Awards

 

Supporting people to be valued citizens is at the heart of what we do

Skills Society Learning Award for People Served

People who receive support from Skills Society who are thinking about attending an education or learning opportunity can apply for a Skills Society Learning Award of up to $500 to help cover costs connected with attending. The award can be used to cover the cost of registration and other expenses like transportation and accommodation for opportunities that take place outside of Edmonton and greater area.

 

About the Award

The purpose of the award is to encourage and support the people we serve in pursuing learning opportunities that support their hopes and ambitions for their future. These could include university or college programs, skills workshops, conferences, and other education and learning opportunities. 

These are a few examples of places where you can find a variety of programs, workshops, conferences and learning opportunities: 

  • University of Alberta, Concordia University of Edmonton, NAIT, Norquest College, MacEwan University and Kings University all offer inclusive post-secondary education opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. For more information contact Inclusion Alberta at mail@inclusionalberta.org or calling 1-800-252-7556.

  • Metro College offers online continuing education for adults. Topics include workplace skills and training, business and leadership, marketing and social media, computers and technology, and teaching

  • Coursera offers a variety of learning opportunities including courses, specializations, and certificates.

  • Through Eventbrite you can search for conferences, courses, and workshops. You can search by topic (e.g. photography), location (e.g. Edmonton, online), and format (e.g. conference, class). 

An individual may only receive one award per year. Preference will be given to people who have not yet received an award.

The award does not provide retroactive funding. This means the award cannot be used to cover costs of a learning opportunity you are currently attending or attended in the past. 

Value: Up to $500

Application

Awards are available every 3 months. 

Application Deadline: Response By: 

December 13, 2024 December 27, 2024

March 13, 2025 March 27, 2025

June 13, 2025 June 27, 2025

September 13, 2025 September 27, 2025

How are decisions made?

The Skills Society Senior Leadership team will look at how the program or event is linked to the opportunity for learning and growth and the person’s goals and hopes for their future. 

 

Questions?

Feel free to be in touch with Rebecca Rubuliak, Senior Leader of Continuous Improvement and Innovation, at rebeccar@skillssociety.ca if you have questions. 

Skills Society Employee Education Award

Skills Society employees who are currently enrolled in or are considering post-secondary education can apply for an Employee Education Award valued at $500. The purpose of the Skills Society Employee Education Award is to foster leadership development by supporting employees in participating in formal post-secondary education programs that further their learning and growth in the field of disability studies and/or leadership. 

With an aim of equity, half of all Employee Education Awards are reserved for employees who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC). Skills Society values diversity, equity and social justice. As part of this value we strive to boost and support BIPOC leaders within our community, continue to learn and work together on anti-racist allyship, and actively participate in systems change initiatives.

 

Award Terms of Reference

The Skills Society Employee Education Award is given to full or part-time employees attending or considering attending a post-secondary education program (includes post-secondary certificates) in a program of study that relates to disability studies, social services, and/or leadership. Employees who hold positions that have inconsistent or not guaranteed hours (for example casual support, community support worker flex position) are not eligible to apply for this award.

Eligible employees must have worked with Skills Society a minimum of one year prior to the date of application.

An individual may only receive one award per year. Preference will be given to those who have not previously received an award.

Value: $500

Application & Reporting

  • Application forms are released annually in late fall both on the Skills Society website and via email (to all Skills Society employees).

  • Applicants are required to submit proof of enrollment or acceptance in a post-secondary program prior to disbursement of the award. Acceptance must show dates of enrollment. Successful applicants have until October 1st of the year in which they receive the award to submit proof of enrollment.

  • Recipients are committed to working for Skills Society for a year following completion of their program

  • In alignment with Skills Society Privacy Policy, certain elements of the personal information may be shared for publicity or reporting purposes with the public or donors. For details on the use and disclosure of this information contact the Awards Committee Chair at awards@skillssociety.ca. 

Adjudication

The Awards Adjudication Committee is made up of diverse Skills Society stakeholders, including people served, staff, board members, and members of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. The Awards Adjudication Committee will consider the connection between the applicant’s program with the vision, mission and work of Skills Society. The committee may also take into consideration demonstrated leadership and community service efforts of the applicant that advance Skills Society’s mission and vision as secondary selection criteria.

Deadline for submission is February 21, 2025. Applicants will be notified prior to May 2025.

Skills Society Citizenship Awards

At Skills Society supporting people to be valued citizens is at the heart of what we do, and we want to recognize and celebrate the efforts of individuals and organizations in our community who are working towards our shared vision of a community where everyone is valued and belongs. We invite you to nominate individuals and organizations you know who are contributing to fostering a vibrant and inclusive community for one of Skills Society’s Citizenship Awards. See a full list and description of the awards below. 

Deadline for submission is February 21, 2025. Awards will be presented at the Skills Society Annual General Meeting in June.

 

Skills Society Citizenship Award Descriptions

Engaged Citizenship Award

The Engaged Citizenship Award is given to an individual supported by Skills Society whose actions demonstrate active participation in their community and efforts towards contributing to and fostering a vibrant community.

Leadership Award

The Leadership Award is given to a Skills Society employee or volunteer who demonstrates leadership in the pursuit of our shared vision of a community where all individuals are valued citizens deserving respect, dignity and rights. 

Community Belonging Award

The Community Belonging Award is given to a business, community organization, or group whose actions support the inclusion and belonging of people with developmental disabilities.

“Skills Society invested in talented people to make project citizenship work. They demonstrated a remarkable commitment to the success of the project and continuing with the model after the grant was completed. They assigned project coordinators with creative skills and gave them the freedom to take risks in order to find solutions. There was buy-in from staff, clients, families and the organization as a whole. They integrated citizenship into every aspect of the organization and it wasn’t long before staff realized the value of the project as they saw positive changes.”

— Lynn Sutankayo, University of Alberta Community Service Learning