to build personal savings and asset wealth. Housing co-ops haven't experienced the same rates of foreclosure as other forms of ownership. Co-ops are a great model for providing home ownership to people of all income levels and stages of life. Terry Lewis will discuss how housing co-ops are the right model for moving foreclosed homes into stable ownership. John Holdsclaw, a School of CED at Southern NH University alumnus, has successfully advocated co-op policy issues at NCB Capital Impact for many years. He will reflect on current public policy priorities in strengthening the use of cooperatives for community economic development.