The Academy for Sustainable Innovation (ASI) is proud to announce funding support from Co-operators to advance two strategic learning initiatives focused on sustainability, climate action, and leadership capacity-building. The funding will support the following:
Youth Environmental Leaders Learning Lab (YELL Lab)
A portion of the funding will support the Youth Environmental Leaders Learning Lab (YELL Lab), delivered in collaboration with The Starfish Canada. This five-session virtual program brings together a cohort of approximately 25 youth (ages 18 to 30) from across Canada to explore complex sustainability challenges, deepen their leadership capacity, and foster meaningful connections within a national network of changemakers.
More than a learning program, YELL Lab is designed to help young leaders recognize and step into their own power, explore their values and purpose, and form lasting connections needed to sustain their work over time.
Participants engage in systems thinking, imagining future scenarios, values-based leadership, and strategies for navigating uncertainty. Past participants have valued the unique opportunity to deepen climate action leadership alongside peers, building both community and skills to help them feel less alone and more equipped to lead through complexity.
Co-operators’ support will allow ASI and The Starfish Canada to offer this program free of charge in October 2025. To receive updates when applications open, sign up for our newsletter below.
BC Non-Profit Housing Association eLearning:
Funding from Co-operators and BC Housing is also supporting the development of a new online course for members of the BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA).
With over 600 members across the province, BCNPHA represents housing providers on the front lines of the climate crisis. These organizations play a vital role in delivering safe, stable, and affordable housing while facing growing climate risks.
Launching in fall 2025, the eLearning course will help housing providers understand how climate change affects buildings, residents, and operations. The course covers climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience, with a focus on maintaining high-quality living conditions as climate pressures grow.
This tailored course is part of a broader effort to equip key sectors with tools to lead through change. BCNPHA’s online course will strengthen climate readiness in a sector that serves some of BC’s most climate-vulnerable populations.
Together, these initiatives reflect a shared commitment to fostering leadership and climate resilience across generations and sectors. With support from Co-operators, ASI is deepening its impact – helping young changemakers step into their leadership potential and equipping frontline housing providers with the tools to navigate a changing climate.
By investing in learning that empowers climate action, ASI is building the foundations for a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future.
From Co-operators:
“At Co-operators, our vision is to be a catalyst for a resilient and sustainable society. We are proud and excited to support ASI in two distinct but critical ways – empowering the next generation of sustainability leaders and connecting the housing sector to the tools they need to tackle climate inequity and reduce vulnerability at the local level.”
– Shawna Peddle, Associate Vice President, Citizenship, Co-operators
From the Academy for Sustainable Innovation
“At ASI, we share many common objectives with Co-operators. Our mutual visions of an inclusive, healthy, and sustainable future make us natural partners, and we’re thrilled to receive their support to help make these two programs possible. We look forward to supporting the YELL Lab participants as well as the many nonprofit housing providers continue to deepen their sustainability work within their respective fields.”
– Tamara Connell, CEO of Academy for Sustainable Innovation
