On April 10th, more than 80 people who are currently involved in making Waterloo Region a healthy place to live, met to learn more about collective impact and explore opportunities to better integrate their shared efforts to encourage: healthy eating; mental health; and, physical activity across their diverse region.  Hosted by the Waterloo Region Healthy Communities Partnership, this workshop provided participants with:

1.     An Opportunity to Learn about Collective Impact – In what ways is Collective Impact different from traditional forms of collaboration?  Why is it proving to be such an effective approach when working with complex community issues?  Access the presentation here.

2.     Resources to Support the Implementation of Collective Impact– Specific resources were provided to support participants in applying Collective Impact to their own work.  These included:

·         Worksheet #1 – Engagement

·         Worksheet #2 – Common Agenda

·         Worksheet #3 – Shared Measurement

·         Worksheet #4 – Mutually Reinforcing Activities

·         Worksheet #5 – Continuous Communication

·         Worksheet #6 – Collective Impact Action Plan 

LEARN MORE:

Participants interested in diving deeper into topic of collective impact, and finding resources multi-sector collaboration in order to bring about lasting change on complex community issues can:

·       Read Collective Impact: Innovation in Collaboration by Liz Weaver for an overview of Collective Impact and insights about  implementing it

·       Visit Tamarack's 3 Online Learning Platforms to find a vibrant peer network, and the latest resources and tools to support positive community change:  

o     Tamarack CCI - For Collaborative Leaders who use collective impact approaches to address complex community issues.  www.tamarackcci.ca

o     Vibrant Communities - Cities Reducing Poverty - For Cities that develop and implement comprehensive poverty reduction strategies.  www.vibrantcanada.ca

o     Seeking Community - For individuals who care about community, the vibrancy of neighbourhoods and the unique role of citizens in advancing social change.  www.seekingcommunity.ca

·       Read the Stanford Social Innovation Review articles on Collective Impact: http://www.ssireview.org

·       Visit FSG Social Impact Consultants: www.fsg.org

·       Review FSG's Vibrant Communities Collective Impact Case Study

·       Subscribe to Engage!, Tamarack's award-winning e-magazine to learn about the latest developments in the field.  Learn more here.  

·       Discover upcoming learning and professional development opportunities hosted by Tamarack or, sign up here be among the first to get information about upcoming Tamarack learning events.