TRIANGLE is excited to partner with The SickKids Child Health Policy Accelerator for an Experiential Learning Placement. The SickKids Child Health Policy Accelerator is Canada’s first hospital-based applied child and youth health and social policy initiative. Their mission is to close the gap between what we know is effective in optimizing the well-being of children and youth, and what we do to attend to the needs of young people in the provincial and federal public policy space. The Child Health Policy Accelerator is designed to:
- enable change by leveraging the expertise, resources, and reputation of SickKids to drive clear, focused and evidence-based policy objectives that deliver measurable benefits for children and youth in Canada, and;
- train the next generation of change-makers through formal instruction, project-based consultation and longitudinal advocacy experiences tailored for current and future maternal and child health leaders.
This ELP will give TRIANGLE awardees the opportunity to:
- Participate in 1 full day of “Advocacy 101” training, either on-site in Ottawa or virtually in advance, CHPA schedules permitting. Training will include an overview of federal (and provincial) policy processes in Canada, effective communication for (child) health experts, and background information tailored to the participant’s chosen advocacy topic.
- Participate in a 1-day “on the Hill” in Ottawa, where participants will be divided into groups to meet with Members of Parliament, Senators, political staff and senior civil servants. In addition, groups will have the opportunity to attend Question Period and/or tour the Senate of Canada.
- Attain custom curriculum, worksheets, and other materials developed for the sessions.
By the end of each workshop, participants will have an improved understanding of:
- How, why, when, they should advocate for policy change
- Who key decision makers are on their desired policy change (and how to reach them)
- How to balance legal, professional, and personal commitments within an advocacy campaign
Participants will also receive:
- Relevant readings, online resources, and copies of the presentation decks in advance
- A completed group exercise product
Immersive advocacy experiences are an opportunity to strengthen the advocacy capacity of key stakeholders advancing child and youth health policy in Canada. By combining foundational advocacy skills with issue-specific content, the sessions will help participants navigate the federal landscape and engage more effectively with policymakers to advance shared goals. With a focus on applied learning, participants will leave with the tools, confidence, and strategies needed to advocate for meaningful policy change in the areas of principal importance to TRIANGLE.
This year, we have 2 opportunities available for TRIANGLE awardees to apply to:
- November 2nd (training)- Nov 3rd (Hill day): This event will focus on online safety and the need to pass Bill C-34, Canada’s Safe Social Media Act.
- November 17th (training) – 18th (Hill day): This event is being held in conjunction with RareKids-CAN and will focus on C-265, a piece of legislation that would reform the Special Access Program, to ensure that physicians and pharmacists do not need to wait for Health Canada approval before importing routinely access off-market medications, or less-routinely used medications in emergency situations.
