Reshape the Future of Belonging

Join Us in Shaping the Future of Belonging! We invite all community organizations and members to actively participate in our project. You can get involved by attending one of our workshops or contributing to our research efforts. Explore the opportunities available!

Upcoming Events

A Community Conversation about Building Inclusive Communities

When: Tuesday, November 1-5pm
Where: Camphill Community – 7841 4 Line Angus, ON L0M 1B1

Join us for a community design workshop where we will discuss community strengths and opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and partnerships, with a specific focus on individuals with disabilities.

This safe conversation will explore the future of belonging from the perspectives of community members working with and for, or caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities.

This Community Conversation Workshop about Community Belonging is part of a series of community conversations related to a joint project between the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka and Georgian College’s Social Innovation Department to look at the Future of Community Belonging: www.futureofbelonging.ca

Why should you attend?

Make a Real Impact in a Safe Environment: By attending this workshop, you’ll actively contribute to building an inclusive community that emphasizes innovative opportunities and partnerships from the lens of your identity.

Foster Community Collaboration: Discover how the tools and approach in this workshop can bring together people from diverse backgrounds and skill sets to tackle complex challenges. By collaborating with like-minded individuals, you’ll build connections, share insights, and foster a supportive network dedicated to community belonging.

Enhance Community Knowledge and Professional Development: Learn about the strengths and opportunities in the community and explore innovative approaches to address community belonging through the use of inclusive innovation principles.

This workshop builds upon conversations from workshops hosted with other equity-deserving groups and is facilitated by the Georgian College Social Innovation team as a way to explore the Future of Community Belonging. At past workshops, participants discussed community strengths and explored the opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and partnerships from the perspective of leaders in social service agencies and community groups.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity on November 5th to create positive change in your community! Register now for our Workshop and become a participant in co-designing an inclusive future of community belonging.

Register Now

Past Events

Grand Opening of the Community Impact Lab

When: Tuesday September 17th from 11:00am to 1:00pm
Where: Barrie Public Library – 60 Worsley Street Barrie, ON L4M 1L6

The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka and Georgian College have been working to explore the Future of Belonging, a project that has spaned over a year and focused on how we might catalyze and amplify inclusive community innovation. On September 17th, we will be releasing our first Insight Report from this initiative from 11am to 1pm at the Barrie Public Library’s Downtown branch.

We warmly invite you to explore what we have learned to date from the Future of Belonging project, based on various conversations with community agency decision makers, Newcomers & International Students and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. This event follows up on the announcement made by the YMCA and Georgian College’s department of Social Innovation in April 2024 regarding the goal to establish a Community Innovation Network, an ecosystem approach to mobilizing these insights and better understand how we integrate lived-experience into the strategic design of our communities.

The September 17th event will be about announcing a new community collaborator in this project, include an official media release of the Future of Belonging’s Year 1 Insight Report, and the unveiling of new community innovation space, a key element of the Community Innovation Network. Attendees will have an opportunity to explore this space, also called a Community Impact Lab, and its accessible innovation tools and resources designed to support local organizations and individuals to with inclusive innovation as outlined in the insights to date from the Future of Belonging project.

This is a wonderful opportunity to get a first look at the findings from our Future of Belonging project and learn about how organizations can help join in the development of the Community Innovation Network. Mark your calendars and join us on September 17th for this exciting journey toward building a more inclusive and innovative community!

The Future Includes… Scan Club?

A Part of The Future of Belonging Project is helping to build a Community Innovation Network to ensure we are designing the futures we need see in our region. To do this we need your help to take a look what might be on the horizon.

What is The Future Includes… Scan Club?!?

 

The Futures Includes… is what we call a Scan Club! A Scan Club is a group of people (everyday people, students, experts and partners) that come together to explore the future. We do this by using futures thinking and strategic foresight.

Wait, is this some kind of science fiction thing? Sorta, but we prefer to call it strategic foresight. Strategic Foresight is an intentional way to look at potential futures to help inform decision-making in the present. It involves identifying emerging trends, anticipating unexpected events, and imaginative strategies to navigate the communities we want to design!

How does it work?

Over a six week period, participants of The Future Includes... Scan Club will use a mix of imagination, intuition, creativity and observation of events in the world-at-large find signals the future in the present. We’ll do this by something called ‘Horizon Scanning’. Horizon Scanning involves detecting early signs of change that may have important future impacts on our communities, economies, health, the environment, and how we work and play. Participants will then meet will meet weekly on-line for a hour and half, to dive conversations around these signals they found on the horizon, and how all they might affect the Future of Belonging in our community.

You do not need any experience in foresight to join us!

Please note: All participants must attend the first meeting on May 24th, 2023 or watch the recording before our second meeting.

During the first meeting we will discussing and coming to agreement on how we will maintain a safe environment for discussion. It is ok to miss some sessions after that, but we encourage participants to come to as many sessions as possible.The Future Includes… Scan Club?!? will occur over 6 weeks on the following Fridays:

May 24th, 2024, 10am – 11:30am EDT

May 31st, 2024, 10am – 11:30am EDT

June 7th, 2024, 10am – 11:30am EDT

June 14th, 2024, 10am – 11:30am EDT

June 21st, 2024, 10am – 11:30am EDT

June 27th, 2024, 10am – 11:30am EDT

Let’s Talk About Community Belonging – 2SLGBTQIA+ Conversation

When: Tuesday June 18th from 12:30pm to 3:30pm
Where: Barrie Public Library – 60 Worsley Street Barrie, ON L4M 1L6

Are you an individual that identifies as, a parent of or has lived experience or works within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community?

Are you interested in sharing your experiences as part of celebrating the spirit of PRIDE as vehicle for change, awareness and solidarity to help build a stronger, more connected community, one that emphasizes innovation and inclusivity?

Are you interested in identifying opportunities for partnerships and collaborations, and co-generating innovation strategies to support community belonging?

If yes, join us for a community design workshop where we will discuss community strengths and opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and partnerships, with a specific focus on newcomer, immigrant, and international student participants.

This workshop is open to all residents of Simcoe County and Muskoka. This safe conversation will explore the future of belonging from the perspectives of community members that identify as or have lived experience as 2SLGBTQIA+.

This Community Conversation Workshop about Community Belonging is part of a series of community conversations related to a joint project between the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka and Georgian College’s Social Innovation Department to look at the Future of Community Belonging: www.futureofbelonging.ca

Why should you attend as an individual who is living the newcomer or international experience?

  • Make a Real Impact in a Safe Environment: By attending this workshop, you’ll actively contribute to building an inclusive community that emphasizes innovative opportunities and partnerships from the lens of your identity.
  • Foster Community Collaboration: Discover how the tools and approach in this workshop can bring together people from diverse backgrounds and skill sets to tackle complex challenges. By collaborating with like-minded individuals, you’ll build connections, share insights, and foster a supportive network dedicated to community belonging.
  • Enhance Community Knowledge and Professional Development: Learn about the strengths and opportunities in the community and explore innovative approaches to address community belonging through the use of inclusive innovation principles.

This workshop builds upon conversations from a workshops hosted with other equity-derserving groups and is facilitated by the Georgian College Social Innovation team as a way to explore the Future of Community Belonging. At past workshops, participants discussed community strengths and explored the opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and partnerships from the perspective of leaders in social service agencies and community groups.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity on June 18th to create positive change in your community! Register now for our Workshop and become a participant in co-designing an inclusive future of community belonging – Register today as spaces are limited!

This community participatory workshop is part of a workshop series for the Community Impact Lab exploring a Future of Community Belonging, a collaborative community initiative initiated by the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka and Georgian College’s Social Innovation Department.

Info Session – The Community Innovation Network

When: Wednesday, May 22, 2024 from 1-2:30pm
Where: Sandbox Centre, 24 Maple Ave., 2nd Floor, Barrie, ON, L4M 7W4

On April 3rd the YMCA Simcoe Muskoka and Georgian College Social Innovation announced as part of the The Future of Belonging Project the launch of a Community Innovation Council to steward a Community Innovation Network.

This information session is an opportunity to explore this vision, what it will mean for the region and learn how to get involved in helping to form what this might look like.

Info Session – The Community Innovation Network

When: Tuesday May 28th, 2024 from 9:30-11am
Where: Sandbox Centre, 24 Maple Ave., 2nd Floor, Barrie, ON, L4M 7W4

On April 3rd the YMCA Simcoe Muskoka and Georgian College Social Innovation announced as part of the The Future of Belonging Project the launch of a Community Innovation Council to steward a Community Innovation Network.

This information session is an opportunity to explore this vision, what it will mean for the region and learn how to get involved in helping to form what this might look like.

Future of Belonging for Newcomers and International Students 

When: April 3, 2024, 12 pm – 3 pm
Where: 1 Georgian Drive, Barrie

Are you a newcomer, immigrant, or international student? Are you interested in sharing your experiences to help build a stronger, more connected community, one that emphasizes innovation and inclusivity? Are you interested in identifying opportunities for partnerships and collaborations, and co-generating innovation strategies to support community belonging? 

This Community Conversation Workshop about Community Belonging is part of Georgian College’s RISE Day (Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship) on April 3rd AND is part of a series of community conversations related to a joint project between the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka and Georgian College’s Social Innovation Department to look at the Future of Community Belonging.

This community participatory workshop is part of a workshop series for the Community Impact Lab exploring a Future of Community Belonging, a collaborative community initiative initiated by the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka and Georgian College’s Social Innovation Department. This event is scheduled as part of the RISE Symposium 2024. Registering for this event ticket also allows access to the full RISE Symposium event. 

Community Impact Lab exploring a Future of Community Belonging 

When: December 8, 2023, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Where: Sandbox Centre, 24 Maple Avenue, Barrie

The recent community workshop held on December 8 at the Sandbox Centre provided invaluable insights into the opportunities surrounding community belonging. At this past workshop over 40 participants discussed community strengths and explored the opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and partnerships from the perspective of leaders in social service agencies and community groups. 

Reshape the Future of Belonging

Join Us in Shaping the Future of Belonging!

We invite all community organizations and members to actively participate in our project. You can get involved by attending one of our workshops or contributing to our research efforts. Explore the opportunities available!

Upcoming Events

A Community Conversation about Building Inclusive Communities

When: Tuesday, November 1-5pm
Where: Camphill Community – 7841 4 Line Angus, ON L0M 1B1

Join us for a community design workshop where we will discuss community strengths and opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and partnerships, with a specific focus on individuals with disabilities.

This safe conversation will explore the future of belonging from the perspectives of community members working with and for, or caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities.

This Community Conversation Workshop about Community Belonging is part of a series of community conversations related to a joint project between the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka and Georgian College’s Social Innovation Department to look at the Future of Community Belonging: www.futureofbelonging.ca

Why should you attend?

Make a Real Impact in a Safe Environment: By attending this workshop, you’ll actively contribute to building an inclusive community that emphasizes innovative opportunities and partnerships from the lens of your identity.

Foster Community Collaboration: Discover how the tools and approach in this workshop can bring together people from diverse backgrounds and skill sets to tackle complex challenges. By collaborating with like-minded individuals, you’ll build connections, share insights, and foster a supportive network dedicated to community belonging.

Enhance Community Knowledge and Professional Development: Learn about the strengths and opportunities in the community and explore innovative approaches to address community belonging through the use of inclusive innovation principles.

This workshop builds upon conversations from workshops hosted with other equity-deserving groups and is facilitated by the Georgian College Social Innovation team as a way to explore the Future of Community Belonging. At past workshops, participants discussed community strengths and explored the opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and partnerships from the perspective of leaders in social service agencies and community groups.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity on November 5th to create positive change in your community! Register now for our Workshop and become a participant in co-designing an inclusive future of community belonging.

Past Events

Grand Opening of the Community Impact Lab

When: Tuesday September 17th from 11:00am to 1:00pm
Where: Barrie Public Library – 60 Worsley Street Barrie, ON L4M 1L6

The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka and Georgian College have been working to explore the Future of Belonging, a project that has spaned over a year and focused on how we might catalyze and amplify inclusive community innovation. On September 17th, we will be releasing our first Insight Report from this initiative from 11am to 1pm at the Barrie Public Library’s Downtown branch.

We warmly invite you to explore what we have learned to date from the Future of Belonging project, based on various conversations with community agency decision makers, Newcomers & International Students and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. This event follows up on the announcement made by the YMCA and Georgian College’s department of Social Innovation in April 2024 regarding the goal to establish a Community Innovation Network, an ecosystem approach to mobilizing these insights and better understand how we integrate lived-experience into the strategic design of our communities.

The September 17th event will be about announcing a new community collaborator in this project, include an official media release of the Future of Belonging’s Year 1 Insight Report, and the unveiling of new community innovation space, a key element of the Community Innovation Network. Attendees will have an opportunity to explore this space, also called a Community Impact Lab, and its accessible innovation tools and resources designed to support local organizations and individuals to with inclusive innovation as outlined in the insights to date from the Future of Belonging project.

This is a wonderful opportunity to get a first look at the findings from our Future of Belonging project and learn about how organizations can help join in the development of the Community Innovation Network. Mark your calendars and join us on September 17th for this exciting journey toward building a more inclusive and innovative community!

The Future Includes… Scan Club?

A Part of The Future of Belonging Project is helping to build a Community Innovation Network to ensure we are designing the futures we need see in our region. To do this we need your help to take a look what might be on the horizon.

What is The Future Includes… Scan Club?!?

The Futures Includes… is what we call a Scan Club! A Scan Club is a group of people (everyday people, students, experts and partners) that come together to explore the future. We do this by using futures thinking and strategic foresight.

Wait, is this some kind of science fiction thing? Sorta, but we prefer to call it strategic foresight. Strategic Foresight is an intentional way to look at potential futures to help inform decision-making in the present. It involves identifying emerging trends, anticipating unexpected events, and imaginative strategies to navigate the communities we want to design!

How does it work?

Over a six week period, participants of The Future Includes... Scan Club will use a mix of imagination, intuition, creativity and observation of events in the world-at-large find signals the future in the present. We’ll do this by something called ‘Horizon Scanning’. Horizon Scanning involves detecting early signs of change that may have important future impacts on our communities, economies, health, the environment, and how we work and play. Participants will then meet will meet weekly on-line for a hour and half, to dive conversations around these signals they found on the horizon, and how all they might affect the Future of Belonging in our community.

You do not need any experience in foresight to join us!

Please note: All participants must attend the first meeting on May 24th, 2023 or watch the recording before our second meeting.

During the first meeting we will discussing and coming to agreement on how we will maintain a safe environment for discussion. It is ok to miss some sessions after that, but we encourage participants to come to as many sessions as possible.The Future Includes… Scan Club?!? will occur over 6 weeks on the following Fridays:

May 24th, 2024, 10am – 11:30am EDT

May 31st, 2024, 10am – 11:30am EDT

June 7th, 2024, 10am – 11:30am EDT

June 14th, 2024, 10am – 11:30am EDT

June 21st, 2024, 10am – 11:30am EDT

June 27th, 2024, 10am – 11:30am EDT

Let’s Talk About Community Belonging – 2SLGBTQIA+ Conversation

When: Tuesday June 18th from 12:30pm to 3:30pm
Where: Barrie Public Library – 60 Worsley Street Barrie, ON L4M 1L6

Are you an individual that identifies as, a parent of or has lived experience or works within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community?

Are you interested in sharing your experiences as part of celebrating the spirit of PRIDE as vehicle for change, awareness and solidarity to help build a stronger, more connected community, one that emphasizes innovation and inclusivity?

Are you interested in identifying opportunities for partnerships and collaborations, and co-generating innovation strategies to support community belonging?

If yes, join us for a community design workshop where we will discuss community strengths and opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and partnerships, with a specific focus on newcomer, immigrant, and international student participants.

This workshop is open to all residents of Simcoe County and Muskoka. This safe conversation will explore the future of belonging from the perspectives of community members that identify as or have lived experience as 2SLGBTQIA+.

This Community Conversation Workshop about Community Belonging is part of a series of community conversations related to a joint project between the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka and Georgian College’s Social Innovation Department to look at the Future of Community Belonging: www.futureofbelonging.ca

Why should you attend as an individual who is living the newcomer or international experience?

  • Make a Real Impact in a Safe Environment: By attending this workshop, you’ll actively contribute to building an inclusive community that emphasizes innovative opportunities and partnerships from the lens of your identity.
  • Foster Community Collaboration: Discover how the tools and approach in this workshop can bring together people from diverse backgrounds and skill sets to tackle complex challenges. By collaborating with like-minded individuals, you’ll build connections, share insights, and foster a supportive network dedicated to community belonging.
  • Enhance Community Knowledge and Professional Development: Learn about the strengths and opportunities in the community and explore innovative approaches to address community belonging through the use of inclusive innovation principles.

This workshop builds upon conversations from a workshops hosted with other equity-derserving groups and is facilitated by the Georgian College Social Innovation team as a way to explore the Future of Community Belonging. At past workshops, participants discussed community strengths and explored the opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and partnerships from the perspective of leaders in social service agencies and community groups.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity on June 18th to create positive change in your community! Register now for our Workshop and become a participant in co-designing an inclusive future of community belonging – Register today as spaces are limited!

This community participatory workshop is part of a workshop series for the Community Impact Lab exploring a Future of Community Belonging, a collaborative community initiative initiated by the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka and Georgian College’s Social Innovation Department.

Info Session – The Community Innovation Network

When: Wednesday, May 22, 2024 from 1-2:30pm
Where: Sandbox Centre, 24 Maple Ave., 2nd Floor, Barrie, ON, L4M 7W4

On April 3rd the YMCA Simcoe Muskoka and Georgian College Social Innovation announced as part of the The Future of Belonging Project the launch of a Community Innovation Council to steward a Community Innovation Network.

This information session is an opportunity to explore this vision, what it will mean for the region and learn how to get involved in helping to form what this might look like.

Info Session – The Community Innovation Network

When: Tuesday May 28th, 2024 from 9:30-11am
Where: Sandbox Centre, 24 Maple Ave., 2nd Floor, Barrie, ON, L4M 7W4

On April 3rd the YMCA Simcoe Muskoka and Georgian College Social Innovation announced as part of the The Future of Belonging Project the launch of a Community Innovation Council to steward a Community Innovation Network.

This information session is an opportunity to explore this vision, what it will mean for the region and learn how to get involved in helping to form what this might look like.

Future of Belonging for Newcomers and International Students 

When: April 3, 2024, 12 pm – 3 pm
Where: 1 Georgian Drive, Barrie

Are you a newcomer, immigrant, or international student? Are you interested in sharing your experiences to help build a stronger, more connected community, one that emphasizes innovation and inclusivity? Are you interested in identifying opportunities for partnerships and collaborations, and co-generating innovation strategies to support community belonging? 

This Community Conversation Workshop about Community Belonging is part of Georgian College’s RISE Day (Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship) on April 3rd AND is part of a series of community conversations related to a joint project between the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka and Georgian College’s Social Innovation Department to look at the Future of Community Belonging.

Community Impact Lab exploring a Future of Community Belonging 

When: December 8, 2023, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Where: Sandbox Centre, 24 Maple Avenue, Barrie

The recent community workshop held on December 8 at the Sandbox Centre provided invaluable insights into the opportunities surrounding community belonging. At this past workshop over 40 participants discussed community strengths and explored the opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and partnerships from the perspective of leaders in social service agencies and community groups.