Open AccessSparking Social Transformation through Cycles of Community-Based Research
Author(s) -
Gayle Broad,
Jude Ortiz
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
canadian journal of nonprofit and social economy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1920-9355
DOI - 10.22230/anserj.2020v11n1a321
Subject(s) - general partnership , indigenous , sustainability , empowerment , entrepreneurship , public relations , community engagement , economic growth , social capital , sociology , social enterprise , social entrepreneurship , asset (computer security) , environmental resource management , business , political science , economics , social science , ecology , computer security , finance , computer science , biology
For over five years, Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (SEE), a community partnership in Northern Ontario, has been developing a supportive ecosystem for social enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation. This article sheds light on how the SEE partnership has established a broad spectrum of supports and a healthy ecosystem for alternative economies in a northern, rural, and Indigenous region, from an initial focus on youth, with asset mapping and pop-up events, to its current emphasis on regional networking and train-the-trainer programs for economic development officers. This article argues that the partnership’s strong emphasis on community engagement and empowerment, and the cyclical nature of the community-based research methodology has enhanced the sustainability of the ecosystem and leads to systemic social innovation and transformation.