Who we are
The Institute for Community Prosperity is a hub of social innovation, systems-learning and community engagement that bridges the knowledge, wisdom and experience of community with academic learning and scholarly insight. We bring together community, students and faculty from across disciplines, sectors and backgrounds to tackle the complex social and ecological challenges of our time.
What is community prosperity?
Community prosperity is the interconnection of cultural, economic, social and ecological conditions necessary for individuals, organizations and societies to flourish.
Why We're Here
To provide transformational, experiential, and co-curricular learning expereinces for students that empower them to become the changemakers of tomorrow
To build the capacity of the changemakers of today to navigate increasing complexity and create positive change.
To create pathways of trust, reciprocity, collaboration, and learning between campus and community.
What We Do
How we work
The complex challenges society is facing are not linear and cannot be solved in isolation, but require mindsets, tools and approaches that allow us to enter into complexity, recognize patterns and dynamics and identify places for transformative change. At the Institute for Community Prosperity, we bring a systems thinking approach to all that we do.
Our place within the university is a place of privilege that comes with both opportunity and responsibility. We are guided by principles of reciprocity and inclusion, working with community as partners and co-creators in building prosperity for all.
Our home at Mount Royal University is situated on an ancient and storied land that is steeped in ceremony and history that, until recently, was occupied exclusively by people indigenous to this place. With gratitude and reciprocity, we acknowledge the relationships to the land and all beings, and the songs, stories and teachings of the Siksika Nation, the Piikani Nation, the Kainai Nation, the Iethka Stoney Nakoda Nation (consisting of the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Goodstoney Nations), the people of the Tsuut’ina Nation, and the Metis.
The latest
COMMUNITY INITATIVE
Plan Zed
Plan Zed is a collaborative engagement project conducted by the Institute for Community Prosperity in partnership with Calgary Foundation. By Gen Z, for Gen Z, this work gathers local data from young adults and professionals to gain meaningful insight into the unique perceptions, challenges, and engagement patterns of Gen Z in Calgary’s non-profit sector.
COMMUNITY INITATIVE
Creative Praxis
Creative Praxis is a learning cohort for artists and creative practitioners curious about the intersections of artistic practice, social change, and systems thinking. This four-session cohort brings together a small group of socially engaged artists to examine the systems their work is already part of, consider what it means to engage meaningfully with community, and explore how artistic practice can contribute to systems change.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Convening in Complexity
Convening in Complexity is a facilitator training program designed to help participants build practical skills in designing, hosting and facilitating impactful conversations that bring people together, inspire collective action, and address increasingly complex issues in community.
