SEA Change Nation Receives Important Nod from Government of Canada

MEDIA ADVISORY: For Immediate Release

Calgary based social enterprise, SEA Change Nation, has been selected by the Government of Canada to be featured in the report “Harnessing the Power of Social Finance: Canadians respond to the National Call for Concepts”. Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, invited individuals and organizations from across Canada last fall to bring their best social finance ideas forward. Out of over 150 submissions, SEA Change Nation’s LEARN-LAUNCH-SHARE model was one of only 15 concepts to receive the nod from the federal government because it offers an innovative way to directly address key priorities for Canada’s long term prosperity.

SEA Change Nation is a social enterprise start-up aiming to train a new generation of social entrepreneurs to lead the transformation of the Canadian economy so it not only generates profits, but also creates prosperity for ALL people and respects our planet.

The SEA Change LEARN-LAUNCH-SHARE program is open to all youth; however, the organization’s main social mission is to help solve youth homelessness and poverty in Calgary. According to The United Way of Calgary’s 2011 Vulnerable Youth Report, their need for employment is acute. Research indicates 11,000 possible vulnerable youth desire employment, but do not have access to it. SEA Change Nation is directly addressing this root cause of youth homelessness and poverty by providing a holistic model of support, paid employment and education within a profitable social enterprise.

Commenting about the honour of being chosen for the inaugural Call for Concepts for Social Finance co-founders Tammy Maloney and Jennifer Benoit said, “Being recognized alongside the 14 other social change organizations is such an honour. We’re pleased to see the Government of Canada recognizes that both youth and social entrepreneurship have an important role to play in addressing Canada’s long term prosperity. In order to create prosperity for ALL Canadians, we need today’s generation of youth to discover their passions and strengths and pour them into businesses aiming to make the world a better place. This is why we created SEA Change Nation”

The organization was selected along with Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada’s Skills4Success, Pathways to Education Northern Graduation Network, Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation’s Cancer Coaching, Aboriginal Savings Corporation of Canada/J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, Social Finance for Supportive Housing Working Group, Mouvement des Casses Desjardains’ microcredit program, JVS Toronto’s Youth Reach Program, Valuenomics’ Avanti Program, Ottawa Community Loan Fund’s Seniors’ Housing Project, Maytree Foundation’s Immigrant Mentoring Program, The Toronto Enterprise Fund, Carleton Centre for Community Innovation, Omega Foundation’s SmartSAVER, and the YMCA Canada’s Single-window Solution.

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Contact:

media@seachangenation.com

SEA CHANGE NATION to be Featured in the HRSDC Social Finance Report

Here’s a sneak peek at SEA Change Nation’s LEARN-LAUNCH-SHARE submission that will be included in the final report for the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s National Call for Social Finance Concepts.

“A number of social enterprise ideas were submitted to the Call for Concepts, including SEA Change Nation’s LEARN-LAUNCH-SHARE proposal to create employment opportunities for youth whose learning styles are not compatible with the education system and for youth who face barriers to the mainstream labour market.  This concept seeks to provide vulnerable youth with paid work experience within a social enterprise (LEARN), to support the launch of social enterprise ideas they conceive with volunteer coaching and access to startup loans (LAUNCH), and after launch to provide operations support from professionals in the areas of finance, marketing, legal, and human resources to increase odds of business success (SHARE).

Notes the submission, “SEA Change will bridge the gap between public and private sectors and serve as an exit strategy for vulnerable youth from a dependence on social services, [and prepare them] to meet their basic needs.” The main flow of funds would come from SEA Change’s social enterprise, a teen clothing consignment store; social finance partnerships would permit SEA Change to scale their operations in order to employ more youth.  

Success of this program could be measured in the number of youths who have successfully transitioned from a life of vulnerability to one of stability, and the resulting improved outcomes. Discrete elements of the SEA Change approach (employment support programs for at-risk individuals and Momentum Calgary’s accelerator programs) are proven; the proposed social enterprise would expand and enhance these elements with an integrated model and focus on youth.”

SEA Change Nation

This the SEA Change Nation!

After years of pouring our souls into researching how we could best use our passion and strengths to serve a higher common good, we are pleased to announce SEA Change Nation Inc.

We are a Social Entrepreneurship (1) Academy, (2) Accelerator and (3) Alliance uniquely designed to transform youth into social entrepreneurs.

The future stability of our world is dependent on the growth of social entrepreneurship. Unlike the current evolution of our economy, social entrepreneurship has a balanced value system that equally respects (1) ALL People, (2) OUR Planet and (3) Financial Profit (commonly referred to as a triple bottom line).

The essence of social entrepreneurship is a deep understanding of who you are as an individual and how you are connected to the world as a whole. We define this relationship between self and a higher common good as passion. Passion is unique to each of us. There are over 7 billion (and counting!) different passions in the world. Our lifelong purpose is to discover our own unique passion and channel it into making the world a better place. Passion fuels social entrepreneurship.

At SEA Change Nation Inc. we believe YOUTH are the key to discovering the solutions to the complex societal challenges we currently face. We have therefore reached a point in history where we can no longer afford to leave their naturally inherent compassion and creativity untapped.

With this in mind, we have developed our innovative 3-SEA Change Model. It’s unique design creates opportunities for YOUTH to explore, experiment and discover their passion. Through the interconnected actions of (1) Learning, (2) Launching and (3) Sharing, we have engineered a catalyst for the organic evolution of a balanced, diversified, compassionate, respectful and creative economy.

The 3 SEAs of our 3-SEA Change Model:

(1) LEARN at The Social Entrepreneurship Academy – An innovative, full-time social entrepreneurship training program where youth learn to become social entrepreneurs during their employment in a social enterprise within our SEA Change Alliance. (Imagine a world with no student loans!)

(2) LAUNCH in The Social Entrepreneurship Accelerator –  A social enterprise incubator that accelerates the launch of youth-powered social enterprises after the social entrepreneur’s graduation from our SEA Change Academy.

(3) SHARE inside The Social Entrepreneurship Alliance – An alliance of social enterprises launched by our SEA Change Accelerator and powered by our 3-SEA Change model.

We dream of an economy that creates opportunities for ALL people to earn a living doing what they love. We believe doing what you love is the key to creating a poverty-free society of wealth, health, and happiness for ALL people.

To achieve this epic vision of our future, it will take an army of youth discovering their passions and souls and pouring them into businesses aiming to make the world a better place.

BE Change. SEA Change. This is the SEA Change Nation.

Learn more: http://seachangenation.com/

SkillShare

Coming soon …. an innovative way to accelerate the launch of your social enterprise!

As per: http://www.skillshare.ca

SkillShare is an online platform where Calgary’s entrepreneurs, businesses and creators can give help and get help for various projects. Through optimizing each others’ skills and working together we will be able to get more done, and get it done faster and better.

If you lack a skill for a project, then you may seek help from the SkillShare community.

If you excel in a skill then you can share your skills with the SkillShare members that may be in need of them.

The more you help, the more others will help you. It’s that simple.

Pre-register here: http://www.skillshare.ca/en/user/Pre_Register/.html

Calgary CarShare

Meet an exciting member of #yycSocEnt! They are at the forefront of the collaborative consumption movement!

As per: http://www.calgarycarshare.ca/

CarShare is quicker and more convenient than renting a car, cheaper and greener than owning, and allows you to do some things that are not possible to do by bike or on public transit.

Calgary CarShare maintains vehicles throughout the inner city which members can book online, which reduces the number of cars on the road and provides one piece of a less carbon-intensive transportation puzzle.

Car sharing is ideal for urbanites who want the convenience of a vehicle to run errands or go on a day trip, but don’t want the hassle or expense of owning a car. Calgary CarShare is a co-op, consisting of students, professionals and families, all interested in using cheap, energy-efficient modes of transportation. Our vehicles are stationed throughout the inner city to be rented to members by the hour, day, or half day at the click of a mouse or mobile. It’s a cheaper, greener and versatile alternative to vehicle ownership: take a Prius today, a minivan tomorrow, and we’ll take care of the maintenance.

École Holt Couture

Arts and Cultural Profit generated by restoring the “art” of sewing and design in Calgary.

As per: http://www.ecoleholtcouture.com/

Our Mission

To respond to designers having difficulty in finding the expertise to create couture fashion with trained knowledgeable sewing professionals, particularly in the areas of pattern making, sample making and hand finishing, and to nurture exceptional talent in couture.

École Holt Couture believes that the mentor apprentice relationship, which is so crucial to the transference of very specialized skills, has been lost to current fashion design education.

The school therefore integrates theory with practical application, teaches techniques of design and pattern making; couture skills of precise tailoring and dressmaking and the embellishment of apparel and accessories as a specialization distinct from fashion design, marketing and merchandising.

Learn more at: http://www.ecoleholtcouture.com/

Vintage Pop-Up Shop

SEA Change would like to welcome Vintage Pop-Up Shop to our Calgary Social Entrepreneurship family! We love what your doing to build community in Calgary.

Vintage Pop-Up Shop

As per: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vintage-Pop-Up-Shop/171365476225327?sk=info

Vintage Clothing, Accessories and Furniture sourced for you by two lovely ladies.

General Information

We set up shop in different locations around the city. A vintage theme will be showcased at every pop up. Vintage Pop-Up Shop is dedicated to finding our customers beautiful Vintage treasures.Please contact us with any questions. vintagepopupshop@gmail.com. We would love to hear from everyone!

Awesome Foundation

If you have an Awesome idea that will make Calgary a better place, click here to apply and pitch for this $1000 no strings attached grant! 

History of Awesome Foundation

As per: http://www.awesomecalgary.org/p/what-is-awesome-foundation.html

Created in the long hot summer days of 2009 in Boston, the Foundation distributes a series of monthly $1,000 grants to projects and their creators. The money is given upfront in cash, check, or gold doubloons by groups of ten or so self-organizing “micro-trustees,” who form autonomous chapters around geographic areas or topics of interest.

The Foundation provides these grants with no strings attached and claims no ownership over the projects it supports. It is, in the words of one of our trustees, a micro-genius grant for flashes of micro-brilliance.

The founder of Awesome Foundation Calgary, Lori Stewart writes:

Awesome Calgary was literally founded on Bow Trail in the midst of West LRT construction on a freakin’ cold last day of January 2011.  I was listening to CBC radio and Matt Galloway was chatting with Matt Thompson about AwesomeTO and I slammed the brakes on (ok, I was actually stopped in traffic so it’s not as dramatic as it sounds), went home and contacted Tim Hwang (@Awesomefound) founder and got things rolling.   What a way to end the January blahs!

~Lori

Meet YYC Metro Growers

SEA Change is proud to introduce YYC Metro Growers!

They are a strategic alliance of Urban/SPIN farmers and entrepreneurial food growers in Calgary sharing knowledge & working together to build an infrastructure so all can thrive.

Follow this link to get to know the members of the alliance: http://seachangecalgary.ca/tag/yycmetrogrowers/

LIKE them on Facebook: yyc.metro.growers

FOLLOW them on Twitter: @yycmetrogrowers

EMAIL them at: info@seachangecalgary.ca with yycmetrogrowers in the subject line and we will put you in touch 🙂

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SEA Change is proud to support this “growing” form of social entrepreneurship because they are directly addressing two of our society’s most pressing challenges, food security and health.

Urban Sunflower

SEA Change is proud to introduce the social entrepreneurs/urban farmers of Urban Sunflower!

Rita and Jerremie’s delicious honey and potatoes can be found at the Hillhurst-Sunnyside Farmer’s Market in Calgary on Wednesday’s.

As per: http://www.urbansunflower.ca/

Urban Sunflower Market Gardens is a Calgary area producer of chemical free and sustainably grown vegetables, flowers and bee products.

What We Do

Urban Sunflower is dedicated to growing vegetables – especially potatoes – and keeping bees in an environmentally friendly way.

This means we don’t use chemical inputs, we primarily use hand tools (muscle power is good for us), and only small engine power equipment when necessary (limits our fossil fuel consumption). We plant and use mulch to help retain moisture and limit watering.

And yes, we have bees. The little ladies both help with the gardening through pollination and share their excess honey with us. Now if only they could pitch in on the weeding.

Aquaponics Collective

Meet Aquaponics Collective!

As per Wikipedia, Aquaponics /ˈækwəˈpɒnɨks/ is a sustainable food production system that combines a traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as snails, fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. In the aquaculture, effluents accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity for the fish. This water is led to a hydroponic system where the by-products from the aquaculture are filtered out by the plants as vital nutrients, after which the cleansed water is recirculated back to the animals. The term aquaponicsis a portmanteau of the terms aquaculture and hydroponic.

In other words, Kelsey will be raising fish 🙂

Learn more about this exciting budding social enterprise at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/464502770232778/

Locavore Farms

Meet Locavore Farms!

As per: http://locavorefarms.blogspot.ca/

We are a local father and son team, practicing SPIN (Small Plot Intensive) farming. While not certified organic, we practice all organic gardening methods and do not use chemicals of any kind. We call this shadow organic to differentiate!

Our farm is located on a quiet suburban street in Tuscany, on land donated by Carma development group (many thanks) and is dedicated to the local food movement. Our mission is to produce healthy, organic food within the city limits, with the lowest possible carbon-footprint.

Click here to learn more about this amazing social enterprise!

 

Leaf Ninjas

Meet Leaf Ninjas!

As per: http://leafninjasmission.wordpress.com/about-us/

Leaf Ninjas is a small family of entrepreneurs; lead by gardener and farmer Luke Kimmel, the Leaf Ninjas team has set out to design and cultivate highly productive urban farms and permaculture gardens in Calgary, AB.

The Leaf Ninjas main goal is to grow good food locally using organic methods, and to educate and empower other people to grow food in this way.

The “ninja approach” to farming and gardening is centered around the application of martial arts, permaculture, and business savvy, to the many aspects of growing food.

Click here to learn more about this amazing social enterprise!

SeedWorks

As per: http://www.theseed.ca/social-enterprise.html

SeedWorks is the social enterprise arm of The Mustard Seed. SeedWorks provides quality work crews for residential and commercial construction: clean-up, seasonal maintenance and other labour-related projects. Qualified foremen are hired by SeedWorks to lead and mentor capable teams of current or former Mustard Seed guests as they work toward building confidence and skills with an end goal of sustainable employment.

The vision of SeedWorks is to empower guests of The Mustard Seed to achieve sustainable, independent employment as part of an overall strategy to challenge homelessness in Alberta.

Momentum

As per: http://www.momentum.org/microloans

Micro Business Loans

Are you having trouble borrowing money to start your business? Earning a low income or having poor credit can prevent you from accessing financing. Momentum can help with character-based loans that provide financing where banks and lending institutions do not.