Community Partner Challenges

We asked our organizations in the Calgary community to engage our students in finding solutions to challenges they are currently facing. This page outlines the challenges our students will be helping address in the Fall 2023 iteration of our Global Community Challenge YYC. 

Aboriginal Friendship Center of Calgary logo

Aboriginal Friendship Center of Calgary

Challenge

The AFCC Powwow committee is hosting a Traditional Powwow Gathering and Feast to be held in March, 2024, to promote awareness in honoring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and two-spirit People (MMIWG2S). This event will help families and Indigenous communities in healing, strengthening, and empowering through their sacred songs and dance.  Powwow's strengthen Indigenous families connection to their cultures, reduce barriers, provide positive social interactions, enhance physical health and improve mental health in a safe cultural space that is inclusive. It will be an opportunity to reconnect and increase transmission of traditional knowledge and skills while also promoting reconciliation through bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous.  The challenge of the student team will be to develop a marketing, promotion, and logistics implementation plan for the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary to host their first large-scale traditional Powwow. The event will include invitations to Honorable guests, Dignitaries and Indigenous loyalty.  Through funding of the Murdered and Missing Woman and Girls grant, it will serve as a tribute to those who their community has lost but a celebration of the strength and resilience of their people.

Calgary Climate Hub

Calgary Climate Hub

Challenge

The benefits of community integration and climate change advocacy align with the values of both immigrant inclusion and sustainable living. With the goal of enhancing community integration and environmental awareness among immigrants, the student team challenge is to develop a culturally sensitive welcome package that not only educates newcomers about climate change but also encourages them to join local initiatives and contribute to a greener Calgary.

 

Vision Statement
We remove barriers and empower our urban community through cultural reconnection, programs,services and access to resources that address the social and economic realities of our people.

Mission Statement
Providing Indigenous cultural connection through programs and services for the urban population.

Values
 The following values guide all AFCC's interactions with community members, partner agencies, donors and government. Inclusive, Accountable, Respectful, Innovative ,Supportive , Collaborative, Humble ,Transparent.

The Calgary Climate Hub is a volunteer-led, non-profit organization that unites a diverse group of Calgarians committed to working together to support meaningful local action on climate change. We represent a variety of communities, industries, cultures and causes. We believe that a broad and diverse range of Calgarians and organizations need to be engaged on the climate crisis to develop impactful solutions that fit our unique political and economic circumstances.


Alinea logo

Alinea International

Challenge 

In the world of international development, localization is the intention and action of shifting and strengthening responsibility and decision-making authority.  It is also to commensurate resourcing to selected organizations and individuals within partner countries in lesser developed countries. These include civil society organizations, local networks and groups, governments and public institutions, as well as private development practitioners. The GCC student team is challenged to identify strategies that Canadian international development organizations can use to support localization, while maintaining their important role in reducing poverty around the world.

Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth logo

Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth

Challenge

As USAY continues to develop supports for indigenous youth in navigating mental health struggles, they look to draw from their traditional teachings along with new approaches to healing, well-being, and connection.  The GCC student team is asked to research and present examples of successful cross-cultural practices in supporting youth with mental and spiritual healing, inclusive of traditional cultural ways and the role of modern medicine. 

Alinea is an international development consultancy providing technical and management expertise that helps people improve their lives. We work with governments, investors, companies and communities to create positive impact.

Since 2001, USAY has been dedicated to providing essential programming and services to Calgary’s Indigenous youth between the ages of thirteen and twenty-nine. They aim to enrich the lives of all urban Indigenous youth by nurturing self-empowerment and fostering healthy collaboration and communication. This is achieved through co-creating culture and education programs with indigenous youth, partners, and Elders to encourage positive identity and sense of self.  One of many examples is their innovative approach in bringing culture and technology together through augmented reality. 


End of the Rainbow Foundation logo

End of the Rainbow Foundation

Challenge

LGBTQI+ people seeking refuge from outside of Canada often lack information or have learned misinformation about the process of migrating to Canada as a refugee, and the settlement in a specific host community.  These inaccuracies can impact both the decisions made along the process of seeking asylum, as well as increasing the stress experienced while in-transit or while waiting for applications to be processed by the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O). Even when working with the sponsor group in the host community, the sponsored refugee may still experience barriers to receiving accurate, timely and realistic answers to their questions around the process and options available while they wait for approval to migrate to the host community.  The GCC student team is challenged to identify possible solutions to improve pre-arrival information for privately sponsored refugees, in the hopes that this will both lower stress while they are in transit countr(ies), and set more realistic expectations around the settlement process for LGBTQI+ privately sponsored refugees.

Special Olympics logo

Special Olympics

Challenge

Many individuals with intellectual disabilities living in group homes need to have physical activity to help with their overall wellbeing. SOCalgary is working on creating linkages with local group home and agencies through offering movement focused programming for individuals with intellectual disabilities, that they can take advantage of during the daytime.    The student challenge: is to design the how, when, and where aspects of a service  which SOCalgary can provide for individuals in group homes, which will enhance their opportunity to engage in physical movement and easy sport.   

Our foundation hosts the Calgary LGBTQ+ Refugee Centre; the Calgary Rainbow Railroad Station, settling SOGIESC refugees from outside Canada; and a variety of volunteer run support groups and mentor services. We host the National SOCIESC Sponsorship Fund designed to help sponsor LGBTQ+ refugees anywhere in Canada. We are dedicated to all people of any sexual orientation and gender identity (LGBTQ+ or SOGIESC1), whether they are longtime citizens, or new Canadian refugees, or immigrants.

We are committed to enriching the lives of Calgarians with an intellectual disability through sport.
Individuals with an intellectual disability, of all ages and abilities, are given the opportunity to realize their full athletic potential, with appropriate training, coaching and competitions, to develop life skills, a healthy body and self esteem.
 


Salvation Army logo

Salvation Army Family Services

Challenge

The Salvation Army's goal is to help change the current image of The Greater Forest Lawn (GFL) area. The GFL has had a longstanding reputation of being 'dangerous' and a community where Calgarians outside of the community are reluctant to live or even visit.
The area is primarily residential and the majority of the homes are rentals. The population is a rich mix of different cultures and languages. Many newcomers settle in this area due to the lower cost of rent. The community wants the poor reputation to change, they are very proud of where they live and have created a very unique community. There is a strong desire to change the minds fellow citizens, business and organizations of Calgary with a message that emphasizes "come and appreciate our neighborhood, our culture, our food. There is a lot to celebrate here!".  The GCC student team is challenged with devising an awareness strategy targeting "GFL outsiders" which showcases positive aspects of living and operating in the GFL.  This strategy will aim to enhance the community's reputation and ultimately attract stronger investment of supports and amenities offered within the community.

Centre for Newcomers logo

Centre for Newcomers

Challenge

 Calgary, a diverse and welcoming city, is encountering a critical housing affordability challenge that disproportionately affects newcomers who are striving to establish themselves. Many newcomers face barriers in accessing affordable housing, which can hinder their successful integration into the community. As future leaders and problem solvers, university students have the unique opportunity to advocate for market-based solutions that can uplift newcomers and address this pressing issue. Task: Your task is to craft a powerful advocacy campaign that highlights the housing affordability crisis faced by newcomers in Calgary and advocates for the implementation of market-based strategies to enhance access to affordable housing. Your campaign should resonate with both newcomers and the broader community while inspiring change and promoting social inclusion.

The Salvation Army has been in Calgary since 1887. The Salvation Army services have changed over the years but not who we serve. We serve those that need our support, homeless, addicted, woman and children, low income families and newcomers to our city. We look to the future and develop programs that will provide skills and empowerment to all who participate (ESL, adult life skills, children's programming, as well as basic needs and a listening ear).

To support newcomers and the receiving community in becoming a diverse, united community, through services and initiatives that create conditions of success for newcomers and that foster a welcoming environment in Calgary.

Our vision: We envision a community that values diversity, in which people of all backgrounds find and create opportunities to fulfill dreams and participate fully as citizens.


Making Changes Association logo

Making Changes Association

Challenge

Making Changes supports women, those who identify as women, and teen girls in their pursuit of education and employment goals.  Many of our clients are newcomers to Canada, and/or low income individuals.  We currently have 4 programs, and are looking to expand our programming base -- both in adding new programs, and potentially offering programming outside of Calgary.  However, we want to ensure we are providing programming and supports in areas of need that are not being fully met through other programming delivered by other non-profits.  We're also looking to identify and strengthen our unique value proposition in the community.  We have started researching programming in the region and need support to finish this research, collate the data, highlight potential gaps in services we could fill, share best practices or ideas from other communities around the world by other agencies serving women, and (time and group capacity permitting) help identify our unique value proposition.

Making Changes is a community of women helping women and their families through life transitions by providing them with the skills and resources to support their pursuit of meaningful work and educational opportunities.  Serving over 2,400 clients a year, our focus is on providing supports to women, those who identify as women and teen girls through our 4 key programs.