Social Innovation Generation at Waterloo presents Innovators in Action speaker series

WATERLOO - A University of Waterloo research group is inviting five Canadian leaders in the field of social innovation to share their insights on how to deal with the root causes of social challenges.

The Innovators in Action speaker series, hosted by Social Innovation Generation at Waterloo, will apply the ideas of social innovation to specific sectors and issues - cultural change, inclusion, education, multi-sectoral collaboration and youth mentorship.

The speakers will give keynote addresses during May and June. Each keynote lecture, the first one takes place this week, will be followed by a local panel discussion, with panellists sharing their reflections on the keynote address and offering insights into their own experiences.

"The speakers, all leaders in their fields, will share experiences of operating at the national level to identify and address the root causes of intractable social challenges," said Frances Westley, a University of Waterloo professor who holds the J.W. McConnell Chair in Social Innovation.

Ric Young, architect of numerous campaigns for change and one of Canada's leading authorities in the field of social innovation, will deliver the opening keynote on Wednesday, May 5. He will touch on the integral role that culture plays in creating the conditions for social change, understanding the complexity of intractable social problems and exploring the kind of approaches needed to address them.

On May 19, Cindy Blackstock, executive director of First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, will talk about the case currently before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, in which the Government of Canada is charged with racially discriminating against First Nations children and their families.

Blackstock will discuss how this case is one of the most formally watched legal actions in Canadian history. With more than 4,000 people and organizations committed to watching, the tribunal (www.fnwitness.ca) has the potential to set a precedent of equity across all services on reserves.

On June 2, Penny Milton, CEO of the Canadian Education Association, will present the case for transforming education in Canada through innovation in schools. Schooling problems require adaptive "learning-by-doing" approaches rather than "across-the-board" technical or policy responses. Illustrations will be drawn from the Canadian Education Association’s multi-year research and development initiative, entitled What did you do in school today?

On June 16, Ilse Treurnicht, CEO of MaRS Discovery District, will touch on the growing importance of multi-sectoral collaboration, which promotes the mutual exchange of ideas, values, talent and capital across sectors. Such an approach fosters innovation for the advancement and progress of society.

And finally, Bruce MacDonald, president and CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada, will close the series on June 23 by sharing how his agency created new approaches to old issues. He will also discuss how a nationally federated organization can evolve into one that is more nimble and responsive to the needs of its members. The agency looks at how innovative approaches to mentoring can be created in a system that has been functioning for many years.

All of the lectures are free to attend, although RSVP is required. For registration and more information on the SiG at Waterloo Innovators in Action speaker series, visit www.sig.uwaterloo.ca.