Skills Society 2024 Annual Report

(Re)thinking Leadership

We Are All Leaders: (Re)thinking Leadership tatawâw

ᑕᑕᐊᐧᐤ

Welcome! There is room here for who you are, where you are from, and who you are becoming

We acknowledge that we are stewarding the work of Skills Society on lands known as amiskwaciwâskahikan

or Edmonton, which is part of the Métis Nation Homeland and is governed by Treaty 6. We recognize the honour we have in joining with the spirit of this ancient gathering place where Indigenous peoples have dreamed, created, and taken care of one another since time immemorial.

Welcome to our 2024 Skills Society Annual Report. This year’s theme, “We Are All Leaders: (Re)thinking Leadership”, celebrates the idea that each of us can be a leader and a catalyst for change. This theme echoes a powerful call to action that underlies our collective work - leaders who make a difference are those who do not settle and strive against all odds and barriers to insist on figuring out how to support people with disabilities to have good lives. As we look back on the year that has passed and our collective work, we are purposefully taking time and creating space to think differently about leadership and explore diverse understandings and framing of leadership for a better future.

Leadership as stewardship

Our work is rooted in the foundational belief that all individuals are valued citizens deserving respect, dignity, and rights. At Skills Society, we often refer to our work as striving to be centered in good stewardship practices. Meaning, we are all responsible for taking care of, nurturing this vision, and leading positive change to support people in having the best lives possible. It is humbling to reflect and honor key change-making stewards (self-advocates, families, and allies), who through their tireless efforts have laid the foundation from which our work continues to build. Recognizing that all of us are keepers of a vision that came before many of us reinforces our commitment as good leaders and allies in disability services, to understanding our roots - our organizational history and the broader disability rights movements within Alberta.

Leadership as a mindset

This past year, based on input from our community, we re-evaluated our strategic priorities for the upcoming years. As we continue to navigate, respond to, and thrive in the current and future contexts, we see the importance now, more than ever, that everyone recognizes how they can show up and be a leader. Part of this (re)thinking, is demystifying the notion that leadership is tied to a specific ‘title’, ‘role’ or ‘position’, but rather, leadership is a mindset and practice everyone can participate in. Everyone has qualities to contribute. In our journey alongside people with disabilities and their families, we view everyone as a leader(steward), particularly the people we serve. As allies and paid supports, we see a big part of our role as supporting people we serve to be leaders in their lives, charting the course for the good life, and helping others to recognize and value their contributions and leadership in our community.

We are proud to share in this report stories and moments from the past year of people we support, employees, and community partners who have demonstrated leadership and contributed to shaping a more vibrant community. We hope everyone will come away recognizing we are all leaders - through participation in community, supporting one another, and the unique ways we all contribute to a vision of a more equitable and inclusive future.

WE ARE SKILLS SOCIETY WHO WE SERVE

We are one of the largest disability service organizations in the Edmonton area. For over 40 years we have provided individualized support services to people with developmental disabilities and survivors of brain injury, their families, and the communities in which they live. Our work is complex but our goal is simple: help people with disabilities live safe, dignified, and meaningful lives.

Our organization was started in the 1980s by parents who wanted more for their children - to reduce their sense of isolation by removing them from institutions and placing them back into the arms of society. Today, we remain connected to those roots by keeping our services person-centred and focused on the unique needs of every individual. In doing so, we reduce their isolation and improve their mental health, reduce healthcare and justice costs, and help them set and achieve personal goals they (and their families) never thought possible.

We provide support services to children and adults with developmental disabilities, survivors of brain injuries, and their families. Support varies depending on the level of need and qualifications for government funding. For some, we may provide a few hours of outreach support each week. For others, it involves 24/7 supported community living. We also work with those who are defined by PDD as having complex service needs.

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A community where all individuals are valued citizens deserving respect, dignity and rights.

MISSION VISION

We support individuals with disabilities and their families in their right to learn and grow in the community. Our services strengthen belonging and encourage and support individual choice and opportunity.

CITIZENSHIP IS AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO

For many of us, citizenship is something we take for granted. It can be defined in many ways, but at its core citizenship is our sense of value and belonging. This sense of citizenship doesn’t always extend to people with disabilities. That’s why Skills Society was formed - to provide people with disabilities with the same opportunities and choices, the same ability to share their gifts and talents, and the same sense of belonging that we all enjoy. Citizenship is what we strive for every day - and it encompasses the following:

Relationships

Surrounded by people who love and care for them, sharing their lives with others

Rights

Equal access to opportunities, freedom to choose, independence

CITIZENSHIP

Participation

Meaningful things to do and places to go, the opportunity to share gifts and talents with others

Belonging

Feeling valued, respected, and an important part of society

OUR CORE VALUES

PRACTICE IN PERSON-CENTRED WAYS

We never forget to keep the voices of those we serve at the centre of our planning and practices.

Why it Matters

In the past, people with disabilities were left out of important conversations that affected their lives. We believe that our planning, policies, procedures, and pathways are more effective when they are informed by and responsive to the needs of the people whose lives they impact.

Operating Principles

• We focus our services around the lived experiences of the people we support

• We plan our services in creative and engaging ways in order to make them meaningful and relevant

• We ensure our solutions are the most empowering, least intrusive and safest for the people affected

• We build and strengthen healthy relationships in everything we do

• We work equally to solve big picture problems and on-the-ground needs

SEEK CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS

By working with others, we build a stronger community of neighbours, leaders and advocates.

Why it Matters

We believe that real social change comes from collective effort. By sharing resources and working closely with other like-minded organizations, we raise the voice of the disability community and take a leading role in building more inclusive communities.

Operating Principles

• We treat invitations to collaborate as opportunities to help achieve our vision and mission

• We use the Action Lab and other initiatives to open up relationships and spur innovative ideas

• We look beyond our organization for new and different ways to achieve our vision

• We place trust at the centre of any relationshipbecause that’s what enables collaboration

• We embrace the sometimes slower nature of collaborative work when it is necessary

BUILD AND SHARE KNOWLEDGE

In order to continually improve the support we provide, we’re not afraid to learn from others and try new ideas.

Why it Matters

In order to become better problem solvers, we work hard to learn through our actions and study excellence in others. We are committed to trying new ideas, seeking input on our work, and building a learning organization each and every day.

Operating Principles

• We actively seek out new knowledge and view continuous learning as essential to our role as leaders

• We learn through reflecting on our actions and studying the work of others

• We strive to mix solutions that are old, new and sometimes surprising

• We generously share what we build and learn with others

recognize

use of assistive technology and its value in enabling learning, helping classmates with comprehension, sharing Indigenous knowledge and ways of learning, and volunteering in college activities and events.

Geneva received both the Esther Aaronson Moore Assistive Technology Award and Shine Campaign Chair Award from NorQuest College. These awards

her

Cheryl next to one of her art pieces, which was purchased by the City of Edmonton for display at the Belvedere LRT station.

EMBRACE COMPLEXITY

We know that supporting people’s citizenship is complex. Through creativity, determination and collaboration we can tackle any challenge.

Why it Matters

Helping people with disabilities live fulfilling lives is not an easy, straightforward road. It is complex work - from the needs of the people we serve to the interconnected policies that shape their world. Rather than shy away from these challenges, we meet them head-on with creativity, determination and collective effort.

Operating Principles

• We experiment with multiple ways to address tough issues in order to improve the chances we find a solution

• We embrace ambiguity, difficulty and tension as opportunities for creative thinking and innovative responses

• We are comfortable knowing that measuring success in our work is not an exact science with clear answers

• We are relentless but patient in our efforts to navigate and make progress on tough issues

• We focus our changemaking efforts across three horizons of innovation. We balance the complexity of providing high quality supports and changemaking that’s required in the here and now, and spearheading and participating in systems level change that shows promise of a better future and enhancing the lives of people with disabilities.

ADAPT & EVOLVE

We build our supports to adapt to the unique needs of each person. At the same time, we strive to shift our services and priorities to meet changing times.

Why it Matters

Life is full of change. We know that if our strategies and systems are too rigid and static, we risk our services becoming less useful or relevant. Instead, we are stronger when we are more agile in responding to changing contexts and uncertain times.

Operating Principles

• We stay razor focused on our vision and mission yet flexible in how we pursue them

• We constantly scan our world - inside and out - to identify opportunities and barriers for our work

• We boldly seek out new insights - even failures - and adapt our work to reflect our learning

• We promote clear and constant communication to enable us to pivot quickly if required

• We adjust and revisit decisions when new information is presented or as political, social, and environmental contexts shift

• We remain open to new solutions in the face of changing times

• We listen deeply to understand what is really going on and what is needed

LEADERSHIP & CITIZENSHIP

HIGHLIGHT - PARTICIPATION

Abdul’s Story

Abdul is an active, kind, and caring person, who contributes to his community as an engaged citizen in a variety of ways. During his four years studying at Grant MacEwan University, Abdul volunteered with the Safe Walk program, an on-call service that assists students walking to their car or transit stations after dark. Abdul explains that he wanted to help people because walking alone at night is dark and sometimes dangerous. He also appreciated the opportunity to meet other students and give back. “Helping people is always joyful”, Abdul shares. Recently, Abdul began working for Action Lab as a Host. While he acknowledges that it’s hard work, he values it, knowing that he is making a difference by ensuring the space is comfortable and welcoming for others.

Abdul engages in various community activities, including attending mosque weekly and exploring his creative side at the Nina Haggerty Centre, where he enjoys creating art and mingling with others. He is also very active in sports, playing on several teams, including soccer, basketball, and softball. When asked what he likes most about participating in sports, he said, “meeting people and working as a team”. As a leader on his teams and in the community, Abdul strives to be a team player with a positive attitude, helping to ensure everyone has a joyful experience and feel included. Recognizing everyone is a leader and steps in at different times, Abdul emphasizes the importance of teamwork in being a good leader: “Not to be working alone, but working with others”.

Abdul also demonstrates strong leadership by being a good listener, creating space for people to share their thoughts and ideas. In December, he attended the Ignite Change Global Convention to advance and promote human rights. Abudl shares that it’s important “to talk about equal rights, to talk about and listen to people’s right to be included and heard”. Abdul hopes for equal rights for everyone and envisions a future where everyone is included, does not experience loneliness, and rich with relationships.

Abdul outside of the Commonwealth Community Recreation Center

SKILLS HELPS PEOPLE THRIVE IN FIVE PILLARS OF EVERYDAY LIFE

We build each of our services to help people with disabilities thrive in five pillars of everyday life.

What this looks like:

• Making a house feel like a home

• Building and strengthening connections with roommates, neighbours, friends and family

• Establishing healthy and meaningful routines together

• Completing day-to-day tasks like budgeting and grocery shopping

What this looks like:

• Making and sustaining friendships along with healthy, romantic relationships

• Establishing social networks with friends, neighbors and colleagues

• Nurturing family relationships

What this looks like:

• Finding and maintaining paid employment

• Developing new skills through volunteering

• Pursuing education or jobrelated training

Supporting the Citizenship of People with Disabilities

Skills Society celebrated the unveiling of Scott Berry’s ‘Everyone’s Included’ mural, created for the Skills Society office. The mural’s theme of belonging is a powerful visual reminder of Skills Society’s vision of community and citizenship.

What this looks like:

• Setting and attending medical appointments

• Establishing healthy eating habits and exercise routines

• Assisting with personal hygiene

• Supporting medication management

• Supporting mental and emotional wellbeing

What this looks like:

• Participating in neighbourhood activities

• Sharing talents with the community

• Discovering fun and meaningful things to do

WEAVING IT TOGETHER, A JOURNEY METAPHOR

There is quite a bit of detail in our vision, mission, and values and a metaphor might help with remembering the purpose of each element, and how it contributes to our core purpose of supporting people with disabilities to lead good lives - lives that are vibrant, filled with opportunities for learning and doing, rich with relationships, and anchored in a sense of belonging.

Imagine we’re on a metaphorical journey alongside people with disabilities and families we serve.

Our Vision is the destination we want to reach together.

Our Mission is like a boat we’ve built to get us to our destination.

Our Values and Thrive in Five approach are what each crew member on the ship needs to know and practice in order to be able to lead, set the sails properly and keep everyone on course towards our destination.

OUR VISION

VALUES + THRIVE IN FIVE

OUR MISSION

It takes everyone working together with Vision, Mission, Values and Thrive in Five approach to help us reach our destination.

You might wonder with this metaphorical ship, “Who is the captain?” or “Who decides who does what on the ship?”. On this ship, everyone is a servant leader and able to step in to help where required. People we serve and families are often guiding the wheel of the ship and sometimes they need others to step in and help keep the ship moving. We can switch in and out of these roles because ideally each crew member is grounded in the values and Thrive in Five approach that enables continued progress even when we face tough waters.

Throughout the journey we all need to be checking incheck the various navigation instruments and compass - and ask ourselves “Are we on course?” or even, “Is there a scenic detour showing up that we want to take that will add some richness to the journey?”. As leaders on this journey alongside people with disabilities we serve, we need to be continuously reflecting and thinking about when we need to step in to lead more, or when we need to step back and let others lead. This supports us in understanding our responsibility to ourselves and others, raising ethical questions, and taking actions to help Skills with living our shared values.

OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 2024-2027

This past year we re-evaluated our strategic priorities for the upcoming years. Throughout this process we aimed to listen and learn from diverse perspectives, striving to create strategic priorities that are deeply informed by our community (people we serve, families, employees, board members) as well as trends and learning in the sector and beyond.

Given the dynamic context in which our organization operates, it is difficult to create a plan that allows for emergence and survives change upon change. Therefore, using a strategic thinking and learning organization approach, we develop ‘strategic intents’ that evolve over time, allowing us to be more adaptive in our process, responsive to opportunities and our community, and more resilient. This approach to strategy has served us well for many years, and our underlying values continue to deeply inform and support our strategy approach. These values are:

PRACTICE IN PERSON-CENTRED WAYS

BUILD AND SHARE KNOWLEDGE

SEEK CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS

EMBRACE COMPLEXITY

ADAPT & EVOLVE

We are committed to the following strategic priorities to ensure our organization remains healthy, adaptive, and able to make progress on our mission in responsive and innovative ways. These priorities we believe at present will help us effectively navigate, respond to, and thrive within current policy and funding contexts.

Better Support People with Complex Service Needs

Supporting people with complex service needs in a way that is empowering and rights-based, while balancing safety

Increase Financial Management and Resiliency

Anticipate, monitor, and adapt to changes in funding models while continuing to develop and grow new revenue streams

Lead as an Organization and in the Sector Around More Humanized Data and Evaluation

Be at the forefront of humanizing data and learning. Strengthen our organizational measurement systems to respond to needs and explore ways to demonstrate value to funders and the sector

Strengthen Our Capacity to Support Citizenship and Deep Belonging in the Lives of the People we Serve

Be leaders in pushing the boundaries of radical inclusion and deep belonging of people with developmental disabilities both internally within Skills Society and externally within the sector and broader community. Supporting people to not just be “in” community but to be “of” community with a sense of reciprocal participation and belonging

Strengthen Healthy Organizational Culture, Inclusive Practices, Continuous Improvement, and Innovation

Continue to foster a culture of creativity and innovation that values learning and experimentation. Continue to develop a healthy inclusive culture and strengthen leadership capacity of all employees throughout Skills Society

How Humanized Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Principles and Practices Show Up in Our Collective Work

Our commitment to EDI and anti-discrimination

Our Skills Society vision is “a community where every individual is a valued citizen deserving respect, dignity and rights”. Central to our vision is the desire to build a community where everyone belongs as they are. Skills Society is dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment free from discrimination and which supports the dignity of all within our community.

We believe an inclusive community is one:

• where everyone has opportunities to share their gifts and talents;

• where every individual feels they belong and is valued for their own identities, culture, viewpoints, and traditions; and

• that recognizes our shared humanity while also celebrating our unique individuality.

Skills Society has long-established policies and practices that show we don’t just talk about, but act on valuing diversity, equity, and social justice. We are committed to (un)learning and acting on being inclusive to people of all genders, sex and sexual orientation, abilities, ages, religions, non-religious perspectives, social class, and race. As part of this value, we are continuously (un)learning and improving to ensure our collective work keeps us all moving towards our vision and centers us in supporting the citizenship and deep belonging of people with developmental disabilities in community.

EDI is woven into the fabric of our work

What we think is roughly right in our approach to EDI is we believe humanized EDI and EDI continuous learning should be woven into our culture, practice, and policies. Our priority “strengthen healthy organizational culture, inclusive practices, continuous improvement, and innovation” encompasses the continued learning and strategic work around EDI.

It’s important to remember that we exist as an organization to serve people with developmental disabilities in being able to live their best lives possible as full citizens in community. While Skills Society has and continues to be on an unlearning/learning journey around EDI, there are guiding ‘principles’ that inform our actions on our commitment to this work and anti-discrimination. Our approach is:

• informed by our disability rights roots and work;

• relational and in keeping with being good treaty relatives;

• grounded in our community - the people we serve, families, and employees; and

• embodies our values and challenges the status quo.

Humanized EDI principles we steward and learn from At Skills Society we believe our humanized1 EDI approach should:

• be grounded in our vision, mission, values, and core purpose of helping people with intellectual disabilities thrive in community life;

• focus more towards uniting a diverse community more than it divides, by leaning more towards calling people in rather than calling people out so that learning can be more possible;

• recognize our shared humanity while also celebrating our unique individuality;

• strive to hold space to unlearn/learn from, value, and empower people of many diverse group identities and perspectives;

• weave humanizing EDI learning and practices through all of our policies, practices, committees, and related statements;

• commit to supporting robust learning on how everyone in our Skills community can be leaders and contribute to a healthy, inclusive community and workplace; this also grounds us in our efforts to be good treaty relatives, where part of our collective commitment is to be in good relations with all people, animals, and other beings with whom we share this land;

• encourage thoughtful sharing of power that is not oversimplified - recognizing roles hold accountability and power differently;

• embrace the art of what’s possible with the resources we have available to weave our EDI approach into Skills Society;

• encourage reflexivity, where situations are not only seen through lenses of power² imbalance, but also through deep human lenses of shared humanity, compassion, joy, awe, camaraderie, and community; and

• critique the systems³ while empathizing and showing compassion for the humans caught by biases in systems.

Learn more about how EDI shows up in practice on our public webpage skillssociety.ca/equity-diversity-andinclusion

As part of our commitment to being better Treaty relatives, Skills Society in partnership with Naheyawin, hosted an event to commemorate, reflect, and learn in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Aimed at fostering knowledge, understanding, and connection with a special emphasis on Truth and Reconciliation, the event included engaging discussions, storytelling, an update on our journey towards reconciliation, reflections on our collective journey, and time to feast and visit. Special thanks to Jacquelyn and Hunter Cardinal from Naheyawin for curating this experience for our Skills Society community.

1. Humanized refers to approaches or actions that centre understanding, empathy, dignity, and respect for individual difference while simultaneously recognizing people’s common humanity. As part of our (un)learning journey, we call in ᑕᑕᐊᐧᐤ tatawâw - there is room for who you are, where you are from, and who you are becoming.

2. Power refers to the control or influence some individuals or groups have over others, shaping how resources, rights, and opportunities are distributed, and can lead to some individuals or groups having privileges(advantages) that are not equitably available to everyone.

3. Systems refers to the set of rules, processes, or structures organizations, societies, or groups use to operate or make decisions.

Honouring Black History Month and Black Leaders in Our Community

“Black History is every day - it’s not only in February. Every day is a day I can share and talk to people about my culture.”

Claire Mpinda, Manager of Community Supports

On February 29th, Skills Society’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, in collaboration with Black leaders in our Skills community, hosted an event to honour and celebrate Black History month. The day encompassed a panel discussion with some Black leaders within Skills Society followed by a feast with drumming, singing, and dancing. Several attendees wore their cultural attire and brought musical instruments and other cultural artifacts - contributing to the vibrant decoration of the space! The event created an enriching environment for dialogue, learning, and celebration in honour of the achievements and contributions of Black individuals in our community.

Insights on leadership shared as part of the panel discussion

The purpose of the panel interview was to celebrate Black History Month by highlighting the experiences, achievements, and contributions of Black individuals within our organization and broader community. Through open dialogue and shared stories, we hope to foster appreciation, understanding, and allyship amongst one another. Panel participants included Skills Society employees Anna Ngoh, Dominique Ingabire, Linda Okafor, and Nancy Kirugi, and was moderated by Claire Mpinda.

As part of the discussion panelists shared what being a good leader means to them. Leadership as shared by the group revolves around empathy, resilience, humility, inclusivity, and the ability to inspire and uplift others.

“A good leader is kind” - Anna

“Being a team player. Leading by example” - Linda

“Leading by example and giving room for others to take the lead” - Dominique

“We are all leaders in our own aspects. A leader recognizes that people have diverse perspectives and strengths.” - Nancy

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who played a part in bringing this event to life, including the panelists, Issac Talomwa for DJing, and the members of our Skills community who participated, brought artifacts to decorate the space, and shared in conversation.

From left to right: Nancy, Linda, Claire, Anna, and Dominique

SKILLS SOCIETY BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2023-2024

Officers of the Board

• Debbie Royer, Chair

• Kate Gunn, Vice Chair

• Carmen Norris, Secretary

• Rochelle Mitchell, Treasurer

Returning as Directors

• Darcy McDonald

• Dianne McConnell

• Nancy Spencer

• Robert Philp

The Slate of Directors to be Ratified for a First Term

• Alexandra Martinson

A group of individuals supported by Skills Society and their supports organized and hosted a musical social event in Paul Kane Park. Attendees connected over music, engaging in activities such as playing guitar, drumming, singing, dancing, and sharing refreshments and snacks.

BOARD CHAIR REPORT

Welcome to the Skills Society 2023-2024 AGM Report. I am once again honoured to reflect on the past year and share a few thoughts on this year’s theme of leadership. As I looked ahead to this coming year, I was curious to see the connections between past AGM themes and how they fit with where we are at this point.

A Look Back

The direction of Skills Society over the past 5 years reflects a commitment to continuous growth, resilience, and inclusivity. From blending tradition with innovation in 2019 to adapting and evolving together in 2020, Skills Society has shown its ability to navigate challenges and build strength as a community. In 2021, the focus on essential lessons from the pandemic highlights the importance of learning and seizing opportunities even in difficult times. The 2022 theme, “Good Enough Isn’t Enough,” underscores Skills’ dedication to excellence and constant improvement. In 2023, “Carrying Our Learning Forward, Imagining Better Futures” indicates a forwardthinking mindset. Finally, the 2024 theme, “We Are All Leaders,” emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and the belief that everyone has the potential to lead. These themes demonstrate consistent themes of adaptability, continuous learning, striving for excellence, and fostering leadership in everyone.

Ideas About Leadership as We Move Ahead Leadership isn’t just about having a title or position. Real leadership is about stewardship—taking care of our community and making sure everyone’s voice is heard and valued. This means we need to honour our past and remember the advocates who fought for disability rights. These pioneers show us that leadership isn’t just for those in traditional roles, but it’s something we all share.

The history of disability rights shows great strength and determination. Many leaders with disabilities have made significant contributions to our society. They are not just recipients of change but are also leaders who set goals, make plans, and inspire us to create a more inclusive world.

Our theme from two years ago, “Not Settling for Good Enough,” is still very important. It reminds us that leadership is about showing up, making a difference, and empowering others. Leadership is about action, influence, and impact, and everyone has the potential to lead in their own way.

We should understand that leadership isn’t just for a few people. It’s about actions, influence, and impact. It’s about realizing that each of us can contribute to the greater good. Whether through advocacy, mentoring, volunteering, or being a supportive friend, every act of leadership helps strengthen our inclusive community.

A Few Highlights from the Past Year

Skills hosted its first annual Black History Month event in February in the Action Lab. This successful event included a panel discussion with some of Skills’ Black leaders, a celebration with drumming, singing, and dancing, and a feast catered by Travelling Dishes, a local Nigerian catering company. There is a nice summary of this event on the Skills website: skillssociety.ca/news/honouring-blackhistory-month-2024

Skills hosted another of its annual picnics on August 8th of last year. Despite the rain and mosquitoes, the turnout was great, and everyone enjoyed the company and good food. The Honourable Minister Jason Nixon came by for a while, flipped some burgers, and met some of the people

from Skills. We look forward to another date being set for this year’s picnic soon.

In addition to the Government’s sustainable wage increase given to all staff working in the disability sector at the beginning of this past fiscal year, Skills was able to provide a one-time wage enhancement to staff. This was possible due to good fiscal management and current operating costs. Our staff play a crucial role in driving the success and impact of Skills Society through their dedication, expertise, and hard work and are deserving of this monetary recognition.

Skills’ social enterprises, including MyCompass Planning (mycompassplanning.com/) and the Action Lab (actionlab.ca), are steadily expanding their reach, and making a meaningful impact beyond the confines of our organization. Skills was recently successful in obtaining a grant from the City of Edmonton which will support the role of a Community Animator who will be working to support meaningful connections between tenants, including those supported by Skills, at the new Edgemont Flats development opening in June.

This year, our board welcomed another university student, Ridda Malik as a board intern. Ridda worked on updating and adding to the board orientation manual’s fund development section. This work will help to acquaint new board members with the fund development culture at Skills Society and their role in it. We thank Ridda for a job well done and for all she contributed to Skills during her time with us. Once again, a big thanks to our board member, Kate Gunn for mentoring her. Skills Society has been collaborating with Community Service Learning (CSL) at the University of Alberta for over 13 years, including as a community partner with a variety of CSL courses and the

LEADERSHIP & CITIZENSHIP

HIGHLIGHT - RELATIONSHIPS

David and Karissa’s Story

David is a talented and passionate athlete, a team player, and a leader both on and off the ice. Having played for over 20 years, he is the longest-serving member of his hockey team, the Storm, and has received multiple Most Valuable Player awards and medals. Wearing the Storm jersey is a big source of pride for David.

Karissa joined the team three years ago, marking the beginning of a special friendship. When Karissa joined, David had just started playing a new position, wing, and together they learned how to play this position. Karissa recalls that it was David’s energy and positive attitude that really stood out: “David’s always very encouraging, saying, ‘you’re just figuring it out, it’ll be okay, and just stick with it’, which I appreciate”. David supported Karissa’s growth as an athlete, teaching her more about hockey and boosting her confidence.

Annually, the team competes in the Sledge Hockey Classic tournament. This tournament is particularly special for David and Karissa, because it was during the Classic in Anaheim that they first truly got to know each other. Their relationship quickly grew from teammates to close friends. When Karissa’s previous roommate moved out and she was looking for a new place to live, David’s family had a room available. It worked out beautifully, as David and Karissa enjoy spending time together, making weekend plans, going to the movies, and attending events with their hockey team.

As teammates, friends, and now roommates, David and Karissa share a strong, reciprocal relationship rooted in mutual respect, trust, and playfulness. “I get a lot of support and love, kindness, and

opportunity out of my relationship with David”, Karissa shares. Knowing each other deeply, they have developed their own way of communicating with each other, and Karissa often helps bridge communication with those who don’t know David as well. Through her support, David has gotten to know more people and built stronger connections, including with some of his teammates.

David is a relational and charismatic leader, loved and valued by his team. He cherishes any opportunity to spend time with his teammates and contribute to the team. David shares that being a good leader means “staying positive, being committed, showing up, and leading by example”. “He’s someone you can always count on,” Karissa adds.

David and Karissa have some exciting plans for the near future, including moving into a new apartment building and competing in the Sledge Hockey Classic in Dallas, USA.

Karrissa and David in Nashiville for the Sledge Hockey Classic

Non-profit Board Internship Program. This is important work, and we are lucky to have board members who are willing to spend the time mentoring a student.

A Few Special Thanks

Skills Society continues to be supported by an outstanding team of staff, led by Executive Director Ben Weinlick, along with the senior team, office staff, and front-line workers—all of whom play integral roles in supporting the incredible individuals within the Skills community. Their unwavering dedication and hard work have been instrumental in navigating the challenges of the past year. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each member of the team for their ongoing commitment to the organization. The Skills community is truly fortunate to have such a remarkable group of individuals.

This year, we have seen the retirement of a few longterm Directors - Karen Huta and Linda Marchand - and Manager Jan O’Neill. Their contributions to Skills are many and they will be very much missed by all. We thank them for their years of service and dedication to the organization and wish them the best in their retirement. Skills is fortunate to have found new leadership that we are confident will be able to carry their torches forward.

In addition to a stellar group of staff, second to none, our board members are also deserving of recognition. They give their time to Skills in attending board meetings, committee meetings, strategic retreats, attending events, and mentoring board interns. Each board member exemplifies values that are closely aligned with those of the organization, fostering a

cohesive vision and ensuring that every decision reflects a commitment to the betterment of the Skills Society community.

A special thanks to our Treasurer, Rochelle Mitchell, who has played an integral role in monitoring the financial affairs of Skills and ensuring transparency for the past nine years. Her dedication and financial expertise have been invaluable to the board. She will be leaving the board this month at the end of her term and will be missed by all of us.

In Closing

I am excited to see what the future holds next for Skills. We begin this fiscal year with a new set of strategic priorities that will guide our work for the next three years. Strategic priorities help organizations stay focused on what matters most, guiding them toward their goals and adapting to change along the way. Executive Director Ben Weinlick will outline these priorities in more detail in his report.

Thank you all for your commitment and contributions. Let’s learn from our past, embrace stewardship, and ensure our community thrives. Let’s seek leadership everywhere and inspire others to do the same, honouring the past and creating a brighter, more inclusive future together.

Debbie Royer, Board Chair

LEADERSHIP & CITIZENSHIP

HIGHLIGHT - RIGHTS

Levi’s Story

People’s right to employment is not only an important part of citizenship, but also an opportunity for individuals to share their talents and build meaningful relationships. In 2023, Levi began a new job as a Human Resources Administrative Assistant and has now been in the role for just over a year. When asked what he likes most about his job, Levi said, “the people”. He shares that he has developed strong working relationships with his team and that he feels a sense of belonging and responsibility within his workplace.

Levi contributes his gifts and passions to his workplace in various ways, most notably by fostering a healthy, inclusive work culture. “I get to know people. I try to make it feel like a place where people are welcomed and can be themselves”, he says. Levi emphasizes the importance of a workplace where diverse perspectives are valued. He has advocated for changes in the physical work environment and practices to make them more inclusive for everyone; “they value my perspectives and lived experience”, Levi notes.

Reflecting on leadership, Levi shares that good leaders lead by example, support a healthy work culture that includes playfulness, and focus on relationships. Levi embodies these leadership qualities. With a passion for design and advocacy for people with disabilities, he demonstrates leadership through self-advocacy, sharing his experiences and insights related to accessibility, including government engagements, the Skills Society Future of Home Lab, and his workplace and community. Through his efforts, Levi hopes to foster a better understanding of the need for inclusive communities.

Image of Levi taken as part of an interview he did with the Canadian National Housing Strategy about the Future of Home Lab

SKILLS SOCIETY CITIZENSHIP AWARDS

2023 AWARD WINNERS

At Skills Society supporting people to be valued citizens is at the heart of what we do, and we want to recognize and celebrate the efforts of individuals and organizations in our community who are working towards our shared vision of a community where everyone is valued and belongs. The Skills Society Citizenship Awards recognize individuals and organizations who are contributing to fostering a vibrant and inclusive community.

TREASURER REPORT

As Skills Society continues to return to a more consistent operating model, I am pleased to report that finances remain in good shape.

The agency recorded just under $24.52 million in operating revenue for the current year which was $238,000 higher than the original budget. Total operating expenses for the year were $24.48 million, or about $486,000 higher than budget.

The difference between budgets and actuals is due primarily to additional supports provided to individuals during the year.

Skills Society has a small operating surplus of just over $38,000 in the current year, compared to a deficit of just over $47,000 reported in 2023. Including amortization, Casino and unrealized ATB Investment Losses, Skills recorded a surplus of just over $90,000 in the current year compared to a loss of just over $137,000 in the prior year. These amounts are what Management anticipated.

The amounts in this report are accurate as of May 22. The final results presented at the Annual Meeting might differ slightly due to last minute adjustments.

Looking to the 2024/2025 year, Skills Society continues to

budget an operating surplus providing continued stable support and expense management.

Lastly, unfortunately this marks the end of my term as Treasurer of Skills Society. It has been an amazing 9 years, filled with many memorable moments that I will forever carry with me. Thank you to my fellow board members for all your hard hard work and to Skills for allowing me to be a part of such a phenomenal organization. I truly feel blessed to have been able to witness Skills’ growth and spirit as it navigated through some difficult times while still maintaining its core values. I wish Skills continued success in achieving its goals in the future.

Rochelle Mitchell, CPA, CA Treasurer

ENGAGED CITIZENSHIP AWARD

The Engaged Citizenship Award is given to an individual supported by Skills Society whose actions demonstrate active participation in their community and efforts towards contributing to and fostering a vibrant community.

Winner - Mike Balaban

Mike was nominated for his contributions and efforts in making his community a welcoming place. Mike is an engaged citizen who goes above and beyond in knowing his community and its members - frequently connecting with his neighbours and people in the community, including regularly participating in a seniors coffee group and helping the local flower shop by collecting newspapers for their arrangements. Mike prides himself on staying informed about local news and developments in his community and sharing information about available opportunities and activities with his neighbours. Kind, curious and easygoing, Mike embodies the qualities of a good neighbour, contributing to making his community a vibrant and welcoming place.

LEADERSHIP AWARD

The Leadership Award is given to a Skills Society employee or volunteer who demonstrates leadership in the pursuit of our shared vision of a community where all individuals are valued citizens deserving respect, dignity, and rights.

Winner - Yodit Wedaj

Yodit was nominated for her demonstrated leadership in supporting the engaged citizenship of people with disabilities. She is a caring, reflective, and empathetic individual, known for being an active listener and treating everyone with dignity and respect. Yodit excels at building trusting relationships with both the people she supports and her team. Driven by the vision and core values of Skills Society, Yodit collaboratively works with her team to support the people we serve to lead meaningful lives in community, and she consistently acknowledges and values her team members’ contributions to this vision. As a leader, Yodit celebrates diversity in the workplace, creating opportunities for her team to share their cultural backgrounds and traditions.

COMMUNITY BELONGING AWARD

The Community Belonging Award is given to a business, community organization, or group whose actions support the inclusion and belonging of people with developmental disabilities.

Winner - Edmonton Community Foundation

The Edmonton Community Foundation was nominated for its enduring commitment to community building, visionary leadership, and its role in connecting donors and local charities who are advancing equity and using innovative approaches to tackle complex challenges in our community. ECF has been an active participant and financial supporter of innovative, community-driven initiatives within our city, in particular supporting the belongingness of people with developmental disabilities and reducing racism at both systemic and everyday levels.

Honorable Mention - Alberta Municipalities

Alberta Municipalities was nominated for their actions taken to build an inclusive work environment for an employee with developmental disability. Alberta Municipalities initiated changes in their physical work environment and workplace practices to support the inclusion, dignity, and belonging of employees who experience disability.

SKILLS SOCIETY EMPLOYEE EDUCATION AWARDS

In 2022 Skills Society launched the Skills Society Employee Education Awards with the purpose of fostering leadership development by supporting employees in participating in formal post-secondary education programs that further their learning and growth in the field of disability studies and/ or leadership. With an aim of equity, half of all Employee Education Awards are reserved for employees who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC). Skills Society values diversity, equity, and social justice. As part of this value we strive to boost and support BIPOC leaders within our community, continue to learn and work together on antiracist allyship, and actively participate in systems change initiatives.

2023 AWARD WINNERS

Esther Numfor Abongwi Award supports their pursuit of a Diploma in Public Policy and Program Evaluation, Carleton University

Kereng Motlhale Award supports their Social Service Worker Professional Program, CDI College

Sonia Iweriebor Award supports their pursuit of a Bachelor of Science of Nursing, MacEwan University

Sukaina Lila Award supports their pursuit of the Health Care Aide Certificate, Makami College

DONOR RECOGNITION

We are grateful to our Skills Community, greater community members, and committed partners for joining us in our vision to foster a community where all individuals are valued citizens deserving respect, dignity, and rights. We give our heartfelt thanks for your generous support!

Major Private Donors

• Vernon Parranto on behalf of Dale Parranto $25,000

• Milk Jar Candle Company Inc. $20,000

Grants & Endowment

• RBC Foundation

CommuniTEA Infusion Project 2023: $12,500

• Skills Society Endowment Fund at Edmonton Community Foundation Interest earned in 2023: $9,728

• Skills Society Cable Family Endowment Fund at Edmonton Community Foundation Interest earned in 2023: $8,400

• TELUS Friendly Future Foundation

CommuniTEA Infusion Project 2023: $6,000

Private Donors

• Amanda Bell

• Anne-Marie Kallal

• Ben Weinlick

• Carol Ewanowich in honor of Graeme Szelewicki

• Darlene LaBerge

• Debbie Royer

• Elizabeth M Huzar

• Jerome Klein

• Karen Huta

• Kate Gunn

• Matt and Kristine Ashdown

• Monica Pozzuoli-Esteffo

• Neil Amyotte

Charles was recognized for 10 years of volunteer service at Grey Nuns hospital.

• Nick Coxon

• Pam Barrett

• Pat Conrad

• Rebecca Rubuliak

• Residents of Chartwell Heritage Valley in support of Skills Society’s children’s respite program

• Robert Herring

• Robert Rubuliak

• SWAT Team Enterprises Inc.

• Shelley Sabo

• Stefanie Meeder

Rotary Club of Edmonton Whyte Avenue

Christmas stockings and preparing meals for people supported by Skills Society’s Outreach program

Carrie’s crafty business takes flight

Carrie has always had a passion for crafts, and thanks to the support of Skills Society she was able to turn this love into a bustling business.

Carrie’s Crafts n Toys sells handmade art, jewellery, scarves, and other crafts at a number of local markets and shops, retail connections Carrie made all on her own. The experience not only allows Carrie’s entrepreneurial spirit to shine, but it empowers her to share her talents (and creations!) with the world.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT

We Are All Leaders: (Re)thinking Leadership

On behalf of the Skills Society staff team, I’m happy to share yet another unique report for our 43rd annual general meeting (AGM). Building on last year’s theme and interactive engagement where people explored what kind of changemaker they want to be in the world - an actioner, innovator, or dreamer - this year we are further exploring what leadership means from diverse perspectives and how we can all be leaders in our own ways.

Now, on some levels when a title for an AGM is, “We Are All Leaders”, it might provoke an eye roll or a sense that it’s an easy title grab because so many organizations have similar themes. Or, if you remember the 80s, the title might trigger a memory of a cheesy “we are the world” sing-along with celebrities. That song and what was behind it had good intentions, but it came across to many as a naive attempt to unite the world around a forced good feeling and lacked depth and appreciation of the complexity of the human experience, where not everyone feels they can show up as themselves and belong for who they are.

So, although our title theme may not be the cleverest theme on the surface, what really matters is the meaning, the depth of exploration of diverse perspectives on leadership, and how

Team

Leaders, Team Coordinators,

Managers,

and Directors engaged in collective exploration of leadership, problem solving, teamwork, and innovation at the annual Team Leader Gathering. We are grateful to have a group of leaders deeply committed to supporting the people we serve to be valued citizens of community.

it can be true that being a leader is often a matter of whether you choose to see yourself as a leader in your life, your organization, and your communities. Whether it’s cool or not, being a leader matters more than ever. As you can see in the stories in this report and presentations at our AGM, leaders are everywhere - not necessarily because of titles or authority, but because people dare to lead.

Reflecting on leadership in our Skills community, I’m reminded of one of our veteran leaders and self-advocates, Karen Baum, whom we have learned from and supported since the 90s. In our recent mini-documentary on our website, which captures the history of our foundational Rights We Want! document, Karen is asked why she first got involved in helping draft the Bill of Rights back in the 90s. She said,

“I wanted to be a bit of a leader, put myself out there in the community because I have the right to do that and… because I enjoyed it!”

Boom. That sums up for me the importance of everyone being leaders. Karen made a choice - she didn’t ask for permission to be a leader. She stood up for her rights and those of her fellow citizens with disabilities to make a difference. But when I reflect further, I think there’s an even deeper message in Karen’s words. When she said, “I led because I enjoyed it,” I think we sometimes can forget that there can be real fellowship, belonging, and joy in leading. This doesn’t mean leadership of any kind is easy or does not have trials and tribulations, but if we forget to make joy a part of leading, then we are missing something. So, I’m grateful for Karen and her reminding me of that when I watched the video again recently. For me, the joy in leading - whether it was when I was a support worker or in management, or in trying to lead innovation - has always been the best when helping people find a quality, a gift, an inner strength, or a leadership potential a person didn’t always recognize in themselves. Occasionally, being a little part of helping others uncover their strengths and hopefully making it a bit easier for people to shine those qualities for the benefit of themselves and others

is what leadership at its best looks like to me. As I get older, that kind of joy in helping others find their inner strength and leadership potential is what makes things meaningful, even if my teenage kids might call me “cringe” for saying it out loud. But as cringe as it may be, there is a real joy in leadership for me when supporting people to become a little more free to be themselves and express their unique gifts to help make the world a bit better.

What does leadership look like in action at Skills?

A few years ago we asked a cross-section of folks what leadership looks like at Skills and what came forward informed our Leadership Workbook. These leadership principles are pretty on-point and are summarized in a nice poster that comes with every workbook. When we each have these leadership principles at the fore of our interactions and strategies, we’re doing really well together as leaders.

On the following page is the poster from the Leadership Workbook outlining what leaders at Skills have told us good leadership looks like in action.

LEADERS WE ARE ALL

Be a steward of Skills Society’s vision and core values

Strive for collaboration as much as possible

Build leadership in others

Be a team player

Recognize and celebrate diversity and be anti-racist

Be an active listener

Leaders are strengthened by good reflective practice

Recognize a healthy organizational culture starts with each of us and our actions

Actively practice gratitude

Recognize team members each have gifts to contribute

A healthy culture has many leaders who strive to walk their talk

Do not tolerate gossip and divisive behaviour

Actively cultivate innovation and creativity

A few organizational leadership things we’re stewarding at Skills

As our 2020 to 2023 strategic priorities ended, the board and directors’ team of Skills came together last fall to look at what our Skills’ community was telling us is needed over the next few years. From sense-making of surveys, world cafes with people we serve, and a scan of what is likely to emerge in the next few years, we crafted our 2024 to 2027 strategic priorities. At Skills, what distinguishes a strategic priority from our core practices, is that with a strategic priority it’s about putting in a bit of extra attention because of a need in our community, a trend in our sector, or something we need to be better prepared for into the future. At present, I’m feeling that leading strategy, projects, and core work around the 5 priorities below are very relevant and will serve us well over the next few years.

Skills Society recognized employees at the annual Long-term Employee Appreciation Brunch in April. It was a wonderful event and opportunity to celebrate long-time employees within the Skills community. Special thanks to Alisdair Archibald for leading the day, and to everyone who helped put together this important event.

2024-2027 Priorities

1. Better Support People with Complex Service Needs

Supporting people with complex service needs in a way that is empowering and rights-based, while balancing safety

2. Increase Financial Management and Resiliency

Anticipate, monitor, and adapt to changes in funding models while continuing to develop and grow new revenue streams

3. Lead as an Organization and in the Sector Around More Humanized Data and Evaluation

Be at the forefront of humanizing data and learning. Strengthen our organizational measurement systems to respond to needs and explore ways to demonstrate value to funders and the sector

4. Strengthen our Capacity to Support Citizenship and Deep Belonging in the Lives of the People we Serve

Be leaders in pushing the boundaries of radical inclusion and deep belonging of people with developmental disabilities both internally within Skills Society and externally within the sector and broader community.

5. Strengthen Healthy Organizational Culture, Inclusive Practices, Continuous Improvement, and Innovation

Continue to foster a culture of creativity and innovation that values learning and experimentation. Continue to develop a healthy inclusive culture and strengthen leadership capacity of all throughout Skills Society.

For projects related to these priorities, I’m particularly hopeful about the Leadership Workbook (see page 53) we developed and have implemented for all employees, and the housing innovation that has become the Community Animator role that starts this summer at Edgemont Flats with our partners Leston Holdings. The Leadership Workbook fits within priorities 4 and 5 and the Community Animator housing innovation fits well as a strategy within priorities 1 and 4. These examples are just a couple of highlights and there are of course many more initiatives and practices underway within each priority.

Events like this are made possible by the hard work of many who contribute their time, energy and talents. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who played a part in bringing this event to life!

Members and friends of the Skills Society community, including people served, staff, board members, and their families, gathered at Laurier Park for our annual Skills Society summer picnic.

So, Yes, We Are All Leaders

In case I haven’t made it super clear yet, from my over 25 years in this field, I can promise you that everyone - all of you, no matter what - has something unique and important inside to offer the world. Our gifts don’t have to be loud or get lots of attention, as sometimes the most powerful gifts are the ones around just being present with others and sharing moments. In the end, if we have the privilege to look back on life, it won’t likely be the strategic priorities we remember or that ultimately matter. What will really matter, is how we showed up for each other, how much we were able to be true to ourselves, and how much we were able to be with othersletting others know they’re cool as they are and they matter. So, please don’t fall for the trap of thinking that leading has to be something big or fancy.

Now at present, some of us already know what our leadership strengths are, and some of us are learning, exploring, discovering, unlearning, and becoming our full selves a little bit more every day. It’s all good and there is no right way to do it. But remember too, that we all need help and support from time to time to see our strengths whether from colleagues, friends, family, or from our supports. We all need to look out for each other, to lead and help our community bring out our best qualities. Embrace the cringe if you have to, because yes, we are all leaders! And as Karen Baum reminds us, don’t forget to bring joy along for the ride.

Ben Weinlick, Executive Director

P.S. One last thing. Shout out to one of our Directors, Rebecca Rubuliak who late one night between dreaming and being awake on the QE2 - as a passenger, not a driver - it came to Rebecca what our theme for this year’s AGM should be. When she proposed the theme to me and our board, it was like, “Of course, you’ve articulated what’s been in front of us, but couldn’t really put into words”. So don’t underestimate your dreams! And shout out to Rebecca.

Centering Indigenous Knowledge Systems: A Conversation with Indigenous Leader, Diane Roussin

As we reflect on understandings of leadership, we feel it’s important to explore diverse perspectives, importantly Indigenous understandings and worldviews. With this, it is important to emphasize that there is no ‘single’ Indigenous worldview; Indigenous communities and worldviews are diverse, and deeply rooted in the unique contexts, histories, and communities across Turtle Island. We had the opportunity to connect with Diane Roussin, an Indigenous leader admired in the community and systems change spaces. Here, Diane shares her reflections on leadership. The purpose of this conversation is to center Indigenous ways of knowing and learn from the unique and important ways Indigenous knowledge systems shape our understandings of leadership, community, and care.

Diane Roussin, Winnipeg Boldness Project

A proud member of Skownan First Nation, Diane Roussin is an Anishinaabe leader passionately committed to the pursuit of mino bimaadiziwin (the good life) for all families and children. Working tirelessly at the local, regional and national levels to promote Indigenous People’s values and ways of knowing, being, doing and feeling, she has led many avant-garde initiatives. Currently heading the Winnipeg Boldness Project, Diane is a driving force in establishing the first and longestserving Indigenous Social Innovation Lab in Canada that seeks large-scale systems of change for children and families. Diane serves on numerous Boards of Directors including the University of Manitoba, The Winnipeg Foundation, the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Animikii. Diane is a TEDx speaker and is a recipient of the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal for Outstanding Indigenous Leadership and of the Manitoba Women Trailblazers Award by the Nellie McClung Foundation. Visit winnipegboldness.ca.

Leadership from an Indigenous Perspective

Diane centers her Anishinaabe culture and teachings in all she does, acknowledging and celebrating that her thoughts on leadership come from an Anishinaabe place, particularly a female Anishinaabe place.

Everyone is a leader

Reflecting on ‘who’ is considered a leader, Diane shares her clan system teachings: “clan system teachings fundamentally tell us that everyone has a role, and all roles are important, and all are needed”. She highlights the importance of recognizing that with roles also come responsibilities and accountabilities. Diane hopes that we can get closer to this idea - of recognizing the important role that everyone plays, and even further, honoring and valuing those roles.

“I really do feel, and have watched, women lead and demonstrate their leadership through serving. It’s always been this humble, almost behind the scenes kind of servitude”

- Diane

Leading from behind

Diane refers to this as leading from behind, a type of leadership rooted in leading by example and through action: “it’s doing, practicing, and demonstrating what are the most important things that need to happen to keep our communities healthy and strong”. This leadership and action come from a place of responsibility and accountability to each other and community, not ego.

Guided by vision

Diane reflects that part of the community’s expectation is for people to work together. Despite differences or disagreements, leaders have an obligation to work with others towards a shared vision or purpose. This does not mean everyone sees things the same way or that we always get it right, but leaders support others in understanding and centering the shared goal or vision, rather than themselves. Leaders recognize they are part of something bigger than themselves.

LEADERSHIP & CITIZENSHIP

HIGHLIGHT - BELONGING

Roberta’s Story

Belongingness can be nurtured through shared experiences, where people come together over a common interest to create a sense of community. Roberta is a kind and warm-hearted person who loves to craft! A few years ago, she became curious about knitting and crocheting, so she took a course and quickly fell in love with crocheting. She has been crocheting for several years, teaching herself through YouTube videos and experimenting with various patterns. While she enjoys making blankets, she likes to switch it up and is currently working on a sweater: “You can never have too many sweaters,” Roberta says, laughing.

This past year, Roberta discovered a crochet and knitting group at a local seniors’ centre. Excited to meet new people, she decided to join. Every Monday, the group gathers for two hours to crochet, knit, and “chit

chat about different things”, Roberta shares. Everyone works on their own projects, and Roberta finds the group to be full of wonderful people. Enjoying the camaraderie so much, she also joined a walking group through the centre. Through these groups, Roberta has met people and she feels a sense of belonging: “It makes me feel relaxed and calm”, she shares.

Roberta believes that being a good leader means “being kind to people”, as kindness creates a strong foundation for building relationships and truly getting to know others. “Others realize who I am,” Roberta explains. Roberta demonstrates leadership by being present, showing up as her true self, and bringing kindness to everyone around her.

Roberta with her crochet and knitting group

Holistic thinking, interdependence and relationality

Diane shares that Indigenous approaches are about holistic thinking and mino bimaadiziwin (the good life). For her, the good life is about “being able to see the world from this holistic place, understanding, as best we can, those interconnections and that we are interdependent”. Diane acknowledges that while there is a role for independence, humans and all living things cannot survive independently; nowhere in mother nature does that happen. Leadership involves recognizing that it takes all of us - knowing we all need and have to support each other; and the behaviours, actions, and approaches that support and foster interdependent ways of being.

Holistic thinking also means recognizing people as whole beings - the physical, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual self. Diane speaks to the importance of leaders caring for all aspects of their and their community members’ beings. Diane shares that in Midewiwin Lodge, which are Anishinaabe teachings, they talk about four guiding or leadership questions: “it’s being able to have a sense of who am I, where do I come from, what is my purpose, and where am I going? Working hard at those four questions, that’s leadership. That’s how you express leadership”.

Diane reminds us of the importance of relationality: “female leaders, I’ve seen, do all the things to nurture relationships. When relationships are nurtured in a strong, good, and kind way, that shows real strength in our community”. Diane notes that a foundation built on relationships fosters trust and confidence, enabling people(leaders) to take on bigger risks and challenges in pursuit of a greater vision. Reciprocity and mutual respect are also vital. Leaders recognize and appreciate they have much to learn and benefit from those around them. Our role as leaders is to create opportunities where people can apply and share their gifts.

Greg receiving the International Literacy Day Dedication to Learning Award.

Gratitude and Reflection

At the core of our work at Skills Society is supporting the good life for the people we serve. The reflections and teachings shared by Diane resonate strongly with our purpose and the values guiding our collective work - upholding people’s right to dream and explore the four Midewiwin teachings: Who am I? Where do I come from? What is my purpose? Where am I going?

As Diane reminds us, everyone has a role, and every role is valued. By centering this knowledge, we strive to support community in valuing the diverse, unique, and beautiful contributions of people with disabilities - leaders - in our community.

We express our deep gratitude to Diane for sharing her wisdom, knowledge, and experience with us. We hold these closely as we reflect on leadership

Think Inside the Circle

Diane shared a teaching offered to her by an Elder that resonated with our approach to creativity and innovation at Skills Society, and ways of working together, and with community:

“think inside the circle” (vs think outside the box)

Thinking inside the circle is about creating space for emergence and is tied to intuition and relational ways of being - being agile and responsive to community.

This piece was compiled and written by Rebecca Rubuliak,

Director of Continuous Improvement and Innovation

LEADERSHIP & CITIZENSHIP

HIGHLIGHT - RELATIONSHIPS

John & Michael’s Story

John and Michael are long-time neighbours and good friends who share a love for new experiences and sports. Often, you’ll find them getting together to watch hockey and football games or over coffee or dinner. Over the years, John and Michael have taken trips together to beautiful destinations like Banff and Jasper. This past year marked a particularly special milestone: Michael’s 60th birthday. To celebrate, they planned a holiday of a lifetime, ticking off a travel bucket list item of Michael’s with a 10-day cruise that stopped at Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan.

Michael, a fan of old television shows, especially loves “The Love Boat” a 1970s sitcom about the captain, crew, and passengers of a cruise ship. So, to celebrate Michael’s birthday, they decided to take a cruise similar to his favorite show. This was the first time on a cruise for both of them, and they had an amazing time. “If you get a chance, go. You won’t regret it,” John shared enthusiastically. John and Michael enjoyed experiencing the new and different landscapes, including the vast ocean, diverse food, and rich cultures at each port. John, with his deep love for nature, was particularly moved. “It was the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in my life,” he said.

One of the highlights for Michael was meeting the captain and crew of the cruise ship, and chatting about The Love Boat with them. He was thrilled to discover many similarities between the sitcom and their cruise experience. “When people are leaving, they say ‘so long’, just like in the show,” Michael shared. The cruise was also filled with numerous activities, including dinners, shows, music, and dancing, providing plenty of opportunities to meet and connect with other travelers. John and Michael were touched by the friendliness of everyone on board, with many passengers wishing Michael a happy birthday on his special day.

Through their adventures, John and Michael demonstrate how friendships enrich our lives and contribute to our sense of citizenship. By sharing experiences, exploring new places, and connecting with others, they’ve created lasting memories, highlighting the importance of relationships in fostering a sense of community and belonging.

Michael

John

Learning from Our Past and Sustaining the Legacy:

Interviews with Disability Allies

At Skills Society, we often quote disability advocate and social innovator Al Etmanski, when we say our work towards innovation and progress in supporting people to live the best lives possible is about getting the right mix of the old, the new, and a dash of surprise. There are important elements of the ‘old’ - our history, roots, and key learnings - that we cannot forget and must weave into our current and future work and leadership practices. As part of our leadership practice at Skills, we strive to learn from and honor the wisdom of those who came before us, including the people we serve, families, and allies. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with four past and present Skills employees and volunteers who have been leaders in the sector since Skills’ inception in the 1980s, to learn from them and explore:

• some important moments in our history

• what to keep in mind in supporting people to thrive,

• what good leadership within disability services means to them

• what not to forget as we look ahead to the future

Longtime advocates and allies, these leaders share a conviction for disability rights and justice and hold deep wisdom and knowledge of our community and sector. The leaders we interviewed are:

Elaine Baker-Rowe, Team Leader

Elaine joined Skills Society in 1981 after supporting people to move from institutions back into community alongside other citizens. Elaine has worked in various roles and has been a Team Leader since 1990. In her 40+ years with Skills, Elaine has built strong relationships with the individuals and families she serves and the teams she leads, supporting people to be engaged citizens. Elaine is our longest serving employee of Skills Society.

Hart Chapelle, former Board Chair

Being his passion, Hart spent his entire professional career in human services, and the last roughly 35 years with the Government in various capacities, including as CEO of PDD Edmonton. Hart built a deep relationship with selfadvocates, families, and community organizations during that time, and served as the Board Chair of Skills Society from 2017-2021.

Jan O’Neill, Manager of Community Supports

Jan joined Skills Society in 1990, working in various roles, and has been a Manager since 2007. In her 30+ years with Skills, Jan was instrumental in supporting advocacy efforts, particularly self-advocacy movements, and expression of rights through arts, as well as numerous innovative initiatives and projects aimed at finding ways to center the people we serve in community.

Karen Huta, former Director of Human Resources

Karen joined Skills Society in 1985 and transitioned into the Human Resources role in 1996 where she was the Director until 2024. In her 38 years of service, Karen was a mentor to many. She played an important role in cultivating a culture of kindness and playfulness at Skills Society, where everyone, including people we serve and employees, feel truly seen, heard, and valued.

We are honored to learn from Elaine, Hart, Jan, and Karen, and continue to build off the work they and many others have led over the decades. What they share highlights the importance of continued advocacy, the recognition that we are all leaders, and the persistent pursuit of removing barriers and supporting the good life for people with disabilities.

Important moments in Skills’

history

The history of disability rights in Alberta is deep and profound, marked by significant moments that have shaped the present landscape of community supports and services. As reflected by Elaine, Hart, Jan, and Karen, there were several pivotal moments within Skills’ history that are instrumental as we look ahead to the future. While the full history could not be captured here, a few moments resonate with this year’s theme, “We Are All Leaders”: disability rights and advocacy, and the relentless pursuit of the good life.

You can learn more about disability movements in Alberta’s history at skillssociety.ca/about/ history/#disability-rights-movements.

“I like to think we were listening. We were collaborating. We were talking. We were exploring”

- Karen

Advocating for and supporting disability rights

For this group of leaders, leadership showed up in various ways within disability rights history - people with disabilities, families, and allies speaking up against oppression, advocating, and challenging the status quo. Hart highlights that many significant movements, including deinstitutionalization, community living, and self-advocacy movements, in part, stemmed from selfadvocates and families recognizing their rights and how they could take on leadership roles to drive their desired future through community-based living. This period was followed by community development work that led to the creation of community support organizations like Skills Society.

In the 90s and early 2000s, there was a particularly strong self-advocacy movement. Jan shares that Skills Society, alongside self-advocates, supported the creation of groups and conferences for self-advocates to organize, share their stories, and take action for social change. Skills Society’s Consumer Rights Group, a self-advocacy group, came together to create the Rights We Want! A Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. Agencies and allies need to continuously be mindful of and shift power, and so over time, it gradually moved away from agency-orientated groups to purely self-advocate-driven groups.

As leaders, the group emphasized not losing sight of our role as supports and allies in supporting and empowering people to learn about and act on their rights, and communicate their needs, wishes, and issues they’re facing - ensuring the voices of people with disabilities are centered.

You can hear from self-advocates and allies within Skills about the history and legacy of the Rights We Want! at skillssociety.ca/about/history

“Everybody has rights. It’s really important that people feel that pride in themselves, accountability, and that strength to be able to speak up for themselves and make change happen. That’s why it’s so important.”

- Jan

Not settling, always striving for the good life Skills Society’s work continues to be rooted in disability rights and advocacy, providing people with disabilities with the same opportunities and choices as any other citizen. The group felt that inherent in this approach is a deep conviction to never settle. While the rights movements led to significant changes, there is still more work to be done in removing systemic barriers and supporting people to be full citizens in community. It takes everyone, self-advocates, families, supports and system stakeholders.

“People need to say ‘no, this can be better’. We knew we could do better and that’s how changes have come.”

- Elaine

The group highlighted that Skills has always strived for the good life: “I don’t remember a time ever, where people weren’t committed to supporting people to have the best lives possible, and whatever that meant to the individual, to the best of everybody’s ability” Karen shares. While institutional rights (e.g., employment, voting) are essential, what is often still missing are the relationships, belonging, and opportunities to contribute to and shape community - to be of community. This group, along with self-advocates, families, and allies, shared a frustration with the systemic barriers and lack of opportunity for connectivity in community. Turning to creativity and innovation, Skills Society has always pushed the boundaries of what it means to be ‘in community’, striving for a sense of reciprocal participation and deep belonging for the people we serve.

“Throughout my time at Skills Society, there was never complacency. It was always moving forward, leading edge, and if we saw a way forward that would open doors for the people we support, there wasn’t hesitation”

- Karen

Learnings to keep in mind to support people to have the best lives possible

The group spoke of the importance of recognizing that while we are all unique, we are all human, deserving of dignity and respect. This recognition of our common humanity sets a foundation for the values that guide our work and advocacy efforts.

“We all want to belong. Everybody has a place in society, and I think we need to work hard for that”

- Elaine

Recognizing there are people in our communities who face systemic barriers to community inclusion and belonging, the group emphasized shifting from the notion that people must ‘fit’ spaces to be included, but rather belonging as being something that is co-created between people. Asking, how can we support someone to be their true selves, where their life is full and as imagined by them? How can we support people to share their stories and be truly seen?

The good life is rooted in relationships Jan shared that “we need to have a strong community around us to support us to have good lives”. Karen highlighted the myth of independence, stating never has there been a time where people have been able to exist on their own.

“We have all needed, relied on, or influenced others in one way or another. If we hadn’t had supportive, genuine, inquisitive, helpful, kind people, who knows where we’d all end up.”

- Karen

This is not to say that people’s independence and autonomy shouldn’t be valued, but rather that it should be recognized and supported in a relational ethic. A relational ethic is characterized by interdependence and interconnectedness, and at the same time, where autonomy and independence can also exist1 . Relational ways of being and interdependence highlight our inherent need for each other - it’s reciprocal, everyone is valued and has something to offer. Jan emphasized the importance of reciprocity in relationships in the good life: “People need people in their lives, to be their friends, to be their supports, to look out for them, and people also need to feel like they’re contributing, giving back, and they have something to offer.”

Good leadership within disability rights and services

Karen highlighted kindness and being a good listeneropenness to other’s perspectives, and the wisdom and knowledge they offer - as important qualities of good leadership. Jan adds that we all have gifts, abilities, and talents, and a leader’s role is to bring forward and celebrate those gifts. Elaine shared that good leaders are empathetic, meaning they listen to others, and respond with appreciation, compassion, and care. These are all important qualities to strive for when working alongside people we serve, families, and teams, and reflects how leadership is about our responsibility to each other and our community.

“Leadership is a thing and I wish we talked about it more in a real and true way. Real, as in: it can be damn hard, messy, complicated, heavy, stressful and lonely. True, as in: true leadership requires vulnerability, interdependence, trust (in all ways), accountability, risk, growth.”

- Mia Mingus, disability activist

1. Bergum & Dossetor, 2005, Relational ethics: The full meaning of respect

Grounded in vision

Resoundingly, the group spoke to the importance of passion, vision, and values in leadership, particularly within disability rights, supports, and services. Importantly, leaders can also clearly express this vision in a way that guides and inspires others, fostering a shared sense of purpose and contribution to the vision; “leaders can lead from whatever role they hold because of their belief in the vision and their values”, Jan shares. Hart further adds that visionary leaders balance having an eye on the here and now, while not losing sight of the future: “effective leadership has to have a keen eye on two things, the evolving context within which the organization exists, and the future evolution of the organization. In other words, how is it that we’re going to be a better organization tomorrow than we are today?”

the notion that leadership is tied to a specific role or that only those in positions of authority can lead. Hart highlights that leadership exists everywhere, including in community where people are supported, and this includes the people we serve.

“There’s never been a time so important as now, where in organizations, everybody’s got to be a leader. Because that’s going to help defend against the erosion of our values, and that’s going to help grow our values.”

- Hart

“You have to have knowledge as to what we’re doing and where we’re going”

- Elaine

“A leader doesn’t stand alone”

- Jan

The group emphasized the importance of recognizing that we are all leaders, stepping in at different times, and working together towards a shared vision. Hart emphasizes that in our current culture, leadership is often seen or portrayed by charismatic leaders, who are proud and loud. While strong leaders at the helm of organizations are important, leadership must come from everywhere within an organization. We need to demystify

By way of observation, they are noticing throughout the province a shift away from the values and culture from which community disability services was rooted from its inception. “The ideology, the values, the culture, are disappearing little bit, by little bit, and the onus is on community organizations to retain it and breathe more life.” Hart shares. Organizations need to find ways to support leadership by everybody (people served, staff, community members), helping people see themselves as leaders and recognizing and celebrating leadership behaviour. This includes demonstrating and modeling leadership through everyday interactions and practices that are grounded in the values of the organization. This further highlights how leadership is not an ‘event’ or something that only happens when you bring people or your team together. It’s built into every aspect of everybody’s job, every day. Hart emphasizes that this leadership practice - leadership in our day-to-day practices, at all levels - is one very important way of safeguarding the organization’s value system. This resonates strongly with our belief and approach to

Leadership as a collective responsibility

growing leadership practice within Skills. From mentorship from peers and supervisors to innovate projects and initiatives, like the Employeee Education Award and Learning Award for people we serve, Skills seeks to create opportunities for people to develop knowledge and skills, and recognize their gifts. The foundation for this work is a healthy, creative, and innovative culture, that together we all steward. We view creativity and innovation as a vehicle for asking questions and thinking differently about challenges, not settling for ‘good enough’, and exploring innovative pathways, improving our services and systems to work better for the people we serve.

What not to forget moving into the future

Moving forward includes looking back

“Skills is one of the organizations where the values and culture are still strong. That’s leadership - that’s an organization leading. Whatever organizations can do to continue to lead along with self-advocates and families to not let our values die, that’s so incredibly important. I can’t overstate the importance of that”

- Hart

The group acknowledged that with fewer disability studies programs and many of the early people and selfadvocates who led disability rights-based work aging and leaving, the sector is at risk of losing the history - where we’ve come from, and why we’ve come from there. As reflected above, this history plays an important part in understanding and practicing the values within a disability rights approach. The group strongly felt it was important, no matter how far into the future we go, that we continue to capture and share disability rights movements and history. There is wisdom and knowledge in what’s come before, what’s happening now, and what the future might look like; to discount any of those three is a disservice to our work and community, Karen shares. The group also highlights how this retrospective practice helps to fuel movements and the work going forward: “Sometimes it’s been a positive thing to look back, even if we weren’t as far as we’d hoped, to see how far we were and that we were on the right trajectory.” Karen says. Skills is committed to supporting our community and sector in not losing this important history, investing in training, and other projects such as the Rights We Want! documentary and Leadership Workbook to name a few, that help carry this history forward.

“We need to keep the history alive so that we don’t go back and repeat past mistakes”

- Elaine “Part of me thinks, no matter what the circumstances are, we wouldn’t be where we are without where we were”

- Karen

Centering the people we support Something that has always been at the heart of our work at Skills is practicing in person-centred ways. The group felt strongly that moving into the future, we can not lose sight of this important value, and the history from which it emerged. “So much of our system and structures, both in government and in organizations are about groups of people, and it’s so easy to forget about individuals, of the uniqueness of each individual,” Hart says. The group spoke to the importance of really learning and understanding deeply each individual - their hopes and wishes, gifts and strengths, likes and dislikes, unique ways of communicating, the loved ones and friends in their lives. Elaine further emphasized that to truly see someone - to not lose sight of a person - is know them and their wishes and needs in a holistic way. Reflecting on disability rights history and system pressures and barriers, she fears systems will settle and only recognize certain needs, such as food, shelter, and physical care. While these needs are of course important, needs like connection to community, one’s purpose, growth, and adventure are also just as important . In supporting people to live the good life, however

“It’s listening. You listen to what the person wants and what the person needs”

- Jan

they envision that for themselves, we need to balance supporting existing, material needs, while also helping to support non-material needs, like belonging, relationships, trying new things, and broadening horzions. Hart shares a Buddhist concept, beginners mind. Supports can sometimes listen to individuals with old ears, and we don’t give recognition to the fact that while we’re evolving as individuals, so are the individuals that we support, evolving, day after day after day, month, after month, year after year. And so we need to listen and observe with new ears to ensure that we’re as up to date as we can possibly be with the person that’s evolved from yesterday, and so that we can better offer relationship and support to each individual. This teaching reminded us of tatawâw, a Cree saying shared with us by Hunter and Jacquelyn Cardinal that resonates strongly with our Skills vision, which means, there is room for who you are, where you are from, and who you are becoming. The becoming piece is key to not lose sight of. As paid supports and allies, part of our role is to support people in their right to dream and grow in community.

“When we stop dreaming about what is possible, when we stop imagining a world we all share that is guided by great feelings of love, we become our biggest barrier... The other world is something we must dream of, it must first be something we feel when we close our eyes and use our imagination…”

- Robby Rodriguez, Social Justice Leader

Asking people served what they are really needing and how we can flexibly adapt

Culture of Innovation at Skills Society

Stewarding bottom up solution finding because good ideas can come from anywhere in the organization

Creating safe and comfortable space for navigating challenges together

Gratitude and Honoring Legacy

Learning from experienced people and being open to new ideas

Taking our work seriously but not taking ourselves too seriously

We are grateful to Elaine, Hart, Jan, and Karen for their dedication, advocacy, and commitment to supporting the rights and citizenship of people with disabilities. By honoring our past, staying committed to our values, and embracing innovative approaches, we can help to carry forward the legacy of the disability rights movements. To close, we want to honor, recognize, and express our appreciation and value of the expertise and leadership of people with disabilities within our community and more broadly. They continue to shape a community that is more beautiful and just. We invite you to read the stories of some of the folks within our community throughout this report, who demonstrate leadership and from whom we learn from.

Being careful not to jump to conclusions too quickly but really exploring the complexity around an issue

Being open to diverse perspectives when problem solving together

“Disability justice is simply another term for love.”

- Mia Mingus, disability activist

This piece was compiled and written by Rebecca Rubuliak, Director

of Continuous Improvement and Innovation

Taken from Skills Society 2018 Annual Report

ACTION LAB

Action Lab is a social enterprise of Skills Society. As part of Skills’ broader approach to social innovation, the Action Lab team offers resources and expertise to facilitate group discussions, creative retreats, and help organizations solve complex problems. Profits from the Action Lab help subsidize Skills’ operations, support innovative social change initiatives of Skills, and provide employment opportunities to people with developmental disabilities who work in the space during events. You can learn more about and stay up to date on Action Lab through our website and social media. You can also support by recommending the Action Lab space and facilitation expertise to folks in your circles. All information can be found on our website.

actionlab.ca

@actionlabYEG

OUR IMPACT

3000+ leaders engaged in the Action Lab

4 Deep Dive: Multi-year Social Innovation Labs around complex social problems

15+ sectors have accessed the Action Lab and our services

40+ people with disabilities have found meaningful employment through Action Lab

9 publications from the Action Lab

100+ workshops sprints small labs supporting creativity, social innovation and systemic design

9 prototypes have launched and scaled from our labs:

• CommuniTEA Infusion Project

• MyCompass Planning Inc.

• MyCompass Planning Labs

• Exploring Wahkotowin Game

• Future of Labs Gathering Artifacts

• Future of Home Pilot at Edgemont

• You Need This Box - Antiracism subscription box

• Anti Racist By-stander Guide in Edify magazine

• Diversity Certified - Diversity and Anti-racist training for landlords. Held by E4C

FUTURE OF LABS A Project of Action Lab

Skills Society and Action Lab have always been committed to innovation in supporting marginalized community members to find belonging and lead rich, inclusive lives. Part of this mission is capacity building - learning from, contributing to, and growing the broader social innovation ecosystem. A social innovation lab in essence is about bringing together a diverse collective who care about a complex social challenge, and then guiding people through a structured creative process to come up with possible ways to address the challenge. In May, Action Lab, in partnership with Social Innovation Canada, convened the Future of Labs gathering. Future of Labs brought together a diverse group of trailblazers and experienced innovators who steward and design collective problem-solving processes to help shape the next ten years of social innovation lab approaches - looking deeply at what’s been working, not working, and collectively visioning next practices for the field. The resulting work will help more people and systems to get better at understanding, connecting, and working with some of the most complex challenges our world is facing today. To learn more about Future of Labs and the resulting knowledge artifacts, visit actionlab.ca/future-of-labsgathering

SKILLS SOCIETY LEADERSHIP WORKBOOK

Growing Leadership Practice within Skills

After several months of testing with leaders within Skills Society, we launched the Skills Society Leadership Workbook and associated team meeting activities this past year. The purpose of the Leadership Workbook is to:

• Help staff grow their own leadership practice and purpose, gain tools, and ultimately enhance their skills as allies to better serve the people we support

• Help deepen staff’s understanding of our vision and values at Skills

• Help staff bring their own unique gifts to their work, and support their growth as a leader

The Leadership Workbook is grounded in our communitythe people we serve, families, and employees - and is deeply informed by diverse perspectives. These include insights from employees through surveys and co-creation with Team Leaders, Team Coordinators, and Managers; our disability rights roots and work; leadership research; and data and learning in the sector and beyond.

“If you want a place where you can learn, grow, and become, Skills Society is the place to do that”

- Manager of Community Supports

Why is Skills Society invested in leadership education?

Skills Society strives to be a learning organization, encouraging all employees to continually learn, grow, and increase their capacity to support the people we serve to experience citizenship and belonging. The Workbook is built on the following principles:

• Being a leader is a mindset and practice everyone can participate in.

• Leadership can come from anywhere in an organization.

• We have to know ourselves - our personal vision, values, strengths, and weaknesses - if we want to lead well and steward alongside others.

People can’t simply be told to hold a value or vision and expect it to sink in and become action overnight. People have to take time to listen, reflect, probe their own assumptions, and think of their own ways of how to put values and vision into everyday practice.

Through the Workbook, we aim to:

• Find creative ways we can help ensure disability rights and movements history and knowledge are not lost, and that staff have opportunities to explore how they can continue to build off the work of those who came before us, supporting the people we serve to thrive.

• Provide resources, tools, and learning around supporting a healthy and inclusive organizational culture - one that includes creativity and innovation. This includes understanding what our values look like in practice and how we might all bring that to life with the people we support and in teams.

How do employees participate?

The Leadership Workbook is provided to all Skills employees, who are supported to complete it over several months as part of their work. This microlearning approach - multiple, smaller touchpoints with the Workbook over time versus a one-time large training session - supports continuous learning and enhances retention and understanding. In addition, each exploration within the Workbook includes an associated activity for teams to work through together at monthly team meetings, providing an opportunity for teams to explore together more deeply the learnings and reflections of the Workbook’s content and activities.

Gratitude

We express our sincere gratitude to the Team Coordinators and Team Leaders who play an important role in the stewardship of the Workbook and associated team activities, leading and supporting their teams through this learning practice.

Reflections on the Workbook

To close, we want to share a few insightful reflections from Team Coordinators and Team Leaders on what they find promising about the Workbook and why they feel it’s important to go through:

“It will help staff to gain a deeper understanding of the vision, mission and values of Skills Society, how it translates to the work we do, and strive to uphold them in our work”

“It’s a tool to empower every employee. Highlights we are all leaders”

“It helps create a sense of belonging. Gives an opportunity to all employees to see and know their value in the organization”

LEADERSHIP & CITIZENSHIP

HIGHLIGHT - PARTICIPATION

Marla’s Story

An important part of citizenship is having opportunities to share your unique gifts and talents with others, build relationships, and experience a sense of belonging. Marla is a bubbly, warm, and friendly person who uses her gifts to connect with others. She loves spending time with people, especially over tea (peppermint tea to be exact). In March, Marla and her roommate Christine started a monthly coffee club. Every first Wednesday of the month, they gather with friends and anyone interested in joining for casual conversations over coffee, sharing new and exciting updates in their lives. Marla believes it is a great way to connect with her friends and meet new people. Known for her great sense of humor, Marla enjoys making others laugh and feel welcome. She feels a strong sense of belonging at coffee club, saying, “I feel safe because the people know you,” which allows her to be her authentic self. Marla, who enjoys cooking and trying new things, even has a future idea for a dessert club where people could get together, bake different desserts, and enjoy them over coffee. Coffee club is just one example of how Marla uses her gifts to foster community and connection, embodying what it means to be a leader.