Volume 2 Issue 2 September 2019

published by ZX Media Corporation

COMMUNITY N W! MAGAZINE

Volume 2 Issue 2 • September 2019

DISCOVER ALBERTA’S INNOVATION ENGINE Extending the horizon of possibilities to solve today’s challenges, reaching new potential, and creating a healthier and more prosperous future for Alberta, and the world.

A Grassroots Magazine • For Community by Community • Our imperfections make us great !

Krista Malden

TABLE OF CONTENTS A Journey to European Discovery

6

The Rise of The $1400 Coffee

13

Neuraura Biotech’s Vision Is Big & Bold

16 The Energy Industry’s Blockchain Evolution

18

Innovation Academy Success Leads to Implementation of North American Sister Program 26

Kenzie Webber Master Creator

CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS VOLUME 2 ISSUE 2

Telling It Like It Is

30

Jill Quirk

Heloise Lorimer/ STEAM Team

Behavioural Profiling

32

Zanika Malden

Hunter Hub

Diane Swiatek

Koleya Kerringten

Les Mottosky

Tara Fry

Jade Alberts

Nicole Langton

Alberta Innovates

Ken Goldstein

Tracy Beairsto

Greg MacGillivray

Garry Woods

Wendy Hutchins

CN! Explores the Community 22

Making The Dream to Dance A Reality 38

The Value of Engagement

The Raft

42

Wishes For Your 18Th

46

24

Community Connector

Stacy Richter

For questions, comments or information: Creative Kenzie@communitynowmagazine.com Community Kmalden@communitynowmagazine.com Copyright 2019 ZX Media Corpoartion, Calgary Alberta Canada

Subscribe for your free issue of Community Now! at www.communitynowmagazine.com

Community Now! Magazine Copyright 2018, published by ZX Media Corporation.

Volume 2 Issue 2 September 2019

All rights reserved. This magazine or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher and writer.

Credit to Errorist_Artist aka Zanika Malden

From Calgary: In the spirit of respect, reciprocity and truth, we honor and acknowledge Moh’kinsstis (Blackfoot) and the traditional Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani as well as the Stoney Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3 within the historical Northwest Métis homeland. Finally, we acknowledge all Nations, Indigenous and non, who live, work and play and help us steward this land, honour and celebrate this territory. This sacred gathering place provides us with an opportunity to engage in and demonstrate leadership on reconciliation. - Wendy Hutchins

Community Now! \\ 3

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IMAGINAT ION. - ALBERT EINSTEIN Community \\ 5

A JOURNEY TO

DISCOVERY

CONTINUED

…FROM VOLUME 1 ISSUE 10 AND VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1.

By Garry Woods

A

“

One day I think a small shaft of light made its way through to my brain and something clicked inside me and I asked myself how long I could continue to live like this and where my life was heading to.

6 // Community Now!

rriving back in Belfast from England, I want to say that I was filled with hope, but I wasn’t. I didn’t have any direction. I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was probably happy and excited about the change in location and about the prospect of being surrounded by people and places and accents that were familiar to me. My mum loves me and naturally has always done her best for me. She was no different back then - she gave me a place to stay, she gave me food and she even went so far as to find a job for me. As a bartender. I guess, looking back, that she had no idea that that wasn’t the most healthy environment for me. Of course I thought differently. It was a comfortable place for me, almost like my natural habitat. I could be with like minded people and get paid for it. Maybe I didn’t even give it any thought back then - I think my life at that time was just to make it from day to day.

I don’t mean in a survival way, more that I didn’t have a plan or any ambition. Im not sure that I had

a lot of awareness. I remained working in the bar for a while until one day I got another job with a market research company translating their questionnaires into French and German.

I seem to remember thinking at the time that I was actually moving up in the world, well, in my world anyway.

I was working in this dead end little town, pretty sad, and a far cry from all the amazing places I had been. As a reward for a good day at the office, I’d often go after work and drink by myself. Truth is that it didn’t matter if I had a good day or a bad day or just a day at the office, I would go and drink anyway.

I didn’t have a drivers licence, so I had to catch the train. I would go to the Station Bar (imaginatively named due to its close proximity to the station) and find a spot.

There were some unsavoury characters in there, I can tell you. Its funny, the games that I used to play in my mind. I knew exactly what time the train left for Belfast, and I could have caught it comfortably every day, but I would

always deliberately time it so that I got there just as it was leaving. Where better to wait for the next train than in the bar? I was so smart. I’d tell myself in the bar that I would only have one more and catch the next train.

I pretty much always ended up just about making the last train. I don’t remember a lot about the journey.

During this time I was earning more money, so I decided that I should go backpacking around Europe for a month. I had done it several times before. Travelling was and still is my passion, the more independent, the better.

I ended up in Greece and there I met a French girl. Two months later I was living with her on the western outskirts of Paris. The geographic solution would surely work this time, right?

I mean it was Paris and it was beautiful. The common denominator or rusty thread in all this, as you may have noticed, is Garry.

Everywhere I went and no matter who I was (continued on next page) Innovation \\ 7

(continued from page 7...) with, I carried the same unhealthy habits and behaviours. One of my few memories of that period is standing on the Champs Élysées, drunk, and yelling (in French) at a girl because she didn’t show the same interest in me that I was showing in her. The poor girl didn’t even know me. I take no pleasure in disclosing that to you. Nine months later I was back in Belfast, my tail very firmly between my legs.

My mum rescued me again.

My drinking continued. My unhealthy behaviour continued. I didn’t seem to be ready to learn from my experiences. In those days the internet was not easily accessible.

Cell phones were expensive and you needed a small suitcase for the batteries. Facebook didn’t exist. Googling wasn’t a verb. Liking something meant, well, that you liked it. You spoke to people face to face or you wrote them

a letter and mailed it. Your ideas were born in your head, from your observations, from your experiences, from your desires, from books that you had read or from conversations that you had been involved in. You had to think of it. You had to talk to people face to face. If you didn’t know something, you had to make an effort to find the answer. I spent many hours alone in various bars, drinking and smoking, alone with my thoughts, sometimes scribbling down stories or poems. Maybe I would read the newspaper. I didn’t have a cellphone to bury my head in, so I wasn’t worrying about my battery life or about wifi.

One day I think a small shaft of light made its way through to my brain and something clicked inside me and I asked myself how long I could continue to live like this and where my life was heading to. I knew inside that I was so much more capable,

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8 // Community Now!

that I had so many skills and abilities, that I had so much to offer. I hadn’t forgotten about who I was and what I had achieved only a few years earlier. All that potential was inside me, I knew that, but it was like my lifestyle at that time had sealed the entrance to my ability with concrete, making it impregnable.

Like I said in an earlier article, I really didn’t know what to do. My dad had been a cop, so I thought “I’ll give that a go.” I wasn’t close to him, but I was proud of him. I knew I had a fair chance, not because I was suffering from high self esteem or self confidence, I wasn’t, but because I figured that they knew my dad, so I had a good chance through that relationship.

Nepotism was alive and well.

Northern Ireland had for many years been the most dangerous place in the world to be a police officer. Those who wanted to join and serve the community and defend it against terrorism were not discouraged by that fact.

I’m not sure I gave it much thought. I just didn’t know where else to go or what else to do with my life.

I was successful in my application and I joined in December 1994. I realized very quickly that I had entered an environment like no other I had ever been in before. There was no way I would ever survive if I remained as the person I was. I was so different to everyone else. I thought many times of leaving during those first couple of years, but something made me stay. In order to fit in, I made myself become more like my colleagues. I gave up any authenticity I had and I lost my true self.

One thing that I didn’t have to change were my drinking habits. I lived in barracks, we all did, and drinking was what we did when we weren’t patrolling the streets. That was when I was most comfortable with myself and with my colleagues.

Two years into my policing career in 1996, I received a phone call from my brother that my dad had been diagnosed with cancer and had two weeks to live. I hadn’t seen him or my brother for eight years. My dad had been admitted to a nursing home eight years previously at the age of 51, the age I am now, suffering from Korsakoff syndrome brought on by his use of alcohol over so many years.

When I saw him I was happy to see him again, and at the same time sad that he wasn’t how I remembered him and he never would be.

He had been a big man. Now he was lying in a bed, his speech permanently slurred.

He needed help to go to the toilet. I was able to share with him that I had followed in his footsteps. He tried to smile when I told him. I believe to this day that he recognized me and that he understood what I told him. I believe too that he was proud of me.

Addiction of any kind is extremely powerful. I watched my dad lying immobile and helpless, unable to speak, in a hospital bed. This was a man who had worked hard all his life, defending not only his country, but also his family. To see him like that and to know that his condition was solely caused by alcohol abuse would surely be enough for me to just stop and avoid the same fate. I didn’t stop.

I understand now, many years after his death what it must have been like to live as he did.

Hyper-vigilance every day and night at work.

Hyper-vigilance at home, but becoming disengaged and not wanting to take an active part in home life. Being only physically present. Finding solace and comfort in gin and tonic (the tonic would later disappear).

I was never grateful to him while he was alive, but knowing what I know now about his experiences and the horrors he witnessed, and how this impacted his mental health, I can only be proud of him.

Innovation \\ 9

A quick glance at an amazing week of learning from the top leaders in Blockchain Technologies.

ALBERTA BLOCKCHAIN WEEK & SUMMIT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS

The Blockchain Summit is a specialized technology conference that provides an in-depth look at blockchain’s transformative power in industry, government and economic systems.

Andreas M. Antonopoulos (born 1972) is a Greek-British bitcoin advocate. He is a host on the Let's Talk Bitcoin podcast and a teaching fellow for the M.Sc. Digital Currencies at the University of Nicosia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas_Antonopoulos https://albertablockchainconsortium.com/

“With Blockchain, Alberta’s energy industry can become leaner, meaner and greener in the future. Greener not just from the standpoint of sustainability - but also in the financial and economic sense.”

Stephen Entwisle, Communications Lead at Guild 1

"Bitcoin is the global infrastructure that completely displaces — possibly — the entire financial system, system of central banks, nation state currencies and payment networks with a series of protocols that enable anybody to participate."

Andreas Antonopoulos; Keynote speaker Alberta Blockchain Summit

Where people, talent and ideas collide Where people, talent and ideas collide

What is the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking?

The Hunter Hub is the University of Calgary’s new initiative to engage and immerse students, faculty, staff, alumni and the Canadian community in a for culture of entrepreneurial thinking, What is the Hunter Hub Entrepreneurial Thinking? challenging them with a new and bold approach to teaching, The Hunter Hub is and the knowledge-sharing.

University of Calgary’s new initiative to learning, discovery engage and immerse students, faculty, staff, alumni and the Canadian community in a culture of entrepreneurial thinking, The Hunter Hub forwith Entrepreneurial was created in 2017 challenging them a new and Thinking bold approach to teaching, with a generous giftand from the Hunter Family Foundation, as an learning, discovery knowledge-sharing. interdisciplinary nucleus for activities that will support entrepreneurial student experiences, enable faculty to lead in The Hunter and Hub expand for Entrepreneurial Thinking was created in 2017 innovation, a growing community of entrepreneurial with a generousthinkers. gift from the Hunter Family Foundation, as an and innovative interdisciplinary nucleus for activities that will support entrepreneurial student experiences, enable faculty to lead in innovation, and expand a growing community of entrepreneurial Events & Programs and innovative thinkers.

Innovation Reactor Program Summer Incubator TENET I2C Energy New Venture Competition Events & Programs European Innovation Academy Innovation Reactor Program Global Entrepreneurship Week Summer Incubator TENET I2C APPLICATIONS OPEN Energy Walls New Venture Competition Falling Lab UCalgary European Innovation Academy North American Innovation Academy Global Entrepreneurship Week (see our website for further details) APPLICATIONS OPEN Falling Walls Lab UCalgary North American Innovation Academy (see our website for further details)

Who is the Hub for?

It’s for everyone! The innovation, social enterprise and entrepreneurial communities including: students, student clubs, faculty members, staff, alumni, Calgary and beyond.

Who is the Hub for?

It’s forcan everyone!

Thehelp innovation, How the Hub you? social enterprise and entrepreneurial communities including: students, student clubs, faculty members, The Hunter is a safe place to try out your entrepreneurial ideas. staff, alumni,Hub Calgary and beyond.

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12 // Community Now!

THE RISE OF THE

COFFEE

By Stacy Richter

T

he average price to buy a new car was $1510 in 1950. The price of an average home in the U.S. was $7400.

Bread could be purchased for 18 cents per loaf and a gallon of milk for 83 cents. The average annul income in the U.S. was $33001.

What impact would you feel if that loaf of bread today went from $2.40 to $240,000 within 1 year and that gallon of milk now costs $350,000? That is what residents of Venezuela are experiencing with hyper inflation right now.

Fast forward to today…

Bloomberg2 created the Venezuelan Café Con Leche Index to demonstrate the effect of hyper inflation in Venezuela. It tracks the price of a hot cup of coffee served at a bakery in Caracas then and now. The index illustrates the currency problem in Venezuela and how a cup of coffee that cost 35.00 Bolivars in September 2018 is now priced to sell at 14,000 Bolivars.

That’s the equivalent of your favourite dark roast now costing you about $1397.

…. The average price for a car is ~$36,000 … An average home will cost ~$454,000 … A loaf of bread costs ~$2.40 and $3.50 for a gallon of milk The average annual household income most people have to buy these necessities is ~$46,800. Inflation is a part of our modern lives and most do not notice the effects of any incremental changes from year to year.

(continued on next page)

1) US Census Bureau. (2018, September 4). Income of Families and Persons in the United States: 1950. Retrieved from https://www. census.gov/library/publications/1952/demo/p60-009.html 2) Bloomberg. (2016, December 15). VENEZUELAN CAFÉ CON LECHE INDEX. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/ features/2016-venezuela-cafe-con-leche-index/

Community \\ 13

(continued from page 13...)

The cause of the hyperinflation is a topic better discussed in other forums. The question that needs to be answered is what are the residents of Venezuela to do amidst the drastic increase in the cost of living that is not equally matched by their income?

Many Venezuelans have left the country.

Approximately 3 million or 10% of the population simply fled the country and represents the largest displacement of people in Latin American history according to Michelle Carmody3. Those who choose to remain are desperately seeking a solution.

The challenge facing the Venezuelans who choose to stay is how do they afford to live?

The average minimum wage is ~18,000 bolivars per month (equivalent $6.70 USD) after President Nicolas Maduro raised the minimum wage by 300% in January 20194.

14 // Community Now!

Easement policies like raising the minimum wage have little impact when those wage hikes are barely enough to cover the price of a cup of coffee.

Many residents rely on incoming remittances from family and friends living abroad.

Annual remittance inflows to Venezuela totalled $289bn USD in 20175. Residents must convert the incoming USD into Bolivars which continue a rapid decline in value because of the hyper inflation. Their buying power continues to erode.

The situation in Venezuela is dire and provides another use case where technology and innovation may be able to alleviate some of the pain.

Gio Moros, a student at Mount Royal University in Calgary, AB., studied Computer Information Systems and became interested in app development. He started his first web design and development company during his second year of school.

The situation in Venezuela is dire and provides another use case where technology and innovation may be able to alleviate some of the pain.

During a discussion with some friends about the that is happening in Venezuela, Gio decided to look into a possible solution. He was challenged by one of his professors at the University to develop an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) to test his idea.

Gio and his colleagues developed an e-commerce website application whereby a family member could order and pay for groceries from a merchant in Venezuela in USD. The receiving family only needed to pick up the pre-ordered groceries from the merchant. This remittance service was a successful test of the concept Gio and his team were moving towards.

“We wanted to prove that there is a need for a USD priced economy” – Gio Moros It was at that moment that he and his colleagues conceived of the E-Cash App. The web app is under development and is designed to solve the buying power problem for Venezuelan residents.

The E-Cash app enables users to send their USD to friends and family in Venezuela and preserve their buying power. The app converts payments into a secured token or stable token backed by U.S. Dollars which can be transferred to a user in Venezuela. The token can then be exchanged for goods and services with merchants who are registered on the platform.

“A Global Solution to sending money to relatives in countries that are experiencing hyperinflation. E-Cash partners with vendors to permit locals to make everyday purchases using digital tokens sent from abroad.”6 The E-Cash app enables residents and merchants to transact using a stable coin that is secured by U.S. dollars. The use of the stable coin is a store of value. The net effect… a Venezuelan resident can hold their money in a currency with a more reliable value and have confidence that the coin will be accepted by merchants.

Use cases for blockchain based applications and cryptocurrency continue to reveal themselves. Aside from creating an alternative channel to transfer money internationally, blockchain solutions, cryptocurrency and other related token services, innovators like Gio and E-Cash are finding solutions that serve and support underbanked individuals who have a need for financial services.

3) Carmody, M. (2019, September 5). What caused hyperinflation in Venezuela: a rare blend of public ineptitude and private enterprise.

Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/what-caused-hyperinflation-in-venezuela-a-rare-blend-of-public-ineptitude-and-privateenterprise-102483 4) Reuters. (2019, January 14). Venezuela’s Maduro hikes minimum wage 300 percent. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/ us-venezuela-politics-wage/venezuelas-maduro-hikes-minimum-wage-300-percent-idUSKCN1P82E2 5) Knomad. (n.d.). Remittances: KNOMAD. Retrieved from https://www.knomad.org/data/remittances?tid[263]=263 E-Cash. (n.d.). Home Page. Retrieved from http://ecashapp.ca/

Innovation \\ 15

Neuraura Biotech’s Vision is BIG & BOLD …To Unlock the Brain Photo above: Colin Dalton (left) and Pierre Wijdenes (right)

T

he Calgary-based company has developed a novel microsensor that monitors brain activity better than ever before. The result could change the way technology is used to improve the lives of people suffering from neurological, psychiatric and sensory conditions.

Neuraura’s sensors are comprised of tiny, three-dimensional electrodes. At one-fifth the width of a human hair, the wireless devices can be inserted into the brain with minimal impact. Not only that, they’re significantly more precise for electrically recording and stimulating the brain, offering a new breakthrough in the effort to diagnose and treat brain conditions.

“Think of our technology as like a pacemaker for the brain,” says Pierre Wijdenes, Neuraura’s co-founder and CEO.

16 // Community Now!

Starting seven years ago, Wijdenes developed the technology during work for his PhD in biomedical engineering at the University of Calgary. Frustrated at the quality of readings he was getting from research on tissue slices, he worked with Colin Dalton, director of the Microsystems Hub and assistant professor at the university’s Schulich School of Engineering, to come up with a better sensor.

Excited about the technology’s potential, they formed Neuraura in 2017.

Since then, their startup has grown quickly.

Neuraura has tripled angel financing with government support. It’s established collaborations with researchers at different institutions including Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Melbourne. Now the company is aiming to commercialize its first clinical application in 2021, with a brain monitoring system for epilepsy surgery.

“Our initial application is a technology platform for epilepsy surgery that will improve patient experience, enhance the information available to clinicians, minimize surgical risk and reduce the cost of patient care,” Wijdenes says.

Based on clinical test results, the company plans to launch the system in the United States, eventually developing the technology to address a broad range of brain-related conditions.

In the meantime, Neuraura continues to build its profile with researchers and investors.

Earlier this year it finished first in a pitch competition at Alberta Innovates’ Inventures conference and won at the Fundica Roadshow for Canadian tech startups.

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MARKETING

According to Claire Dixon, Neuraura’s chief operating officer, Alberta Innovates has been a key supporter from the start. Funding and advice from the agency have facilitated technology development. Last December Neuraura took part in an Alberta Innovatesfunded matchmaking trip to China. The company is now looking at Asia as a potential market and will return to Australia and Singapore this November as part of a federal government trade mission.

Dixon says: “Our team feels blessed to have benefitted from this support. It’s helped us to leverage financing. In addition, Alberta Innovates has been very generous in providing insights and opening networks for us.”

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The Energy Industry’s Blockchain Evolution

T

aking a chance on implementing a new technology is a difficult step for any industry, and this becomes even more challenging in tough economic conditions. When R&D dollars are limited and companies want to avoid downside risk as much as possible, the idea of disrupting the status quo by bringing in a completely new system or technology can seem especially daunting. At the same time – isn’t this exactly the kind of situation that calls for greater and more disruptive innovations?

In my experience as a technology entrepreneur, one of the hidden benefits of economic downturns is that they expose fundamental ways in which old systems and technologies no longer work. It’s easy to mask inefficiencies and wastage when commodity prices and profitability are high – but when margins are tight, the cracks in the foundation start to become clear.

18 // Community Now!

I think that’s exactly why Alberta’s energy industry needs to be exploring the use of blockchain technologies – they have the power to become the building blocks for an optimized, efficient and even more environmentally sustainable oil & gas sector.

Even with our diversifying economy, energy is still about a quarter of Alberta’s GDP, and indirectly employs more than 270,000 people.

It’s our primary driver of success – so what are some proven blockchain applications that can help it grow and thrive?

Smart Contracts: The oil & gas industry often deals with long transaction times, expensive reconciliations and inefficient, costly dispute resolutions.

Numerous counterparties and partners in transactions like royalties create a need for smooth data sharing and a simplified way of calculating payments and gaining consensus among multiple stakeholders.

Other applications for smart contracts in energy include vendor agreements, land title and mineral rights transfers and other transaction types that now require a high level of paperwork and human oversight.

Energy Trading: An interesting application for blockchain is the creation of new ways of trading products – one of the key benefits of the technology is the removal of expensive intermediaries for smooth peer-to-peer transactions on commodities like oil. When thousands of transactions occur per day, the savings from direct blockchain trading can be huge.

A consortium developing this innovative platform is the United Kingdom-based VAKT, which has participation from major companies like BP, Shell and Equinor.

Supply Chain Management: Beyond production in the field, there are incredibly complex supply chains for equipment, labour and other products that are major industry costs. One of the most compelling use cases for blockchain technologies is in streamlining and automating these networks, so that items can be instantly traced throughout supply chains. This enables a new level of auditability and verification among the many suppliers, distributors and end-users in the industry.

Environmental Reporting: As one of the world’s most heavily regulated industries, energy companies face a massive amount of compliance, often with complicated reporting requirements and unwieldy systems. Blockchain applications can reduce the need to confirm reported information and ensure that regulators and companies can easily share and audit production, environmental and other data.

Each of these applications can help improve the bottom line for oil & gas companies – taken all together, they may have the ability to give us one of the world’s most optimized energy industries. And that’s not the only reason to support blockchain development in our most important sector, because ‘Alberta Built’ solutions to our biggest problems can also boost our growing technology industry and create export-ready products with a huge international market. In this challenging economy, it’s the best possible time for oil & gas to evolve throughblockchain’s transformative potential.

Other oil producing regions around in the world are showing that it can be done. One of the leading regions for blockchain’s oil & gas applications is the United Arab Emirates, where the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is pioneering an automated blockchain system that tracks and automates transactions across the full value chain from production to the end customer. Our expertise may not make as many headlines as the UAE’s, but it’s time for that to change.

And our innovations are about to get a lot more recognition. In addition to agriculture, fintech and social good applications, blockchain technology’s benefits for the oil & gas industry is one of the topics covered at the Alberta Blockchain Summit on September 12th. The landmark event of Alberta Blockchain Week, the Summit will also feature incredible presentations by global thought leaders in digital assets like Peter Todd and Andreas Antonopoulos.

Visit to find out more and register for Alberta’s most exciting blockchain event of the year: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/albertablockchain-summit-tickets-61411266752 Innovation \\ 19

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CN! EXPLORES COMMUNITY EVENTS: CN! 1 YEAR Aug. 15, 2019 CN! celebrated with its community Thank you to everyone who made this event possible.

Thank you to our sponsors: Emergenetics International Canada, Koleya, Rainforest Alberta & S2S.

CALGARY PRIDE PARADE Sept. 1, 2019 The Calgary Pride Parade and Festival is an amazing event full community, diversity and color.

22 // Community Now!

INGLEWOOD NIGHT MARKET Sept. 13, 2019 The last Inglewood Night Market of the season was host to 30+ local vendors selling everything from handmade crafts to vintage clothing, from antiques and collectibles to artisan eats. It was a night full of food trucks, bands and an outdoor, family friendly, licensed seating area.

The Inglewood Community ... connecting.

Sept. 13, 2019 The launch of the Calgary Folk Music Festival 40th Anniversary double album, Cover Art! The free event at Festival Hall was part of the Inglewood Night Market.

THE MASHING Sept. 13 & 14, 2019 Nothing brings a community together like a weekend of sampling distilleries, breweries and food, while taking in unique artists, musicians and entertainers.

CELEBRATING A LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS Sept. 13, 2019 This amazing, family friendly Challenge is all about having FUN! Over 500 participants of all ages and abilities take part annually, running, walking or wheeling on a 5km routes Calgary’s Rotary Challenger Park.

This year’s Life Without Limits Challenge has a variety of carnival games including face painting, entertainment and of course Princesses and Superheroes!

This exciting community building event is for people of all ages and abilities and helps to raise awareness and funds for the Cerebral Palsy Association in Alberta.

Community \\ 23

   

 THE VALUE OF ENGAGEMENT 

   

   Engaged employees drive performance. More value can be captured when you  engage customers, partners, suppliers, board members, volunteers and others.  Greg MacGillivary  Canadian Employee  their work and the work of their team and Engagement  organization has purpose. They care and  Statistics1: because they care, they contribute real  discretionary effort. They do more than is

asked or expected or them, they take personal

20% of employees are engaged.  responsibility without making excuses, they Having a positive emotional  work overtime when needed and they always connection to their work and others,  they gladly contribute discretionary treat those they serve like gold.  effort to improve their organization.  Employee engagement is more than  employee happiness as happy employees 66% of employees are not engaged.  are not necessarily productive employees.

Emotionally checked out, they  It is also more than employee satisfaction just show up. With little interest in  as simply satisfied employees are less likely improvement, they do the minimum  needed in order to be paid. to go the extra mile and may even leave an 14% of employees actively sabotage your organization. They undermine  others and poison your culture.

While it may be difficult at first, some may still be able to positively respond to employee engagement, employee development and strategic initiatives.

organization for just a small bump in pay.

Engaged employees are emotionally invested - they genuinely enjoy being at work - they  are productive, innovative, creative and entrepreneurial. They care, are loyal and consistently create value.

What Does an Engaged Employee Look Like?

In the What is Employee Engagement? article in Forbes magazine, Kevin Kruse defines employee engagement as the emotional commitment that a person has to who they work for, who they work with and who they serve. As humans, we are wired to care about something more than just ourselves. When people care, engagement grows.

Engaged employees don't just work for a paycheque. They work because they believe 24 // Community Now!

Disengaged Employees & What They Cost You Disengaged and actively disengaged employees may be unhappy, hostile or even sabotage your organization. They show little concern for how they relate to others, complain frequently and show little interest in solutions. Disengaged employees lack initiative and show little interest in their personal growth or development. They rarely help others succeed. They feel little purpose in their work or in what their team or organization is trying to achieve. Like bad apples, disengaged employees can spoil your culture and stop your strategy dead in its tracks.

Gallup estimates that actively disengaged employees cost their organizations $3,400 for every $10,000 you pay them.2 The same study measures other real and lasting impacts on product quality, customer satisfaction, loss-time injuries, healthcare costs, employee morale, employee turnover and overall profitability.

The Benefits of Employee Engagement

Building Engagement All S2S solutions build engagement12. Using strategy is a particularly excellent way to build engagement. Strategy provides a focal point to build engagement among all who support your organization – from your Board to your leadership team, to employees, customers, partners and others.

As they develop and implement strategy Research by Gallup and others shows that together, the people in your organization will engaged employees deliver benefits that should build the ideas, relationships and alignment that will drive success. This same approach matter to every CEO: also delivers three strategic outcomes that • Perform 20% better than disengaged only leading organizations achieve:13 employees.3 1. Promoting a purpose and values-driven • Deliver 12% higher customer engagement.4 culture.

• Have 41% fewer quality defects and 50% fewer work-related accidents.5

2. Embracing an all-stakeholder perspective in developing strategy.

• Are 87% less likely to leave their organization.6 Organizations with engaged employees: • Outperform their competition by 202%.7 • Grow their productivity by 31% and their sales by 37%.8 • Increase their operating income by 19%,9 profit margins by 6%,10 and earnings per share by 147%.11

3. Engaging every mind in developing and executing strategy.

These outcomes, achieved as you develop and implement a great strategy, will contribute to a level of engagement that builds performance and drives success. We would also like you to know that the entire S2S solution set – Scenario Planning, The Business Idea, Strategy and Collaborative Leadership – builds engagement.

Great solutions, engagement and performance By any measure, engagement builds – does it get any better? performance. If this is true, the question quickly Strategic Conversation. becomes: How do I build engagement?

Action. Success!

1) Gallup 2017 State of the Global Workplace (Gallup has found very similar results globally for 30 years).

2) If 14% of your employees are highly disengaged, this costs you about 5% of your annual salary cost.

3) SHRM Research Quarterly, 2007.

4) State of the Global Workplace, Gallup, 2013.

5) Ibid.

10) Ibid.

6) Ibid.

11) State of the Global Workplace, Gallup, 2013.

7) Dale Carnegie Institute.

8) Harvard Business Review, January 2012.

9) Towers Perrin-ISR, The ISR Employee Engagement Report, 2006.

12) S2S offers Scenario Planning, Business Idea, Strategy and Collaborative Leadership solutions.

13) Reinventing Organizations, Frederic Laloux, 2014

Community \\ 25

European Innovation Academy Where people, talent success leads to implementation Who is the Hub for?

It’s for everyone! The innovation, social enterprise and entrepren communities including: students, student clubs, faculty mem staff, alumni, Calgary and beyond.

and ideas collide

of North American sister program How can the Hub help you?

What is the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking?

The Hunter Hub is a safe place to try out your entrepreneurial Do you want to learn what entrepreneurial thinking is? Do you an idea for a business? We can connect you with information aspects of starting a business or side hustle.

Students win top honors in international accelerator program The Hunter Hub is the University of Calgary’s new initiative to engage and immerse students, faculty, staff, alumni and the in a culture of entrepreneurial thinking, challenging with a new and bold approach to teaching, Hunter Hub forthem Entrepreneurial Thinking learning, discovery and knowledge-sharing.

By Shea Coburn Canadian community

Do you have entrepreneurial expertise to share?

J

We’re always on the lookout for entrepreneurs to share experiences and expertise with our students and gr EIA isentrepreneurial an intensive 15-day accelerator uly 2019 saw 19 students from the community.

Want to join a panel, present a wor The Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking was created in 2017 or share your entrepreneurial journey? We’re also looking to program designed to take an idea to startup University of from Calgary travel to Foundation, Cascais, as an with a generous gift the Hunter Family entrepreneurs-in-residence and mentors to help guide em interdisciplinary nucleus for activities that will support entrepreneurs.

If thisprogram, is you, let uswhile know! creating over the course of the Portugal for the European Innovation entrepreneurial student experiences, enable faculty to lead in (403) 220 connections across disciplines, post-secondary Academy Thea growing University of Calgary innovation,(EIA). and expand community of entrepreneurial hunterhub@ucalg and innovative thinkers. institutions, and countries. Students from overUcalgary M has been sending students to EIA for 5 years,

spearheaded by professor Sharaz Khan from the Events Haskayne School of Business. With the & Programs Innovation Reactor Program added involvement of the Hunter Hub for Summer Incubator TENET I2C Entrepreneurial Thinking over the past two Energy New Venture Competition European Innovation Academy years, program Week has seen tremendous Globalthe Entrepreneurship growth in engagement from UCalgary APPLICATIONS OPEN Falling Walls Lab UCalgary students.

This year saw students take part in North American Innovation Academy our website for further details) the (see program, from the faculties of arts, science, engineering, business, computer science, and nursing.

“This year was the best so far,” says Khan, “It is attributed to the diversity of our students from various faculties and the strong support of the Hunter Hub.” 26 // Community Now!

75 countries come from around the world to participate in this rigorous program.

Follo

“The European Innovation Academy was @hunterhu an amazing experience,” says Harsh Shah, a student in the Mechanical Engineering program at UCalgary, “It taught me how to start a business from an idea, in just 15 days.

Through this program, I met some amazing ucalgary.ca/hunter-h friends, mentors, and investors, who I will stay in touch with for the rest of my life. EIA has changed my life.”

• Unlock-Wrk: Special Prize, Nixon Peabody Patent Innovation Award –– Jacqueline Dowhanik, Haskayne School of Business • UrbanBee: Top Team, Post-mentoring from rumberg.digital –– Drew Dougherty, Faculty of Arts • Illiaki: Top Team, Post-mentoring from CG Consulting –– Harsh Shah, Schulich School of Engineering • Techromancer: Special Prize, Nixon Peabody Trademark Artisan Award –– Nik Hut, Haskayne School of Business

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hub

Why EIA? The goal of the program, which is hosted in five cities across the world, is to encourage students to think outside the box, grow comfortable working in diverse teams, and gain knowledge on the trajectory and effort involved to take an idea to startup. UCalgary student Ruth Galindo, from the Haskayne School of Business, shares her experience with the program, “I can say without hesitation that engaging in this particular international experiential learning opportunity has been one of the highlights of my undergraduate studies – it was a transformative journey that enabled me to gain an authentic insight into what it’s like to build a startup and reimagine the possible.”

Ruth’s team, HustleApp, placed in the Top 10 out of 98 teams, and won two awards; The HAG Venture Building Program, and the Nixon Peabody Quiñones Team Spark Award. Other notable achievements by teams comprising UCalgary members include:

One of the highlights for many of the EIA participants was the opportunity to work as part of an interdisciplinary and culturally diverse team. Students are given the experience of integrating their perspectives with those of their team, learning that there is strength in diversity. In 2018, UCalgary had two students in a top team, allowing a Canadian to win an award for the first time in many years. This year, 2019, UCalgary was able to top that significantly!

Watch the EIA Aftermovie here.

What’s next? North American Innovation Academy July 2020 With the success of the European Innovation Academy, and with the support of the University of Calgary as a whole, the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking is pleased to announce that the first ever North American Innovation Academy (NAIA) is set to take place next July 2020!

(continued on next page) Education \\ 27

(continued from page 27...)

“It was a natural decision, to cofound such a renowned and successful program in Calgary,” says Hunter Hub executive director, Joelle Foster, “There is a need for and a focus on entrepreneurship in Calgary right now, with the University of Calgary at the center of this movement. Bringing NAIA to Calgary will only foster the growth of the next generation of entrepreneurs in this city and beyond.”

The Hunter Hub has signed an agreement with the European Innovation Academy, officially positioning NAIA as a sister program to EIA. The majority of student participants are slated to be from North America, with additions from Europe, Australia, Asia and other interested countries and cities.

Similar to their European counterpart, the North American Innovation Academy will be an intensive accelerator program, conducted over ten days rather than 15.

28 // Community Now!

“This is an exciting time for UCalgary students,” continues Foster, “With access to so many entrepreneurial resources, and now with the addition of the North American Innovation Academy, UCalgary students are truly prepared for a variety of experiences and learning opportunities around entrepreneurship.”

The North American Innovation Academy is currently accepting applications from students. For more information, pricing and possible financial support opportunities, please visit the Hunter Hub site.

If you are a faculty member interested in supporting and/ or promoting the North American Innovation Academy to your students, please contact the Hunter Hub directly at hunterhub@ucalgary.ca

TELLING IT LIKE IT IS #Tellingitlikeitis feature guest this issue is Lenneal Howden, Virtual Executive Assistant. A master time wizard with a passion for “office optimization” to help entrepreneurs and executives focus on what is important to them. She understands how challenging it is to find time to complete administrative tasks that are tedious, yet essential for any business. That’s where she happily comes in.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xNPLYjAMkc 1. People are very busy in today’s world. Time

3. Do you focus on specific industries, or do you

waits for no one, and it is our most precious

cast a wide net?

commodity. Having someone like yourself, is priceless; please share what you do and how you help people become more efficient?

Some background knowledge can be helpful when coming to language/lingo, terminology and processes, however most administrative tasks

The best way for a Virtual EA to help individuals

transfer over from industry to industry. Many

is by doing the things that they shouldn’t” be

administrative tasks are more person specific and

doing. If you notice while completing a task you

personal to each individual’s needs.

find yourself saying “this is not where my time is being best spent”, these are some of the best tasks to start with to give your Virtual EA. Completing tasks such as, scheduling, travel bookings, research, presentations, delegating these little things that take up time allow the individual to spend time where their time is best spent for their business and their life.

2. Most people sit in an office., do you find that

4. With you being a solopreneur, do you market yourself differently? How do you market your services?

Typically I network online since most services are Virtually offered. However this year I have been networking more in order to help people gain knowledge as this seems to be a newer industry in Canada that could use the exposure.

your clients appreciate you being remote?

5. What is next for you?

I find being remote allows me to be more

Growing and helping as many people as I can.

accessible. Being remote actually allows me to build and grow an even better personal relationship to give that person the exact support

Helping people to make a list and put their time where they really want to!

they need without all the regular distractions

6. I am going to change this a bit, if you had one

from an office. In addition, there are also financial

piece of advice for small businesses or startups

benefits to having contractors vs paying to have a

about saving their time, what would that be?

staff member.

Do what matters most you! Do whats going to make the most impact in that moment for you.

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BEHAVIOURAL PROFILING Understanding how to positively get along with others

By Ken Goldstein

I

’m a Certified Professional Behavioural Analyst (CPBA). Chances are you’ve never heard of a CPBA! I have a great job. Let me tell you about what I do. But first, here are some questions for you.

Are you the type of person who walks into a room full of people you don’t know and makes a quick judgment about the others in the room based on what you see and hear?

Do you think you are a good listener? Do you really hear what others say?

Have you ever had a disconnect with someone and you couldn’t understand why? Did you ask yourself, “what’s their problem”?

Behavioural Profiling (DISC) can help you understand others better and change your answers to these questions.

One of the greatest challenges we face as people is trying to understand who we are.

We are often so busy trying to figure everyone else out, that we don’t even try to figure ourselves out!

If the subject of what I do comes up when I meet someone and I tell them I’m a Behavioural Profiler (CPBA) they often respond with the same two questions: “Are you like the guys on Criminal Minds?” and “Are you profiling me now?” They think that all profiling is like what they see on television and they don’t realize how their business or workplace, or they themselves can benefit from Behavioural profiling..

32 // Community Now!

Behavioural Profiling (DISC) helps you understand how people consistently behave.

A person’s behaviour is a fundamental, ingrained and important part of who they are.

How often when you meet someone new do you make the decision whether you like them based on your initial perception? And what are your perceptions based on, if not your own behaviour? We tend to filter the behavior of others through our own behavioral traits.

I began using DISC 11 years ago. I used another tool before that, but DISC is the one I’ve chosen to use because for me it provides the format and approach, I think is most helpful in my work. Since I started using DISC, I’ve completed over 1000 Behavioural Profile Assessments for business clients, friends and other individuals trying to figure themselves out and find better ways to communicate and interact with those they come into contact.

Something important to remember before I go any further - DISC profiling deals with someone’s behavioural patterns, not their psychological makeup.

I can’t tell you how many times people who complete a profile are amazed at how accurate their profile report is. Sometimes they realize

something about themselves that they always sensed but never really understood or fully realized. Understanding their profiles has helped them in all of their relationships, both professional and personal.

DISC is built around four unique behavioral styles. The unique qualities of each impacts the way we approach people, tasks and the complexity of our daily lives.

To fully understand DISC, it’s important to understand how the four individual components work together to create the whole.

While a typical person may have one or two dominant characteristics, it’s the combination of the four components of DISC that defines a person’s behavior. The four components of DISC create a “behavioural makeup” unique to every individual.

Research has consistently shown that behavioural traits can be grouped together into four styles. These styles measure Dominance, Influencing, Steadiness and Compliance, thus the acronym DISC. People with similar styles tend to exhibit specific types of behaviour common to that style and that is just who they are.

A Behavioural Profile Assessment measures all four of the variables: Dominance, Influencing, Steadiness and Compliance. It identifies which of the four variables is more dominant than the others on a scale from 0 -100, and from that we know how to categorize the profile: High D, High I, High S or High C. The other three variables help round out the profile, because nobody is one dimensional.

Keep in mind – the DISC model analyses behaviour styles; that is a person’s manner of doing things. It doesn’t analyze why they act that way and it also doesn’t judge their

behavioural style. A profile is not a test and does not measure skills, education or values.

I am frequently asked whether a profile is good or bad. The answer is simply that there are no good or bad profiles because DISC is a neutral language and therefore is nonjudgmental in its results. That’s one of the things I particularly like about DISC. For me to label a profile as good, bad, exciting, dull, average or exceptional would mean I would have to grade and even judge the profile, which goes against the neutrality of the results and I think it lowers its value.

DISC doesn’t measure good or bad, right or wrong. It measures behaviour under normal conditions and under stress. Different behavioural styles are beneficial or detrimental depending upon different situations and circumstances. We all have something to offer in the workplace and in the world. DISC helps employers find the right fit for the business culture and role and helps individual find the right culture and role for themselves before hiring or committing to a job.

(continued on next page) Business \\ 33

34 // Community Now!

(continued from page 33...)

Behavioural profiles help you understand yourself. Understanding yourself allows you to help understand others, be it in the workplace or in one’s personal life. The next step is to value the differences respectfully.

At different times most people think of themselves as being able to read people like a profiler. Here are the primary traits associated with each of the four measurables in a Behavioural Profile Assessment, and their influence on the individual’s behaviour, that will help you when there’s a need for you to be a “profiler.”

Dominance: those who work towards achieving goals and results. The people who have this profile need challenges and want the rewards associated with the risk taken.

Influence: those who work towards relating to people through verbal persuasion. The people who have this profile are energized by being around others.

Steadiness: those who work towards supporting and cooperating with others. The

people who have this profile are people who need information before they make a decision.

Compliance: those who work towards doing things right and focus on detail. The people who have this profile need order, be allowed to follow the rules.

You meet and talk with people every day. Behavioural profiling can help you communicate better and have more satisfying and productive relations with everyone you interact with.

How you view and respond to others and how you understand and view yourself will directly affect how others respond and to you.

Behavioural Profiling is a great tool for creating better outcomes in all your interactions with other.

Ken Goldstein is the Founder and Managing Director of The Goldstein Group. He is a Certified Professional Behavioural Analyst who uses Behavioural Profiling as part of his People Management Solutions consulting business.

Kenneth S. Goldstein

C.P.B.A. Managing Director, The Goldstein Group 326, 7620 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB. T2V 1K4 (t) 403 452-5303 | (c) 403 816-8721 linkedin.com/in/ken-goldstein-75615112 ken@goldsteingroup.ca http://www.goldsteingroup.ca/

“The genius of managing people” Call Today to Learn More or Click Here Business \\ 35

i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i

innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business We invite YOU to join our community! innovation • education community • business When Community collides with •Innovation, what happens?

Inspiration is Created, Diversity•is community Seen, Curiosity comes to Life innovation • education • business innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business When Community Now! Magazine innovation • education • community • business launched its platform to connect & people, connect industry and storytell, an Diversity innovation • education • community •Community business Innovation extraordinary thing happened; community and innovation collided, opening new innovation • education • community • business opportunities for everyone to become engaged innovation &•inspired. education • community • business We are allowing people to explore through storytelling for the soul purpose of connecting, inspiring, innovation • education • community • business engaging and educating – together, as a community! We are providing a place for people to•becommunity open and candid, a place innovation • education • business to talk about what is happening in our cities and elsewhere our province. CN! Is creating a diverse, strong, new • business innovation • ineducation • community which brings together all those with talents innovation •community education • community • business and curiosity to talk about the why’s and the of innovation, people, education and innovation •how’s education • community • business Inspiration & business... And how these overlaps create Connections Creativity and exciting• possibilities for all! innovation • new education community • business innovation • education • community • business Business, innovation • education • community • business Education, innovation • education • community • business Leaders, Students, Innovators, innovation • education community • business Not for•Profits innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business Community \\ 37

38 // Community Now!

MAKING THE DREAM TO A REALITY

dance

youth, making classes accessible to everyone who wants to participate. Currently, the Dream to Dance fund is a local initiative, with the goal of being a provincially-recognized not-forprofit by the end of this year, and a national

F

By Tara Fry

organization in the near future.

or most of us, childhood was synonymous with dreams and achievements; we wanted to be artists, athletes, dances, musicians, and begged our parents for lessons that would allow us to become just that.

Hours were spent plunking out the same three bars of the piano, just to get it right for the upcoming recital. Evenings rang with “just five more minutes” as the garage door became a goalpost awaiting that perfect kick. Lights blinked off and on, drawing out the night so that more could be learned. And, oh, how we learned from those days. While most of us didn’t grown up to be rock stars or prima ballerinas, those years of lessons and learning taught us who we would be as adults. Those lessons we took were necessary for us to grow, there is no denying that. But what happens when someone doesn’t have the chance to find themselves, because they don’t have the opportunity or ability to take those lessons? How many opportunities are lost? How much potential is wasted?

Recently, I sat down with Christifer and

This is exactly what Christifer Duxbury is

is so expressive, even more so than words in

trying to prevent with the Dream to Dance

some cases. Even with all the languages out

fund. Launched in May of this year, the

there, there is a limit to the words available to us.

Miranda, his right-hand woman, to learn more about Dream to Dance – what it is about and why it was started. The first thing you notice about Christifer and Miranda is their passion – for life, for the arts, and for this foundation. They radiate a positive energy, and a determination to bring joy and purpose to young lives, through involving them in a program that has the power to inform the rest of their lives.

Dancing for 20 years, teaching dance for 10 of those, and founding the Christifer Duxbury Dance Collective (soon celebrating it’s third anniversary), Christifer certainly understands the impact that having the opportunity to take dance classes can have on a young life.

He and Miranda both see dance lessons as an opportunity to learn how to express yourself, to be reliable, and to connect with others through a shared experience. When you are in a group class, and working towards a performance, or even just building a routine, you and your classmates have to rely in one another to make everything come together. This builds trust, responsibility, and a sense of community amongst everyone involved. Beyond that, dance

Dream to Dance fund is an organization that provides free weekly dance classes for

(continued on next page) Education \\ 39

Banbury Crossroads School Seeking a school like home?

For 40 years, Banbury has offered an atmosphere where children feel safe, comfortable, and relaxed.

We offer full Pre-K to Grade 12. To learn more, please schedule an appointment with us today or call Anne in the office at (403) 270-7787.

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(continued from page 39...)

parents, as well as the children. Having to say no

And, what about all those instances when there

to their kids can leave parents feeling helpless

isn’t a right word? Learning to express yourself

and like a failure, when they are not. Classes

through your body can be an important tool for

offered through Dream to Dance go beyond

young people, to help them communicate what

just helping they kids; they create a success for

they are thinking, feeling, and need, and in an

parents – a chance to say yes when before they

authentic way. Community and communication

could only say no.

are all part of dance classes, along with a strong, positive mentoring relationship, that helps kids form trusting, long-lasting relationships with adults outside their family.

As adults, we get to the point where we forget how it feels to have so much potential and not know where it could lead. Now is our chance to remember that, and to make sure all kids

Equally important to having the opportunity

have the opportunity to experience it. One final

in the first place is not having to worry about

thought Christifer left me with sums up the

what you are giving up in order to take that

importance of making kids’ dreams to dance

opportunity. Growing up in a low-income

a reality: Imagine watching a kid perform for

household, Christifer’s love of dance, and

the first time, all the excitement and sense of

determination to pursue it, were often at odds

accomplishment. Then, imagine that not being

with the opportunities he had. It was necessary

able to happen. Not a good feeling. Don’t let that

for him to work almost full time by the time he

happen.

was 15, in addition to going to school and pursing his dance training. He still recalls the feeling of being in a dance class, trying to learn, but, at the same time, fighting the fear that he should be

Dream to Dance classes are now running.

Anyone who is interested in participating is encouraged to register as soon as possible!

working, earning money for his family instead.

To find out more about Dream to Dance, or to

When you are in class, your effort should be on

register for classes, please visit https://www.

learning and growing as an artist, Christifer told

dreamtodancefund.com/. To contribute to the

me, adding, we want to be able to help people

Dream to Dance fund, and make dance lessons

put the effort where it should be.

accessible to all young people, please visit the

Christifer’s situation is, unfortunately, not unique, even today. Many parents are not able

Dream to Dance webpage, and click on the “Donate” button.

to provide lessons for their kids, because of the financial burden, a problem that can hurt

Community \\ 41

The Raft

The Heloise Lorimer School STEAM Team and Coach Jill Quirk When planning a new STEAM program for the year, I am cognoscente that I would like to encompass the underlying foundations of design thinking, a focus on community building and purposeful technology integration.

SO… Where should this journey start?

Maybe from a story? Finding the right story can provide the inspiration needed for a good design challenge. I found a story perfect for this. It’s a Buddhist story called The Raft.

I take comfort in reading parables from Buddhism. I’m working on a raft design challenge, (Can you create a raft out of natural materials to float?). I have been thinking about how we can use the raft as a metaphor for the year. If making connections and building relationships is essential for a successful year; how could building this raft, embed a special moment of success in a child’s mind?

42 // Community Now!

A Raft Parable (adopted from a Buddhist perspective) A man traveling along a path came to a great expanse of water. As he stood on the shore, he realized there were dangers and discomforts all about. But the other shore appeared safe and inviting. The man looked for a boat or a bridge and found neither. But with great effort he gathered grass, twigs and branches and tied them all together to make a simple raft. Relying on the raft to keep himself afloat, the man paddled with his hands and feet and reached the safety of the other shore. He could continue his journey on dry land. (borrowed from https://www.learnreligions.com)

(continued on next page) Education \\ 43

This parable gives students an opportunity to THINK. For example, what could be the “dangers in the water” students face when they are at school?

• What blocks your ability to be a successful learner and not “build a raft”?

• What brings you anxiety/discomforts (dangerous waters) in school?

• What could happen if you don’t “build a raft”?

• Where could you go if you “built a raft”?

• What are the tools necessary to build a successful raft and journey to the “other side”?

Coaching students to get to “the other side” (aka unleashing their potential) is where teachers and students journey together.

When students feel like they can conquer a task successfully, (building a raft that floats), slowly chips away at those undesirable fears he/she may have. At the end of the day we all want to feel successful.

I predict that the actual building of the raft will help students to positively connect their body and mind.

At the August 2019 Community Now Event some courageous people tried the STEAM Team design a raft challenge. It was clear that when these innovative people got their raft to float, when a design challenge works out well there is always a moment of pure JOY. When participants got their raft to float it demonstrated the ability to overcome various obstacles they faced. These participants could articulate when their raft didn’t float, they had to change their design to make it float, which demonstrates their ability to persevere.

44 // Community Now!

Perseverance in my opinion is one of the most important skills in life.

And it seems that learning how to overcome unwanted outcomes is something we all struggle with.

In this STEAM program, I am hoping that students will learn that things (and life) can be hard and you will need to keep finding tools in your toolbox to help you to keep on going.

I’m trying to find ways we can learn (teachers and students together) how to keep afloat.

The RAFT; Life Lessons for us all.

Building a raft can also be a metaphor for what we might need to create (new tools) if we don’t take the upcoming dangers that are presented to our world seriously. RE: Jim Gibson wrote The Tip of the Spear discussing how our species and technology are at a crossroads. At the Community Now event all the speakers had a theme, we need to connect our “rafts” as a community to help us go “farther” and make the world a better place.

What is essential in our community?

Connecting the youth to their communities.

This is what I am striving for with The STEAM Team/STEAM program. This past June, The STEAM Team celebrated the end of the school year and the fact that we connected students with their community with our STEAM Team program. We built together, we dreamed together, we played together and we innovated together. We all belong to something important. Some students (grades 5-7) we had to say goodbye to. And for them it’s an end to the Heloise Lorimer STEAM Team. However, I believe STEAM has helped these students build “strong sturdy rafts”, and they will be able to go farther, dream bigger and find their own unique purpose in the world.

Education \\ 45

18

WISHES FOR YOUR

18

th

Sophie, Aug 22, 2019

Les Mottosky

O

n this big day, I want to give you a message from my heart to my remarkable daughter. I hope it will appreciate over time. Try to revisit it every so often, because the meaning will change as you grow. At least that’s my hope, Sofe.

It’s been the privilege of my lifetime to watch you thunder through this world for 18 years.

More than that though, I so deeply love the human being you are - that beautiful, brilliant, irrepressible and adventurous spirit of yours.

Prior to meeting you, I was terrified to have a girl. I didn’t think I’d know how to love her.

Then, I met you. As it turns out I love you like I can never love another female (or person).

Not a grandma. Not a sister. Not Mom. Not my mom. Not aunts or sister-in-laws or nieces or granddaughters or great granddaughters.

Only a daughter is a daughter.

And only you are Sophie Rose.

More than loving you in a one-of-a-kind way though, I see you.

And I’ve seen you since Minute One. Clearer than any memory of the last 20 years, I remember gazing into your eyes when you were minutes old. I was weeping with indescribable joys. I’d never met someone and immediately loved them with my whole being. Your arrival made me a Dad. And it was already my favourite thing in the world.

According to the only estimate I’m aware of, by the time the average North American hits adulthood, they’ve spent 86% of the time they’ll ever have with their parents. The potential

46 // Community Now!

accuracy of that statistic makes my heart heavy, but even more than that, I have a deep excitement for your life adventure.

I want to see your version of living. Not your parent’s versions, not your teacher’s versions or your friend’s versions, I’m excited to see what you create.

I’m also excited because we live in an age— for the first time in the history of the world— when a person who wants to learn something, can learn it. From anywhere.

This is a game-changer that plays right into one of your skills: when you want to learn something, and you have access to a resource, you figure it out. Period.

“Figuring it out” is who you are.

And that’s not just my opinion.

One of your last days of Jr High, I had a meaningful chat with Mr T. It wasn’t a conversation that I started. He just began telling me what a great job he thought we had done raising you.

And then he started to tell me about how much he enjoyed teaching you, how interesting he thought you were and that he was looking forward to seeing what you created with your life. He confessed to me, that maybe more than any other student he’d taught, he was eager to re-meet adult Sophie when the time came.

He, too, was excited to see what you would create.

You might be tempted to shrug off Mr. T’s enthusiasm as only one person’s opinion, but I’ve always found it very revealing.

Mr. T saw you as uncommon amongst uncommon people. This is not something to disregard; I can’t think of a higher esteem to hold someone.

He saw you too, Sweet Sofe. My perspective of you isn’t “just because I’m your Dad”.

Mom, Jettln and I are three of the luckiest people I know, not just because all of us are so awesome, but because we got to watch you grow up. I actually think of it as an honour.

So…It’s your birthday and traditionally, you’re the one making wishes, but I have 18 wishes for you. These are some of the things I’m still learning and I wish I had known about them when I was 18: 1. I wish for your life to be a great adventure. Stay curious Sophie. It’s more engaging, interesting and effective than being opinionated, and it will shape an even richer adventure for you.

2. I wish for you to notice that the universe is a kind place. This is the most important decision we’ll ever make. (This is not my perspective, but someone far more credible than myself: Albert Einstein.) It’s a critical decision because it allows us to perceive things as happening “for us” instead of “to us”. This choice allows us to continue enjoying the benefits of life instead of creating a hole of blame, fear and bitterness. Sure, shit is going to happen. And (continued on next page) Community \\ 47

(continued from page 47...) yes, we will feel things like hurt, anger or fear. We don’t have to stay there though. When we believe the universe is working to our benefit, it helps us to find the gift in those shitty situations. Even when it doesn’t show up right away.

3. I wish for you to become comfortable in your own skin. Decide that you’re perfect the way you are and you could use a little work. This will always be the case. Accept it. And understand that everybody else is a perfectly imperfect work in progress. Literally nobody knows what they’re doing. We’re all making this shit up as we go along.

TRUTH. 4. I wish for you to pursue and master an art form. You —like all humans — are a powerful creator. Find your art, Sofe. Please. Own it. Express it. Rock it. (Plus, selfishly, I love experiencing your talent on display. It brings back all those big tears from our first minutes minutes together way back in 2001.)

5. I wish for you to see how ‘everything connects to everything else’. This is a 500 year old observation of Leonardo, that has since been proven by quantum science. We don’t need science to understand it though. We can experience it. When we help another person, we’re helping ourselves. When we hurt another — on purpose or by accident — we’re hurting ourselves. This is a life law. Test it for yourself: give an honest compliment to somebody and then notice how you feel. Just notice.

6. I wish for you to realize — deeply — that the only thing you can count on is change.

Everything, everything, everything is changing. Realize this and you’ll experience far less pain and energy-sucking disappointment. As the (really, really) old saying goes “Let go or be dragged” - life is always lighter when we’re in the flow of change. And that doesn’t mean we’re always happy about it.

7. I wish for you to nurture the leadership potential within you. You’ve always had it and I hope you make the life-changing decision to develop it. The one thing you have to remember to lead is this: possibility is a real, limitation isn’t.

8. I wish for you to understand that we only ever see what we believe. There are multiple tribes in Africa who can’t see shades of blue because they don’t believe the colour exists. Our (continued on next page) 48 // Community Now!

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(continued on next page) Community \\ 49

(continued from page 48...) lives are shaped by one thing: the quality of the thoughts we choose to believe. If life sucks it’s because we believe it. If it’s awesome it’s because we believe that. Life will always mirror back to us our dominant thoughts and beliefs. And so it goes: we don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.

9. I wish for you to continue growing as an independent thinker and questioning everything.

Nobody has life figured out. If we did, we wouldn’t live in a society that markets cancercausing chemicals (Round-Up) designed to kill cancer-curing super-foods (dandelions).

10. I wish for you to realize that there’s no such thing as “getting there”. There’s no magical day in the future where all challenges stop and life becomes easy. More than that, if we don’t choose struggle, it will choose us. People who, as habit, hit a drive thru on the way home to avoid making a nourishing meal and cleaning up the dishes, will eventually struggle with their health. Short term and longer term.

11. I wish that you make it a priority to love yourself. Everyday. What this means is don’t judge your mistakes. Don’t talk to yourself in a demeaning way. At times I’ve done a good job of demonstrating this and at times I haven’t. The times I’ve loved myself have been the best, freest, funnest, most laughter, love and joy filled decades of my life. The times I haven’t, have sucked. Bad. Largely because it makes it harder to express love to others. We’re social creatures and designed for community and contribution. Extended isolation is unhealthy.

12. I wish for you to choose the courage to face your fears. Delaying or denying an uncomfortable situation, keeps us stuck and out of flow. Facing fear is freaky A. Until we do it. And when we do, it’s totally energizing. It’s also never as bad as we think it’s gonna be. It’s also good to remember that when we’re facing fearful behaviour from other people, it helps to not take it personally. Their fear is not-disrespect or un-love, it’s someone who temporarily can’t choose love. Believing this insight will help you appreciate people when they’re unloveable (which is the most important time to love ‘em).

13. I wish for you to choose relationships over resentments. Resentment has been compared to the idea of drinking poison and hoping the other person gets sick. We’re always in a tug-ofwar between isolation and intimacy (connection). “Being right” creates a powerful emotion, because it makes us feel above the other person, but intimacy and connection feels healthier.

Always. The path back to connection may require forgiveness. Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves first, and then to the other person. When we forgive freely, the quality of our lives increases by orders of magnitude. It really does.

14. I wish for you to understand that “Nothing fails like success.” This means that a challenge is overcome when we apply a response that matches it. But when that challenge inevitably changes, our old response no longer works. (That’s why there’s no such thing as “getting there.”) Success will eventually turn into failure. Fun, huh?

15. I wish for you a daily experience of heartfelt gratitude. This simple practice transforms our lives when we apply it earnestly over time.

50 // Community Now!

16. I wish for you to rediscover the importance of moving your body regularly. As a little one you did it from sun up to sun down. Naturally and effortlessly. It’s a part of who you are and I believe reconnecting with some form of movement will always make a difference for you. At 18 or at 81.

17. I wish that you continue to foster your connection with nature. Netflix and Snapchat are seductive for sure, but never forget that there is healing and beauty in nature. Nothing compares. If I regret anything in my life, I think it might be not spending even more time in nature with you.

18. I wish for you complete freedom from other people’s opinions. Living our lives based on what other people think is a guaranteed recipe for frustration, anger, misery and fake-ness. Everyone loses. The ultimate measurement of freedom is if we respect who we see in the mirror every morning. (And life really sucks when we don’t.)

Lately, I feel like at times that I’ve been hard to love. But, I know what our connection is and I know you know it too. (Even if you sometimes hang onto opinions that try to override it).

I like, love, and adore you no matter what your opinion of me is. It’s not my job to change your mind, or to convince you otherwise, my job is to love you.

You coming into the world was my personal ‘Big Bang’. I was one version of me before I met you and then I was someone fundamentally different after we met.

You are loved Sophie.

All of you is loved.

I can never not love you.

You are a remarkable person and — more than any other human being — you have transformed me.

My identity.

My heart.

My life.

I am deeply grateful for these first 18 years with you, Sophie.

And I’m even more grateful for the privilege of being your Dad for the rest of them.

Community \\ 51

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Our Mission: Promoting curiosity, communication and engagement in making Alberta a stronger and better place to live, to be educated, do business, promote innovation and community celebration. www.communitynowmagazine.com Facebook: @communitynowmagazine Twitter: @communitynowma1 Publisher@CommunityNowMagazine.com