In 2014, the Alberta Human Rights Commission (the Commission), in partnership with the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA), was honoured to receive a Best Practice Award for our Welcoming and Inclusive Communities (WIC) Initiative.

Since receiving the award, the Commission has strengthened its...

CRRF’s Best Practices Reader program created a platform for us to tell our story of providing a welcoming and inclusive space and experience to the newcomer immigrants and refugee youth in our schools. The opportunity to share the best practices that informed our daily work with youth inspired us to continue to provide meaningful engagement for immigrant and refugee youth, create space where youth can share their unique stories of settlement and migration, and access support relevant to their needs. Being a part of the CRRF also reminded us that we belong to a network of people who share the same values of diversity and inclusion. Lastly, being included in the 2016 Honourable Mentions for the CRRF’s Award of Excellence affirms the core values of our work: putting our youth first; honouring their stories; and, valuing the skills they offer. Thank you CRRF for the work you do.

Receiving the CRRF Best Youth Practice Award helped make the 2015/2016 Compassionate Leaders Project our most successful year to date. Our grant applications were strengthened by the national recognition and we were fully funded for the first time. As a result, we were able to double our youth participant intake sending more students to the leadership camp.

In 2016, the First Mile Connectivity Consortium (FMCC) received the CRRF Aboriginal Award of Excellence for our project “Working together to change digital policy to support Indigenous broadband at the First Mile”. A collaboration between First Nations technology organizations and university researchers, FMCC showcases how First Nations are addressing digital divides and leading the way for community networking initiatives.

Since our 2016 award, we have seen many positive developments. The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) designated broadband as an essential telecommunications service for everyone regardless of geographic location. Federal, provincial and territorial governments have established new funding programs to support the deployment of infrastructure in underserved regions that are available to non-profits, cooperatives and community-based organizations. Several First Nations broadband projects received support to expand their networks and services.

We appreciate the opportunity to share the FMCC’s work through the CRRF’s Best Practices program. The CRRF conference enabled us to connect with new audiences and build relationships with like-minded individuals and organizations.

FAST won the Canadian Race Relations Foundation Award of Excellence in 2010. Being recognized in the fight against racism and discrimination acknowledged that our best practices for distribution were successful. An image of the CRRF award was included in the printed Teachers Guide. To date Choose Your Voice has reached over 2.3 million Canadian students and we’ve received feedback about the impact it has made within classrooms. It continues to be in demand by elementary and middle school educators.