Transforming Skills and Knowledge for Belonging: Introducing the 2025 Circle of Actions Cohort

This blog post was written by Orpah Cundangan and Jorge Garza.

In a time where belonging is more vital than ever, we're thrilled to introduce the 13 communities embarking on a transformative journey: the 2025 Circle of Actions cohort. This dynamic group represents the forefront of community-driven initiatives aimed at fostering belonging in Canada. 

The Circle of Actions cohort is a unique learning and action cohort designed to enable local teams to develop and implement plans and interventions that strengthen community belonging. We understand that belonging isn't a one-size-fits-all concept. It’s deeply rooted in local context, shaped by unique histories, cultures, and challenges. That’s why we’ve brought together a diverse group of communities, each with their own distinct vision for building a more cohesive, inclusive, and equitable future.

Introducing the 2025 Circle of Actions Teams:

1. City of Kamloops (British Columbia)
   • Focus areas: wellbeing, civic engagement, cohesion
     
     
2. Tri-Cities Healthier Communities Partnership Table (British Columbia)​
   • Focus areas: well-being, community resilience, equity
     
     
3. Niagara Region Community Services / Poverty Reduction (Ontario)​
   • Focus areas: civic engagement, prosperity, cohesion
     
     
4. Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues (Alberta)​
   • Focus areas: civic engagement, cohesion, equity
     
     
5. Renfrew County Community Poverty Action Network (Ontario)​
   • Focus areas: equity, prosperity, civic engagement
     
     
6. Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (Alberta)​
   • Focus areas: civic engagement, cohesion, equity
     
     
7. Lloydminster: The Common Ground Project (Alberta)​
   • Focus areas: power of place, prosperity, equity
     
     
8. DC MOVES (Ontario)​
   • Focus areas: well-being, power of place, prosperity
     
     
9. Global Citizen Incorporated (Newfoundland)​
   • Focus areas: prosperity, equity, cohesion
     
     
10. Carman Wellness Connections (Manitoba)​
    • Focus areas: well-being, civic engagement, cohesion
      
      
11. Peel Newcomer Strategy Group at United Way of Greater Toronto (Ontario)​
    • Focus areas: prosperity, equity, power of place
      
      
12. A Dollar A Day Foundation (Newfoundland)​
    • Focus areas: well-being, equity, civic engagement
      
      
13. Good Futures Collective (Ontario)​
    • Focus areas: community regeneration, power of place, equity
      
      

A Ten-Month Learning and action Journey

Over the next ten months, these teams will embark on a journey together to develop concrete action plans that reflect specific local needs around building belonging, supported by Tamarack to map local assets and centre equity in their work. They’ll delve into the complexities of belonging, exploring innovative strategies for addressing social isolation, fostering dialogue, and building cohesive communities.

Nominated individuals from participating teams will also have access to Pathways for Change, a seven-month leadership cohort focused on cultivating relationships with other changemakers, learning approaches to systems change, and drafting and implementing a systems change plan. In addition to these 13 teams, we are also thrilled to welcome New Outlook (Ontario) as a Pathways for Change team who will receive leadership coaching to help guide their efforts towards developing a renters’ association.

Goals for the Cohorts

The Circle of Actions and Pathways for Change cohorts represent the power of local action for systems-level impact, demonstrating that meaningful change begins at the community level. The lessons learned and stories that emerge from the Circle of Actions will contribute to shaping the call for a Canada-Wide Strategy for Belonging that already has the support of over 1,300 individuals. The plans developed by each community will serve as inspiration for changemakers from across sectors to demonstrate the power of place-based collaboration and will ignite a new generation of leadership rooted in solidarity, care, and equity.

We invite you to join us on this journey as we follow their progress, celebrate their successes, and learn from their experiences. Together, we can build a Canada where everyone feels a sense of belonging, a place where cohesion and community thrive.

A STRATEGY FOR BELONGING:

Strengthening Communities with Their Voices and Gifts at the Centre

 

Join us as we co-create a Canada-wide Strategy to make belonging a policy priority. Learn more and participate in the Strategy for Belonging Working Group.