The 2023 Collaborations for Change Conference will focus on five cutting-edge themes in post-secondary student mental health. 

Collaboration and Partnerships

This stream highlights partnerships and collaborations that support post-secondary student or emerging adult mental health—with clinicians, researchers, students, student life/services professionals, organizations, and funding agencies.

This stream will focus on developmental phases of establishing partnerships, what makes for successful and sustainable relationships, the value of cross-professional and sectoral partnerships, realizing return on investment, and key learnings.

Decolonization and Indigenization

As part of our collective journey towards reconciliation, this stream explores the gaps, barriers, and opportunities to effectively support and improve Indigenous student mental health and well-being (and the broader campus community) in a good way through decolonization and Indigenization of post-secondary systems, policies, practices, and pedagogy.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility (EDIA)

Over the past few years many post-secondary institutions have released statements on equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA), while creating new positions to embed EDIA on campus. This work includes identifying and dismantling racism, discrimination, oppression, stigma, and systemic barriers to access, opportunities, student success, and healthy learning and working environments.

This stream advances the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility by sharing research, evidence-based findings, and promising and best practices that create the conditions to meaningfully shift dialogue, experiences, and outcomes of students and campus community members.

Impact 

This stream aims to share the demonstrated impact of research, practices, technology, innovation, and learnings on outcomes related to post-secondary student mental health and well-being. Conference sessions will showcase the short and longer-term impacts, directly or indirectly, on the lives and mental health and well-being of students in post-secondary settings.

Systemic Approaches 

This stream emphasizes broader systems-level changes within the post-secondary context to support the mental health and well-being of campus communities, such as those guided by the Okanagan Charter and National Standard.

Conference presentations will share effective strategies for, and barriers to, shifting practices, policies, teaching and learning, and social and built environments to foster dynamic, connected, inclusive, resilient campus communities.