The University of St. Michael’s College is celebrating the announcement of the three winners of the 2021 President’s Capstone Project Award in the distinguished Graduate Diploma in Social Responsibility and Sustainability program.

• Brett Clapperton is the winner in the Advancing Social & Environmental Responsibility, Sustainability and/or ESG category in their organization category for her project Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan for Green Shield Canada, which outlines ways for her employer to engage in the process of reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous communities.

• Kate Gardner is the winner in the Advancing Social &/or Environmental Impact in Wider Society or Community category. Her project Case for a Pardons Ecosystem studies ways to address the challenges previously incarcerated Black youth face due to their criminal records.

• Charlotte Harman is the winner in the Advancing Social &/or Environmental Impact in their Industry or Sector category for her project The Rengenerative Law Firm.

Clapperton agrees with Gardner on the impact of the program.

St. Michael’s Social Responsibility and Sustainability program “is a great opportunity to broaden your horizons in CSR and sustainability, with the chance to gain exposure to a variety of key topics ranging from climate change to ethical procurement,” she says.

In all, 10 students were nominated for awards, with seven receiving honourable mentions. Those considered for the President’s Capstone Aware are nominated by their mentors. Projects must be distinguished in what they achieve or promote in one or more of the following criteria: 1) advancing social and/or environmental impact; 2) introducing innovative practices in social and environmental responsibility, sustainability, ESG and/or 3) significantly advancing social and environmental responsibility, sustainability and/or ESG to the creator’s organization.

“The Graduate Diploma in Social Responsibility and Sustainability is a vital aspect of St. Michael’s programming,” says University President David Sylvester. “Sustainability is one of the pillars of our 180 Strategic Plan for the coming years at St. Michael’s and educating corporate and community leaders—and, in turn, learning from them— is a key part of our mission and vision.”

Forty participants are accepted annually to St. Michael’s program, which attracts students from across Canada and around the world. The diploma’s “work as you learn” approach allows students to take their career in Social Responsibility and Sustainability to the next level. Participants tackle and resolve a Sustainability/ESC challenge in their company in a major Action Project under the mentorship of faculty and co-learners; learn from global thought leaders; experience practical “real world” change managed through the Experience Change™ Simulation and join a prestigious community of St. Michael’s alumni in continuing education, sharing, and networking. Graduates received the post-nominal letters G. Dipl. SR&S.

The diploma program is now accepting applications for 2022/2023. To apply, please see the Diploma in Social Responsibility and Sustainability website.

Meet Some of the Winners

Kate Gardner

For my Capstone Project, I developed the ‘Case for a Pardons Ecosystem’ to address the crippling systemic barriers to success which previously incarcerated Black youth face due to their criminal records. The Pardons Ecosystem establishes a new CSR partnership framework which has the potential to interrupt the intergenerational cycle of crime in the Black community while also addressing labour market shortages across various sectors which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. In practice, the Pardons Ecosystem will become a work-integrated learning program with wraparound supports, and will upskill and add a fresh – currently overlooked – source of talent to the labour pool supporting economic growth in the post-COVID recovery.

Conversations are ongoing between Loyalist College, RBC Royal Bank, John Howard Society Ontario, and various Black-led organizations and community leaders, including Louis March from Zero Gun Violence Movement and Andrew “Jaydahmann” Cox from Lawrence Heights around the planning for the implementation of a pilot project. The pilot project will involve the development of industry aligned micro-credentials with wraparound supports, including peer mentorship, to create an accelerated pathway  to employment and/or empower youth to pursue further postsecondary education.

Brett Clapperton

St. Michael’s Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability program is a great opportunity to broaden your horizons in CSR and sustainability, with the chance to gain exposure to a variety of key topics ranging from climate change to ethical procurement.

My Capstone Project, titled Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan for Green Shield Canada, is a strategic plan created to outline a path to Indigenous reconciliation for Green Shield Canada (GSC). As Canada’s only national non-profit health benefits and insurance provider, GSC is a mid-size company of roughly 1,000 employees headquartered in Windsor, Ontario.

As a Social Impact Specialist at GSC my role is to drive the expansion of GSC’s social impact program, including community investment, employee giving and volunteering, CSR reporting, communications, strategy and governance.

The goal of the Reconciliation Action Plan is to offer GSC and its employees a feasible, detailed map to build relationships with Indigenous communities, meaningfully engage in reconciliation, improve service delivery for Indigenous clients, and contribute to Indigenous economic empowerment.

Celebrate this year’s graduates with us at the Graduate Diploma in Social Responsibility and Sustainability’s Fall Convocation 2021 page.

TORONTO, Canada May 4 – A name change, a new award and an enhanced academic designation mark a season of transformation for the Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability program at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto.

Graduates of the highly regarded program, now called the “Graduate Diploma in Social Responsibility and Sustainability” receive a Diploma and a designation marked by the post-nominal letters G.Dipl. SR&S (Social Responsibility & Sustainability).

“These changes reflect how the program has evolved since its beginnings almost 20 years ago,” says Program Manager Kathryn Cooper. “Meaningful, long-term social impact of business and not-for-profit partners has never been as important as it is in this time of COVID-19.”

“This program has evolved in response to the global trend toward embedding environmental, social and governance issues in business,” Cooper says. “To survive and thrive, organizations must focus beyond their bottom line, and create positive, long-term social impact.”

President’s Capstone Winners Announced

Graduates at the November, 2019 convocation were the first awarded the new diplomas. This convocation also marked the introduction of the new President’s Capstone Project Award, recognizing exceptional work in summative assignments. The inaugural winners were:

• “Indigenous Impact Report” by Alexandra Biron, recently promoted to Manager, Indigenous, Deloitte Canada.
• “A CSR Strategy for the Canadian Real Estate Association” by Sarah Thirnbeck, recently promoted to Associate Director, Strategic Impact, The Canadian Real Estate Association.

“The calibre of work produced by our CSR students is truly outstanding,” says University President Dr. David Sylvester. “The ethical concerns being discussed in this program reflect the long-standing values of St. Michael’s. CSR and Sustainability is a great example of how universities can have a transformational impact on society.”

Learning to Make a Difference in a Rapidly Changing World

Participants in the Graduate Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability work full time while earning this university credential through a blended learning approach. Participants:

• tackle and resolve a CSR and Sustainability challenge in their company in a major Action Project under the mentorship of faculty and co-learners;
• learn Next Generation Practices from global thought leaders on the forefront of Sustainability and CSR (aligned with International Society of Sustainability Professionals Certification Body of Knowledge, the Embedding Project and the Transformational Company);
• use practical tools to assess, measure and integrate CSR and Sustainability into their organization;
• experience the practical real world application of CSR and Sustainability and change management through ExperienceChange™ Simulations; and
• join a prestigious community of Michael’s Alumni in continuing education, sharing and networking.

The Diploma is now taking applications for 2020/2021. Only 35 applicants are accepted. Join participants from Deloitte, Secure Energy, Tata Group Retail, SMART CENTRES, Dundurn Press, Chevron, Genuine Health, Civic Works Consulting, Candela Strategies, Children’s Hospital Foundations and more in the upcoming 2020/2021 Cohort. To apply, go to the Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Website. Second Intake Deadline is June 30th.

Participants start their learning in July, 2020 through an online Learning Management System and monthly live learning seminars. Module 1 in class will be held in Toronto, Canada, October 14 to 16, 2020. Module 2 and 3 in class will be held May, 2021 and November, 2021 respectively. To apply, go to the Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Website. See the program schedule, testimonials, past graduates and news about the program.

About the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto

The University of St. Michael’s College (USMC), federated with the University of Toronto, is a Catholic institution of higher learning founded by the Congregation of St. Basil, whose motto, “Teach me goodness, discipline and knowledge,” sets the tone for campus life.

A Business Advisory Committee ensures the CSR & Sustainability program is relevant and experiential. CSR and Sustainability Leaders from a broad range of industries from insurance to mining, including: The Co-operators, BMO Financial, Scotia Bank (ret.), Vermillion Energy, Centerra Gold , Aurora Cannabis, Kin&Co and Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto) provide advice and input.

For More Information Contact

Kathryn A. Cooper, Program Manager, Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability

Phone: (519) 855-9491

Website: https://www.csr-stmikes.ca/