2024 Community of Learning Conference

October 27 to 29, 2024, in Toronto, Ontario

Complexity Leadership & Knowledge Sharing

In a rapidly evolving world, the traditional ways of leadership can be insufficient to address the challenges we face. We need to embrace adaptability, interconnectivity, and emergent change. Complexity Leadership can better help us navigate the complexities of our world, foster innovation, and build a more resilient and adaptable community. We invite you to join us on this transformative journey.

Scroll through this page for information about registration, this year’s Keynote Speaker, and the Conference Special Event.

Registration

Pricing

FSC Member Agency

  • One complimentary registration for the ED/CEO of each member agency.
  • $200 for each additional registration from FSC member agencies.

Non-FSC Member Agencies

  • $350 per attendee.

Registration Deadlines

Early Registration Deadline: September 6, 2024. All who register by September 6, 2024, will receive a copy of one of Paul Born’s books and an Ontario keepsake.

Registration Deadline: October 15, 2024. Please register no later than October 15 so we can communicate our final catering numbers to the hotel.

Additional Notes

When registering,

  • Please answer registration questions for yourself and any other attendees you’re registering.
  • If you plan to attend the Safe Centre of Peel visit and Cultural Event, please pre-register by purchasing the “Conference Special Event Add-On” ticket for yourself and any other attendees you’re registering.

Keynote Speaker

Paul Born

Founder of BE Community and Co-Founder of Tamarack Institute and Vibrant Communities

Paul is a large-scale community change facilitator and the author of five books, including two Canadian best-sellers. He supports communities collaborating as a coach, consultant, and community conversations facilitator. His latest book, Breakthrough Community Change, was released in April 2023.

Paul is the Co-founder and for 20 years was the CEO/Co-CEO of Tamarack Institute, a 47,000-member learning community, and the Founder and Director of Vibrant Communities, a Collective Impact movement that supports four networks of cities learning and acting together to End Poverty, Deepening Community, Building Youth Futures and Climate Transitions. These campaigns are now active in over 400 cities.

Paul is a global faculty member of the Asset Based Community Development Institute (ABCD) and a senior fellow of Ashoka, the world’s largest network of social innovators. Paul was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2019.

Conference Special Event

Safe Centre of Peel visit and Cultural Performance

To Join the tour, dinner, and performances at Safe Centre of Peel, please be sure to purchase the $75 add-on tickets for yourself any anyone else you’re registering for the conference who would like to attend the special event.

Location: Safe Centre of Peel – Located in the Honourable William G. Davis Centre for Families

Cost: $75/person

Join us for a tour and special event at the Safe Centre of Peel. A bus will transport us from Novotel Toronto Centre to the Safe Centre of Peel, where different partners from the Centre will tour the site with us and offer an in-depth perspective on the support and compassion provided to families affected by abuse and violence in Peel.

During the visit, we’ll enjoy finger foods before dinner and a cultural performance by local artists. The chef from Seva Food Bank, one of the Safe Centre’s partner agencies, will coordinate the finger foods and dinner. The performances will display Peel’s culture, including dance performances by various cultural groups, including Bhangra and Hip Hop.

Following the event, a bus will return attendees to the hotel.

About the Safe Centre of Peel: The Centre is a safe and welcoming space where 23 agencies work together at one location. They offer support and compassionate care to families affected by Intimate Partner Violence in the Region of Peel. The collaboration serves hundreds of individuals annually, providing services such as needs and risk assessment, individualized safety planning, short-term counselling, parenting education and resources, legal education and support, and more.

Attend the Annual Community of Learning Conference

Community of Learners is a group of people who share values and beliefs and actively learn from one another.

The Family Service Canada community is interdependent. Each of us is responsible for receiving and sharing resources and points of view while sustaining a mutually respectful environment.

Technology makes it possible to connect across distances and throughout the year, but in-person connection is essential. Our annual Community of Learning Conference provides that connection and supports our development of trust and relationships.

Every year, one member hosts the conference—welcoming conference attendees to their city or town.

The Community of Learning Conference is Different Every Year

We build our conferences around a theme or prevalent issue. Agencies or subject matter experts facilitate learning sessions and lead discussions. In the past, content shared at the conference has included

  • Practical learning around essential non-profit functions like fund development or governance.
  • New initiatives like multi-agency collaborations.
  • Service opportunities like the F&ST program or different approaches to single-session counselling.
  • New research in areas like neuroscience and brain development that impacts how we serve families.

Every conference also includes ample opportunity to connect in smaller groups. Whether you want to discuss a specific issue or relax in your peers’ company, you’ll find it.

Dinner, drinks, and opportunities to experience some of what the host city offers are just some of the other aspects of the conference.