Message from ACTEW Executive Director
ACTEW is in the midst of some exciting transitions. On Equality Day, April 17, ACTEW held its 2007/08 Annual General Meeting, which included in-person participation and webcasting for out-of-town members. In May, we will introduce a significant number of new members to ACTEW’s board. For now, we would like to say good-bye and best wishes to two of ACTEW’s most dedicated board members, Estelle Amaron (ACCES Toronto) and Faelyne Templer (A-Vocation, Ajax). Estelle has served on ACTEW’s board for 6 years, and Faelyne has served for an extended 8 years. We would like to thank them both for their years of dedication and support and wish them well in their future directions.
In other news and transitions, I will be on maternity leave from May 19, 2008 until January 9, 2009. I am pleased to tell you that Paula Wansbrough, Senior Project Manager with ACTEW, will be stepping in as Interim Executive Director, bringing extensive research, policy and management experience from the community-based training sector and from the Violence Against Women sector. You can reach Paula at paula@actew.org
In the meantime, we at ACTEW look forward to building a strong network of community-based services across Ontario.
Best Regards,
Deanna Yerichuk, Executive Director
ACTEW's Annual General Meeting 2007-2008
On Equality Day, April 17th, ACTEW held its 2007-2008 Annual General Meeting at the Steelworkers Union Hall in Toronto. Highlights of the meeting include the unveiling of ACTEW’s new mission and strategic directions, a keynote address by Nancy Peckford on Canadian Women, Services and Public Policy, and a musical performance by Megobrebi, a Georgian women’s singing ensemble. View highlights below.
Webcast
ACTEW To present at PARO Regional Economic Development Conference Devoted to Women
ACTEW member and regional trainer, Lynda Beavis, will showcase ACTEW's award winning Content-Sharing Constellation Project and “Best Practices” guide for building collaborative technology partnerships at the first Northern Ontario Women’s Economic Development Conference (NOWEDC) on April 29-30, 2008 in Thunder Bay.
The Conference, organized by PARO - a Centre for Women's Enterprise and its partners; the North Superior Training Board and the Community Economic and Social Development Program (CESD) Algoma University College, will focus on the themes of: Building a Business in Northern Ontario; Creating Sustainable Livelihoods and Growing Our Northern Communities. The conference will introduce eminent women leaders involved in business and community economic development.
It’s Your Call Research Project and Final Report
Led by the Community Social Planning Council of Toronto, ACTEW partnered on the collaborative research project It's Your Call, to examine the impact of HRSDC’s Call for Proposals process on community-based training programs in Toronto. Other partners include ONESTEP, OCASI, OAYEC and Toronto Neighbourhood Centres (TNC). Funding for the project was provided through a United Way of Greater Toronto Social Research Grant. The final report and executive summary highlight the findings and recommendations from the collaborative research porject. The documents can be downloaded here:
> summary: http://actew.org/projects/recent/It's_Your_Call-Exec_Summ_ACTEW.pdf
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report: http://actew.org/projects/recent/It's_Your_Call-Report-ACTEW.pdf
Keen Interest in Advancing Referrals
Focus groups on referral processes and challenges are currently underway for the Advancing Referral Processes project, which is a partnership between ACTEW and the Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres. Meetings of practitioners who serve women ran on April 18 and 22, and a third will take place on May 2. Practitioners were enthusiastic about participating in the focus groups and look forward to seeing the resulting report, due in June. Focus groups will also be conducted by OAYEC with practitioners from the youth employment sector on April 25 and 30. For more information, please contact Paula Wansbrough at paula@actew.org to participate.
> more:
http://www.actew.org/projects/current/referrals.html
Supporting Survivors/Supporting Employment Delivers Workshops in Kingston, Brantford Toronto and Vaughan
ACTEW would like to thank participants who attend the Kingston training session on April 7th as part of the Supporting Survivors/Supporting Employment Project. We were thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive response and feedback from participants. ACTEW and Springtide Resources are delivering one-day workshops for employment practitioners through the Supporting Survivors/Supporting Employment Project. The workshops train practitioners how to support women clients who have experienced intimate partner abuse, with resources to provide appropriate community referrals, address specific barriers, and help them find employment. The next workshops will be held on April 23rd in Toronto, April 24th in Vaughan and April 28th in Brantford. Registration has been closed as all workshops are full. If you have any questions on the results of this project, contact Trish McNamara at trish@actew.org.
> more: http://www.actew.org/projects/current/ssse.html
actew welcomes a new member!
We are pleased to welcome Niagara Pathways Project - Literacy Link Niagara as a new Associate ACTEW member. Niagara Pathways Project - Literacy Link Niagara is a regional coalition of literacy programs, private businesses and related training agencies committed to adult basic education. The project includes 9 member programs that address the needs of adult students in the community, and offer a choice of many ways to upgrade or improve their literacy skills. One-to-one tutoring is offered in small or large groups, tailored to literacy skill level and culture: Francophone, Anglophone, Native or Deaf.
