Ottawa, February 25, 2020 – Recognizing that education is one of the most critical components of sustainable development, Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) inaugurated its new ImpAct initiative today, to help Canada make progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Canada, along with all 193 UN member states, committed to concrete action on the 17 SDGs to advance the 2030 agenda.
ImpAct, with the support of the McConnell Foundation and the patronage of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, will help advance Canada’s commitment with three collaborative pan-Canadian projects. These initiatives will help strengthen and scale up member institutions’ efforts to: reduce barriers to access for vulnerable populations, support social entrepreneurship, and improve campus sustainability.
“The SDGs offer valuable guidelines to help tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity in a healthy environment”, noted CICan president and CEO, Denise Amyot. “As community hubs, where education, innovation, and entrepreneurship converge, colleges and institutes are ideally placed to help Canada reach these goals. ImpAct will give us an opportunity to share best practices, but also develop projects that will have tangible results all across the country.”
CICan’s work will be guided by 23 member institutions via three working groups. They will have two years to co-create an approach to their theme that will be based on both existing promising practices and new ideas born of the expertise and experience of the group members. Each institution has chosen a lead for the project and has created a supporting team in their institution, including students.
College and institute students and recent graduates also have an essential role to play in ensuring the ImpAct initiative’s success – a Student and alumni advisory committee has been formed that gathers young people from all across the country, representing different regions and communities.
About Colleges and Institutes Canada:
Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) is the voice of Canada’s publicly-supported colleges, institutes, cegeps and polytechnics, and an international leader in education for employment with ongoing programs in over 25 countries. CICan’s members add over $190B to Canada’s economy each year and contribute to inclusive economic growth by working with industry and community partners to offer more than 10,000 programs to learners in urban, rural, remote, and northern communities.
-30-
For more information:
Julien Abord-Babin
Senior Strategic Communications Officer
Colleges and Institutes Canada
Email: jabord-babin@collegesinstitutes.ca
Phone: 613-746-2222 ext. 3131
Twitter: @CollegeCan