At its core,
"The Building Capacity Project"
is a grassroots initiative that aims to enable people with dementia to participate in community life as full social citizens.We use an asset-based community development (ABCD) approach to support the growth of innovative community initiatives that foster inclusion and reduce stigma by creating meaningful opportunities for people with dementia to remain active and socially connected.
This project began as a cross-Canada partnership between researchers at the University of British Columbia and Lakehead University, and members of the Westside Seniors Hub in Vancouver and the North West Dementia Working Group in Thunder Bay. The four-year project was one of the first to launch under the Public Health Agency of Canada and its new, federally funded Dementia Community Investment Strategy.
After four years of collaboration, connection, implementation, and evaluation, we’ve developed a body of knowledge we’d like to share more widely. So, phase two of this work starts now with the development of an Action Guide. Project lead researchers, community partners and advocates living with dementia are working together to create this important working document that will help people in different locations, industries, and contexts start their own initiatives, become more inclusive, and build the advocacy and inclusivity climates to help us all expand our knowledge and our capacity. We’re working with original community partners to sustain and deepen their work, and we’re working with a new set of communities to help them establish their own initiatives.
Follow our newsletter for the most recent updates on what we’re up to, and stay tuned for social media campaigns, webinars, and community networking events coming soon!
Vancouver Team
While the project engages two distinct communities in BC and Ontario, together these communities unite under three shared objectives:
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Implementing an ABCD approach to adapt and create community programs and services that are meaningful and inclusive for people with dementia.
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Conducting a developmental evaluation that will allow the team to learn how to best support the growth and integration of programs and services that are meaningful and inclusive for people with dementia.
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Disseminating learnings to increase awareness and to support communities and their efforts to create opportunities for meaningful participation by people with dementia.
The Building Capacity Project is not just about community organizations developing a whole new set of separate programs and services for people with dementia. It is also about figuring out a sustainable process for adapting and creating meaningful programs and services that are inclusive for people with dementia. We want more people with dementia to be active and participate in their community in a variety of ways, but more importantly, we want increased capacity in our communities so this kind of active participation can continue to grow and flourish.
OUR LOGO
Our logo represents connection, transformation, and joy. The text within the circles, captures the sense of belonging we feel connecting with people who share our values. The interwoven circles signify the unity of diverse communities in different places and spaces, illustrating how support and advocacy bring about transformation. Additionally, the three colors -indigo, light blue and red- represent distinct communities and individuals and the joy that comes from sharing a collective purpose.