Hello Everyone,

We wanted to update you on the D&I Learning Plan. Since our last virtual session in February, we have been busy working on developing more comprehensive learning offerings for employees, volunteers and Board members.

The AGO has recently become an Employer Partner with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion. Through this partnership we have access to live webinars, recorded webinars and passes to an annual conference.  This year, the CCDI conference is virtual and we have offered passes to several employees, who are leading D&I work and/or have been volunteering their time to support and champion D&I work within the AGO. Those who attend will be encouraged to share learnings with their teams/committees/D&I discussion groups.  We look forward to continuing to  share education opportunities with other employees in the future. Look out this week for more information about CCDI recorded webinars on topics such as Moving the needle from equity to justice.

Staff Training

·       We aim to offer the next virtual D&I learning presentation in April. Currently, we are in conversation with a number of specialists to schedule future sessions in a wide range of topics, including disability, mental health, and LGBTQS2+ awareness. Updates will be shared shortly with the next topic area, date and time.

·       Work to support each division with specific D&I learning needs has also begun. In April, the Development Team will be participating in workshops delivered by fundraising professionals specializing in equity, diversity and inclusion to build their capacity as a team to address their D&I objectives.

Volunteer Training

·       Holly Procktor (Coordinator, Volunteers) and Maya Kotlarenko (Volunteer President) began the D&I education program with our volunteers in February. Volunteers are invited to watch the recorded D&I learning sessions and then meet to discuss the learning objectives.

Executive Leadership Training

·       The leadership team have registered for Indigenous Cultural Safety Training delivered by San’yas. In May, LT will be participating in an eight-week online interactive course designed to increase the knowledge, self-awareness, and skills that contribute to safer practices and safer workplaces and key organizational cultural safety strategies.

Board Training

·       We are pleased to share that our Board of Trustees have started their journey with D&I learning. This week, they are participating in Diversity and Inclusion Terminology training facilitated by Letecia Rose (Principal Consultant, Skill Market) who we have been working with for the past eight months. Over the coming months, we will be exploring other learning opportunities to continue to build the Board’s capacity in D&I.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Cian Knights by email at [email protected] or by phone (437) 778-4302.

Thank you,

Cian Knights, Manager of Diversity + Inclusion & Nathalie Sato, Manager of Talent