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Past Projects
Here’s a sample of past projects. See if what I offer is a good fit with what you need.
Community Initiative Facilitation
- Designed and coordinated the Stone Soup project to increase local food security in the Sea to Sky Corridor north of Vancouver. Inspired by Enterprise Facilitation, I took an asset-based approach, and worked to link people and resources, and to nurture grassroots initiatives. For more see the Stone Soup project report.
Convening
- Co-designed and co-facilitated a multi-stakeholder food systems planning process for Environment Canada and the BC Public Health Services Authority. Through key informant interviews we documented the activities, resources and burning issues for thirty policy makers and program directors active in one or more elements of the food system at the federal, provincial and regional level in the southern BC. This informed the design of a participatory and interactive day to support greater awareness, networking and leveraging of food system activities.
- Designed and created the Our Stories Conference for Vancouver Coastal Health’s SMART Fund. Launched by a dynamic nine-month participatory planning process, the two day conference brought together a variety of stakeholders to explore the whys and hows of storytelling as a legitimate and potent way to demonstrate change. Key groups included nonprofit peer support community groups (25% of whom were First Nations), funders, VCH community workers, academics, and community artists. The conference spawned ongoing dialogue among funders on how to simplify application and reporting requirements, and the conference website remains a valued resource on storytelling to demonstrate change.
- Designed and created the first Leading Change event for the United Community Services Co-op in 2005. Using Open Space Technology, sixty existing and emerging leaders from the social service sector reflected on how better to “lead change with passion, power and wisdom.” The event has been repeated alternate years ever since, and has spawned numerous innovative sector-wide initiatives.
- Designed and facilitated a multi-stakeholder process to support the BC Healthy Food and Beverage Initiative, including key informant interviews, a consultation day, and final report with analysis and recommendations.
- Designed and facilitated an initial meeting of stakeholders in the BC Farmers Market Nutrition Coupon Project, including farmers market managers, cooking and skill-building program leaders and provincial government reps. The meeting helped bring clarity, trust and commitment to the project, and supported a highly successful pilot year.
-Capacity Building & teaching
- As founding faculty and executive coach, worked to develop the Presence component of THNK School of Creative Leadership’s curriculum for the Vancouver launch. (Faculty and executive coach from 2015-2017)
- As founding faculty, co-designing the Social Innovation Certificate for Simon Fraser University, including 16 instructional days in 6 modules, and a practicum and executive coaching component for cohorts of mid-career leaders and change makers. (Co-faculty and executive coach 2016-2020.)
- As founding faculty, co-designing the “Evaluation, Leadership and Learning” online module for Simon Fraser University’s certificate in Evaluation for Social Impact and Transformational Learning. (Co-faculty and executive coach from 2018-2022.)
Transition in Organizations
- Facilitated a community choir through a tough patch, including change in musical directorship;
- Supported the Renewing Our Response coalition of Aboriginal Persons with Aids serving organizations to shift from research and planning into the more trust- and collaboration-intensive implementation phase.
- Supported the BC Chapter of the Huntington Society to reinvigorate their board of directors, and to clarify their preferred relationship with the National Office.
- Supported the BC Farmers Market Association to clarify direction and key strategies at a time of major change in funding and project focus.
Citizen Engagement
- Seeded Local Early Childhood Development Teams for the Sea to Sky Putting Children First Initiative. I convened public meetings and helped create ongoing citizen groups through mentoring and support of emerging leaders. This citizen engagement was part of a wider “hybrid” Strategic Planning process that combined visioning and strategic planning work at the regional level with implementation of a bottom-up citizen engagement and priority-setting process.
Training
- On behalf of Langara College Continuing Studies, I co-designed and co-facilitated a six month training program in community development principles and practices for sixty senior staff from the City of Surrey Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture. The training balanced presenting theories, models and approaches, with direct experience of community development practices, and time for reflecting on the dynamics in the moment in the room.
- As Director for the BC Region I have adapted and co-facilitated trainings for new group leaders of the What’s Your Tree citizen engagement program.
Kate embodies her purpose and passion in a way that inspires everyone she meets. She brings keen insight and a treasure trove of skills to our grassroots leadership development program.