Professional Development on the Prairies This summer will mark four years for me in Saskatoon, and while there are many things I love about this city1, there are a few small challenges. One specifically related to my work is the relative isolation: the nearest city of comparable size is the provincial capital of Regina, which […]
Student practicums or placements can be a great opportunity for non-profit organizations to provide a student with real-world experience while benefiting from their knowledge and skills. Most placements are required for the completion of a graduate or professional degree; however, some upper-year undergraduate courses include this form of experimental learning as well. Depending on the […]
Right now, I have a bunch of ideas floating in my writing list from this conference. New tools, new insights, new ideas for programs or approaches that could be useful back home in Saskatoon. I think I could write up one of those topics each week between now and the end of the year and […]
Given that this is my third such conference, I should no longer be surprised that Eval 2015 is an amazing, overwhelming, encouraging, and ultimately empowering event! Both of my workshops were great learning opportunities leaving me with lots of ideas to bring back home to Saskatoon, I’ve run into several friends and colleagues already, and […]
Greetings from Chicago! I arrived in town last night to attend the American Evaluation Association’s annual conference, the third such time I’ve attended this massive gathering of evaluators. Taking a quick look through the program, I’m still excited and overwhelmed by the sheer number of interesting sessions and workshops: even after three years, it’s difficult […]
Good news for non-profits: there’s a ton of information and data out there to help you understand your community and the people who live in it. Bad news for non-profits: there’s a ton of information and data out there. It can be hard to find what you’re looking for across multiple sites and agencies, especially […]
Shorts have been replaced by jackets, there’s a chill in the air, and leaves are starting to change – fall is definitely here in Saskatoon! Rather than lament the end of summer (and the short time before we’ll be talking about the frozen white stuff hitting the ground!), I would like take a minute to […]
Lots on the go! If you’re based in Saskatchewan and work in the area of poverty reduction (or even if you don’t and simply care about the issue, which really should apply to everyone!), I strongly recommend you check out the survey link in the second item below related to the provincial government’s poverty reduction […]
While I won’t go into the origins of Strong Roots here (sounds like a superhero backstory), suffice to say it was a bit of a twisty path going from wide-eyed student to the slightly less wide-eyed but more experienced consultant you see before you. Along that path, I was helped by numerous amazing people who […]
Although the 30 cm of snow that walloped Saskatoon this past weekend may not seem particularly spring-like, by tomorrow it should all be a soggy memory and we can enjoy the rest of the season in peace. Good thing, as there are a bevy of upcoming community events to get you outside and moving! A […]