Funding: for the phases of conception, research and environmental scan (design conversations & lit. review), we acknowledge generous support from the Silver Gummy Foundation, Vancouver Foundation and Victoria Foundation.

Academic partnership: In addition to WITS staff and volunteers, the program development team now includes Kathleen Manion (Program Head, School of Culture and Society, Royal Roads University (RRU)) and Elizabeth Childs (Program Head, Master of Arts in Learning and Technology, RRU), whose time is fully supported by RRU.

Design conversations & research: In 2025 our team held focus groups with ~50 educators – in person in Calgary, Prince George, Vancouver, Toronto and online (with educators from across Canada) – in order to determine the existing educational offerings and the current need. We completed a Literature Review, and in Spring 2026 a second round of conversations with educational professionals. One result from this research is this project’s Design Principles.

Introducing new programs  “WAIS to Belong” and “SOIS le lien”     These counterpart programs introduce practices for encouraging belonging: Welcome, Accept, Include and Share in English and  in French. Program design will be completed in Fall 2026.

National Pilot Project:  In the 2026/2027 school year we are introducing WAIS to Belong and SOIS le lien to communities across Canada. Funded primarily by Patrimoine Canadian Heritage and SSHRC, over 40 schools across Canada will participate in a broader pilot, with 6 schools in Ottawa ON and on Vancouver Island BC taking part as research schools.

Findings demonstrate a clear need for inclusion education that is easy to implement in schools. In 2026 the project was awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Partnership Engage Grant.

• Continue with research, environmental scan & expanded literature review
• Additional fundraising
• Program development involving lived-experience Subject Matter Experts, diverse group of educators, Indigenous perspectives and age-appropriate reviews by children and youth
• Small scale pilot program testing in diverse school settings
• National pilot project in 2026-2027 in English and French
• Program revisions & professional design
• Larger scale testing and evaluations

Dr. Elizabeth Childs is a professor in the School of Education and Technology at Royal Roads University, Canada and the program head of the MA in Learning and Technology program. She is interested in the design, creation and implementation of flexible learning environments that incorporate the affordances of technologies and provide learners with increased choice, flexibility, and opportunities. Dr. Childs’ research interests include online and blended learning; openness and open pedagogy; online learning communities and digital habitats; professional learning; and design thinking and participatory design approaches.

Kathleen Manion, BA, MA, LLM, PhD, is a Professor in the School of Education and Technology. With a particular focus on social justice and children’s rights, Kathleen has had a diverse career working in academia, government, the not-for-profit sector and as a consultant. As such she is particularly interested in helping bridge the gap between practitioner experiential knowledge, academic theory and policy objectives in teaching, research and policy development. Kathleen’s academic, research and practice interests focus on systems that support children to thrive. Using various research methodologies and community engagement processes, Kathleen has worked on projects related to child protection, child rights, homelessness, climate justice, early childhood development, environmental justice, service innovation, trafficking, violence against children and within families, inclusion, youth justice, and child migration in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific.

Mabelle Moon, MA, RCC, is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Clinical Psychology doctoral student, and founder of Brain Genesis Consulting, where she provides evidence-based psychotherapy services. She earned her Master’s degree from Harvard University, where she conducted clinical research on PTSD and sleep at Massachusetts General Hospital, affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Her current doctoral research examines bullying as a predictor of mental health challenges among vulnerable populations, integrating clinical science with social justice and public policy. She also serves as a Research Assistant with the WITS Foundation, contributing to research and initiatives focused on creating safer and more inclusive communities for children and youth.

Islem Douissa, PMP, is the Program Manager at WITS Foundation. Islem is an operations and program management professional with more than 10 years of experience helping organizations, including schools, turn ambitious ideas into structured, sustainable programs. Her work spans nonprofit, education, cleantech, and multinational organizations in Canada, Europe and North Africa. She has led grant-funded initiatives, strengthened operational systems, and built partnerships that support long-term results. She believes the strongest operations are those that enable people to contribute, collaborate, and do their best work, helping organizations turn complexity into practical solutions that improve delivery and create lasting impact.

Debbie is a recently retired from the Ottawa Catholic School Board, in a career as a teacher and principal. Still connected with the OCSB, Debbie is the liaison between the WITS Foundation and educational authorities in the Ottawa area. Bilingual, Debbie also helps guide the development of SOIS le lien, the French counterpart to WAIS to Belong.

Andy has been Executive Director at WITS since 2017. Andy has worked for over 30 years in the charitable sector in Canada in the fields of environmental protection, education, social services, sport and health. As a coach and consultant he has reviewed the operations of hundreds of nonprofit operations and programs. As a teacher and coach Andy has taught children and youth in classrooms and in sport. He has initiated 14 nonprofit programs, four social enterprises, five nonprofit societies and has been a member of over a dozen boards and advisory committees. Andy has also volunteered in many ways, including two years as Co-Chair of Canada’s Volunteer Awards. In 2025 Andy received the King’s Coronation Medal for “a significant contribution to Canada.”