Changemaker Experience 2024

Changemakers

Virtual Connection and Workshop Sessions

Coaching and Peer-Learning Calls

As a convener and catalyst, you are bringing together a wide range of partners and working collaboratively to achieve a positive impact. The Changemaker Experience includes a seven-part workshop series, coaching support, and access to the latest thinking, tools, and resources all designed to increase your skills and competencies in leading and driving change.

During the Changemaker Experience, you will:

Interact with colleagues from across Canada and the globe as a peer learning cohort
Learn new skills, tools, and frameworks which enhance your ability to lead change
Participate in reflective activities which deepen your knowledge and skills
Have access to peer and individual coaching sessions to accelerate change
Hear from leading practitioners in the field of community change
Share your experience, knowledge, and expertise
Broaden your network of colleagues across Canada and beyond

In 2022, Tamarack upgraded its approach to community and systems impact. The Changemaker Experience will explore all facets of the community and systems impact approach including exploring the core principles which drive place-based change forward, enhancing your change and impact skillsets, and deepening your understanding of the frameworks or ways of working to support you to translate your social change goals into reality.

Below you will find more details about the Changemaker Experience and how to participate in the initial peer cohort. We invite you to learn more and apply to join the Changemaker Experience. Contact Duncan Field if you have questions about the Changemaker Experience or application process.

The number of participants per cohort is limited to maximize the learning experience so, don’t wait.

We are living in a time of significant change. The past three years have revealed deep divisions in our communities and systems. There is increasing discord, social isolation, and pressure on communities. Navigating complex community challenges such as food security, poverty, mental health and well-being, and youth, and citizen engagement requires collaborative mindsets and skill sets.

The Changemaker Experience is your opportunity to engage in enhancing the skills that are essential to build the consensus and commitment to accelerate community and systems-level impact. The Changemaker Experience will bring together a small cohort of changemakers who will learn together, experience tools, and resources, and develop new skills to bring back to your communities and collaboratives.

The deadline for application to the Changemaker Experiences is January 19, 2024, with the first cohort launching in February 2024.

learn more

The Changemaker Experience is intentionally designed as an intimate, small-group learning experience. The 2024 Changemaker Experience cohort will be limited to 50 participants. Participants will build connections and become a peer learning group to share successful practices and challenges in driving community and systems-level change.

As a member of the Changemaker Experience Cohort, you will have access to the latest thinking in community change from dynamic speakers and community change leaders and a global perspective about different frameworks and tools.

Changemaker Experience cohort members will commit to monthly virtual learning sessions and will be invited to share their perspectives to shape and grow the learning experience as it unfolds.

key agenda items

A virtual workshop series and two coaching sessions exploring the key elements of effective community change including collaboration, community engagement, leadership, innovation, and evaluating impact

Monthly cohort sessions with guest speakers on a range of relevant topics

Exploration of cutting-edge frameworks, tools, resources, and evidence-based solutions which drive change forward

Expert and peer coaching sessions designed to support your changemaking experience

A focus on applying theory to advance change in your collaborative or community

Access to Tamarack's publications, research, and guides for communities and local leaders

An opportunity for rapid prototyping, and peer feedback on program design, piloting, and launch

who should apply?

The Changemaker Experience is designed for individuals who have been leading change in their organizations or communities for three or more years. You are a committed leader who is seeking an advanced learning experience. You are willing to share your perspectives with your peer group. You are excited about making this investment in your own leadership and driving forward change in your community.

A stated commitment to and experience with community and system-level change

A stated commitment to engage in the collective impact and community engagement processes that define the Changemaker Experience

Ideally, a current community change initiative you are eager to develop, implement or enhance

A commitment to fully engage in the community and peer learning experience throughout the nine-month commitment

Sessions will take place on the following days:

February 15
March 14
April 18
May 16
June 13
July 18
August 15
Coaching to take place throughout September

Session 1: Setting the Stage for Community Change and Impact

This 2-hour session will focus on the basics of community change. The following topics will be covered:

Share the current understanding of communities and community context
Define community readiness and catalytic communities
Review key tools – Cynefin framework, collaboration spectrum, and collaboration cycle
Apply tools in any changemaker context

Session 2: Creating a Culture of Community Engagement

This 2-hour session will focus on developing purposeful community engagement strategies. The following topics will be covered:

Highlight the IAP2 Community Engagement Spectrum and the Capire Engagement approach
Share virtual, hybrid, and other community engagement strategies to navigate a changing world
Review key community engagement tools
Apply the tools to the changemaker context

Session 3: Collaboration and Collective Impact

This 2-hour session will focus on effective community collaboration strategies including collective impact which is a strategy designed to advance systems change. The following topics will be covered:

Highlight the collaboration spectrum and the collective impact framework as collaboration approaches
Determine the types of collaborative efforts currently being supported by FLA and where there might be some collaboration challenges
Review collaboration and collective impact tools
Apply the tools to the changemaker context

Session 4: Collaborative Leadership and Governance

This 2-hour session will focus on the key elements of both collaborative leadership and collaborative governance. Participants will learn:

The essential mindsets and skillsets required for collaborative leadership
Develop ways to build trust and connection
Understand the unique elements and tools for collaborative governance
Apply the tools in the changemaker context

Session 5: Community Innovation

This 2-hour session will focus on social innovation approaches that can be applied to the community context. Participants will:

Review the innovation ambition continuum and what this means for collaborative work
Identify innovation tools and practices and how these might apply
Develop a co-design approach using the double-diamond framework
Apply the tools and learning to the changemaker context

Session 6: Evaluation & Strategic Learning

This 3-hour session will provide participants with a deeper understanding of how to evaluate community change efforts. Participants will:

Identify the challenges of evaluating longer-term change and community impact
Explore why we evaluate
Explore Approaches, Methods, Tools: find your way. 
Explore What is participatory evaluation and Is your community or organization ready for a participatory evaluation?

Session 7: Applying the Learning to Changemaker Experience

The final 2-hour session in this series will be an opportunity for participants to consider all the content provided. The participants will be engaged in a peer input process to provide their colleagues with peer advice and support and share their perspectives and learning. The second hour will be spent in additional conversation and focus on key challenges.

Liz Weaver

Liz Weaver is the Co-CEO of Tamarack Institute and leading the Tamarack Learning Centre. Liz is well-known for her thought leadership on collective impact and is the author of several popular and academic papers on the topic. She is a co-catalyst partner with the Collective Impact Forum.

Sylvia Cheuy

Sylvia is a Consulting Director of the Tamarack Institute’s Collective Impact Idea Area. She is passionate about community change and what becomes possible when residents and various sector leaders share an aspirational vision for their future. Sylvia believes that when the assets of residents and community are recognized and connected they become powerful drivers of community change.

Lisa Attygalle

Lisa is a Consulting Director of the Tamarack Institute’s Community Engagement Idea Area. Over the last six years, her work has focused on creating authentic engagement strategies and training staff teams, teaching and writing about innovative engagement methodologies, designing and facilitating workshops with a focus on raising the voice of the context expert, integrated communications planning, and the use of technology and creativity for engagement.

Jean-Marie Chapeau

Jean-Marie s a Consulting Director of the Tamarack Institute’s Evaluation Idea Area. He has been involved in community development and social change for 25 years. Jean-Marie mobilizes his experience, passion, and curiosity to promote evaluation as a tool for empowerment in communities and to accompany individuals and groups in their learning processes.

Myriam Bérubé

Myriam is the Consulting Director for Quebec at the Tamarack Institute. She’s passionate about community innovation and development and brings her understanding of the diversity of experiences made in Quebec into Tamarack’s five interconnected areas of practices leading to community change.

Sonja Miokovic

Sonja is the Consulting Director of the Tamarack Institutes’s Community Innovation Area. She is a dynamic educator, social scientist, and innovator with over 16 years of experience in the sector. Having lived, worked, and played in over 80 countries, she has a broad spectrum of international experience that cuts across the public, private and civil society sectors.

“The breakout conversations helped me discern some of the relevancy and context to my own work. Plus, the instructors tend to have good examples [of use-cases]"

2023 Cohort Participant

“I enjoyed getting to hear from both the instructors AND my group - it helped me picture how to apply the work."

2023 Cohort Participant

“Great tools for all levels of work, from just beginning to ongoing collaboratives"

2023 Cohort Participant

“Thanks for this - really appreciate the chance to be a part of such an interesting group!"

2023 Cohort Participant

logistics & pricing:

Registration will be limited to a maximum of 50 learners to ensure a dynamic learning experience. Successful applicants will be sent access to all cohort materials and Zoom meeting details in advance. For those of you who have to navigate different time zones, Tamarack will record the speaker and workshop sessions so that you and your team can learn virtually. The fee is inclusive of the 7-session series and coaching calls.

Single Registration

$1,499

Group Registration (3+)

$1,299

The Paul Born Be A Light Scholarship Fund

We want everyone to learn how to improve their community! To ensure this, Tamarack supports low-income learners through the Paul Born Be a Light Fund.

Please fill out this form if you would like to apply for a scholarship. You can also learn how you can donate to the Paul Born Be A Light Fund and get a charitable receipt. Reach out to Stephanie if you have any questions or concerns.

changemaker experience

you are at the forefront of leading change in your communities

hear from a 2023 cohort participant

design of the changemaker experience:

building skills to navigate change:

learn more

key agenda items

who should apply?

session breakdown

tamarack is inviting individuals to submit a short application explaining their interest in participating in the 2024 changemaker experience.

meet the faculty

Liz Weaver

Sylvia Cheuy

Lisa Attygalle

Jean-Marie Chapeau

Myriam Bérubé

Sonja Miokovic

logistics & pricing:

Single Registration

$1,499

Group Registration (3+)

$1,299

The Paul Born Be A Light Scholarship Fund