Communities Choosewell is excited to introduce our next webinar of our Healthy Communities Framework Webinar Series that will explore the Policy Pillar of the Healthy Communities Framework! Policy shapes the settings in which we live, work and grow and is a powerful tool for promoting healthy eating and active living in our communities.This webinar will explore how policy is an important too for action that organizations and communities can use to help build towards a healthier future.
This interactive webinar will feature presentations and live Q&A with Communities ChooseWell Champion Julia Soucie and Policy experts Dr. Candace Nykiforuk and Laura Nieuwendyk from Centre for Healthy Communities. Learn more about the webinar below!
The Policy Readiness Tool: Increasing Local Capacity for Healthy Public Policy Change
Developing healthy public policy is a key strategy for improving public health. While individuals, organizations, and communities engaged in health promotion or community development activities may recognize the potential impact of healthy public policy, they may lack the training experience or resources required to act timely on opportunities for policy change. The Policy Readiness Tool (PRT: www.policy readiness tool.com) is an evidence-based, practitioner-oriented tool that was developed to increase the capacity of local actors to encourage healthy public policy development. In this presentation you will learn about why healthy public policy is important, how the PRT was developed, how level of innovation influences the policy change process, and how to apply the PRT in your community or practice setting.
Learn about the presenters!
Candace Nykiforuk works as a Professor and Scientific Director, Centre for Healthy Communities in the School of Public Health, University of Alberta. Candace has expertise in community environments, health equity, and systems approaches to improve population well-being. She currently leads several interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral collaborations on healthy public policy research. She also has an extensive track record of mobilizing scientific evidence into tools and strategies, which has directly informed practice and policy in municipal and provincial governments, workplaces and communities, and national NGO strategic directions. Candace was honoured to be inducted as a Member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists among other honours for outstanding, innovative research and engaged scholarship.
Laura Nieuwendyk is the Senior Program Lead of the Centre for Healthy Communities and the Policy, Location and Access in Community Environments (PLACE) Research Lab (led by Dr. Candace Nykiforuk). Specifically, her role in the Centre and PLACE Research Lab includes providing leadership and direction for the development and operations. Laura oversees the day-to-day activities and upholds key local, provincial, and national partnerships as necessary. She contributes to research and evaluation activities and associated knowledge exchange, strategic planning, grant development, financial planning and management, communications, and community engagement.
Julia Soucie is a long time Communities ChooseWell Champion who has done amazing policy work in her community and the 2022 Communities ChooseWell Champion Award Winner! Click on the video to learn more!