About Us
Why we do what we do
We are the Ontario Co-operative Association, and we strive to be the voice of co-operatives in Ontario.
More than ever, customers, community members, entrepreneurs and employees are looking for businesses that fulfill social and environmental responsibility in a truly authentic way...co-operatives do that, it's built right into our DNA.
As a provincial organization, our priority is to listen to our members and they have been asking for ways to connect with youth in their communities and support youth education. We also recognize that educators don't currently have the tools to teach students about co-ops in a meaningful way, and we need to support our teachers by providing engaging, dynamic and simple-to-use resources to bring co-operatives to life in classrooms throughout Ontario. The future of the co-op sector rests in the hands of today's youth, but co-op's are still the "best kept secret" in the business world. It's time to change that and introduce students to a new way of doing business, one that puts people before profit and brings communities together to solve issues that affect us all.
OCA supports co-operative education with three target audiences in mind: those employed in the co-operative sector, the general public and youth.
Engaging and educating our youth on the co-operative values and business model opens many doors for them personally and professionally, every day brings with it new opportunities for youth to learn and develop their skills and their understanding of the world around them.
About the program
The Co-operative Minds program consists of a suite of free lesson plans and resources developed by the Ontario Co-operative Association, to help introduce young people to the value of cooperation and the co-operative business model.
Our team of creators includes Ontario certified teachers, as well as educators and consultants working in the co-operative business sector. Co-operative Minds uses the principles of integrative learning to inspire creative collaboration, encourage resilience and prepare students for the challenge of solving problems in their lives both professionally and personally.
Our Co-operative Minds Team
- Brett Manlow, Teacher, Hastings Prince Edward District School Board
- Eddie Sauve, Teacher, Thames Valley District School Board
- Stefan Demczyna, Teacher/ Indigenous Curriculum Consultant, Hastings Prince Edward District School Board
- Alicia Raffin, Certified Ontario Teacher
- Charlotte Francis, Illustrator and Research Assistant
- Michelle Christmann, Education Manager, Ontario Co-operative Association
- The Co-operators
- Evoke Facilitation and Consulting
- Sleeper Studios Graphic Design
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For questions about the Co-operative Minds program, click here to email our team directly.
Our Testimonials
Jeff McCallum
Facilitator, Co-operative Young Leaders Camp
“Having the framework of Co-operative Minds was very helpful for the participants. I know that the groups used the worksheet to draw up their own projects. It was an excellent framework for them. I would like this to be part of the curriculum for the Visionaries going forward.”
Carol Fleming
Director, Co-operative Young Leaders Camp
“Facilitating and participating in the Co-operative Minds program this summer was fun, insightful and a wonderful opportunity to work with youth. The process is clearly defined and all participants were eager to take on the challenge and share their thoughts and ideas with others."
Jake Elliott
Digital Marketing Coordinator,
Libro Credit Union
"As a facilitator, the program was simple to learn and a joy to facilitate. The Co-operative minds program is integral to the future successes and growth of the co-operative sector...we highly encourage the engagement of all other co-operative businesses to support this program and assist in inspiring a brighter, more collaborative future."
Drop Us A Message
Building cooperative leaders through real-world problem solving.
Contacts
30 Douglas St., Guelph, Ontario N1H 2S9
Phone: 519.763.8271 ext. 29
Toll-free: 1.888.745.5521
Email: mchristmann@ontario.coop
Website: www.ontario.coop