ACTivate 2027

January - June 2027

2027 ACTivate – Destination Development Certificate

Building Strong and Resilient Communities

Background and the “Why”

After years of involvement and observation around destination development initiatives we and many others continued to say the same thing: “there has to be a better way!”  Why was it such a struggle?  Why did we sometimes have 3 or 4 plans sitting on a shelf collecting dust?  So, GMIST set off on an incredible journey of discovery around how to do community development differently.  We asked ourselves “What If.”  What if we stopped starting conversations with what is missing and focusing on needs and instead started talking about and understanding the abundance that exists in our communities?  Could we change the narrative?  Could we start to identify the invisible treasures and gifts in our communities and make them visible?  And if we were able to do that, would we open our eyes to new possibilities?  GMIST believes that the answers reside in the people within communities.  While we have no magic answer that says “do this” to get what you always wanted, we do believe that using an asset-based approach will help communities discover an abundance that they may not have realized existed.  And isn’t it better to start from a position of strength than from one of weakness?

The Program

The ACTivate (Activating Community Tourism) Destination Development Certificate is an exciting collaboration between GMIST and the Coady Institute at St. Francis Xavier University that supports community change leaders who wish to learn how to apply a citizen-led approach to destination development.  We believe that a “Great Place to Live is a Great Place to Visit,” so this program isn’t necessarily about following a templated or step-by-step approach, it is about thinking about your community holistically and understanding the need to put your community at the centre of the developmental process.   To that end, the idea is for participants and communities to follow their own path and decide what is best for them – that may manifest itself in a plan to improve communication between community organizations, to organize a community event, to pool resources to build a neighbourhood playground or to bring more awareness to the benefits of shopping locally – the possibilities are endless.  ACTivate is about tapping into your ability to dream and those dreams can be as big or as small as you want.  This program is aimed at proactive learners who wish to explore the strengths of their communities as opposed to focusing on the deficiencies.  And – most importantly – the program will introduce ways to ACTivate those strengths to create energy and to support strong and resilient communities.

ACTivate challenges the “conventional approach” to community development!  As community change agents, you will rethink how you engage your fellow citizens in community-based initiatives.  Upon successful completion of the program each participant will receive an ACTivate – Destination Development Certificate from St. Francis Xavier University and micro-credits for completing the course. 

The Learning Process

During the ACTivate Program participants will explore the core principles and practices of Asset Based Community-Led Development (ABCD) through a variety of immersive experiences and learning sessions.  ACTivate is very much an action-oriented hands-on learning program which has been developed to support a variety of learning styles.  Utilizing a blended learning approach, there will be both online and face-to-face learning opportunities starting in January 2027 and concluding in June 2027.  In addition to the learning components, the GMIST and Coady ACTivate team will provide guidance and support to participants throughout the course through virtual meet-up sessions and/or office hours.  All participants will also have access to a user-friendly online learning platform which will house resources, course materials, assignment information and will streamline communication and information sharing for the cohort.

ACTivate is not meant to overload or overwhelm participants.  You will need to work at the speed of trust in your communities.  Some things will move forward quickly, while others will take more time.  Community development doesn’t start and end with a program, it is a daily lived experience and this approach is about investing in you as citizens to be able to shift traditional mindsets and to instill a way of being in your approach to viewing and building community.  While we have a developed learning path that we follow, it is not rigid.  That means we go where we need to go as a learning group.  This resulted in some very rich learning  inpast offerings of this program –  parts of the cohort chose to pursue added learning opportunities around things like community mobilization and others chose to participate in a learning mission to Nebraska to see ABCD in action!   What we ask from participants is to be curious and open to collaborating so that everyone can get the most out of this process!

Ideal Participants

This program is about activating your community/organization’s strengths, so we are looking for people who are collaborators, innovators and do-ers who are passionate about their communities and seeking a different approach to development or looking to deepen their community development toolbox.  Examples of participants include, but are not limited to: community/club/recreation style associations, municipal representatives, government agencies, non-profit organizations, economic development agencies, social enterprises, entrepreneurs, youth, retirees and general community members.  During the program participants will work closely together in applying ABCD tools and techniques in real world community situations as well as relating back to their own community setting.

Commitment

All participants are expected to be fully engaged in the program from January to June 2027, including attending the online group learning sessions, submitting assignments and a 5 day in-person learning session held in Gros Morne, Newfoundland and Labrador in late April 2027.  Participation in all aspects of the program is required to receive the certificate from St. Francis Xavier University, Coady Institute and GMIST.

2027 Course Dates (subject to change)

Cost

The Cost for the Certificate Program is $1500.  This cost covers all program fees, online resources, meals and onsite travel while in Gros Morne for the in-person learning.  In addition to the program fees participants must cover their own travel costs to and from Rocky Harbour, NL (closest airport is Deer Lake Airport) and onsite accommodations at the Ocean View Hotel.  There is a block of rooms reserved at a cost of $175 per night which includes breakfast.

GMIST will work to support as many non-governmental participants as possible through limited subsidy of up to $1000.  This will be paid to selected participants upon completion of the onsite training in Gros Morne and the submission of a training claim form.  The subsidy is only available to participants from Atlantic Canada.

What are participants saying about ACTivate?

Here is some of what the past participants had to say about their ACTivate experience:

“ACTivate has reminded a group of us that there is power in community waiting to be unleashed that can solve our problems and build unity.”

“I feel completely more capable and confident with fresh new tools and knowledge to lean on and have already used the tools back here at home.”

“This was such a powerful program, so many new and powerful ways to look at forming connections that will change so much of how we grow and engage people within our community.”

“I’m looking forward to maintaining the connections that were made with the other communities as you know they’re people who are focused on the same issues and passions as you and can provide best practices and shared resources as you navigate your planning process.”

Application

Deadline to apply is Noon ADT, November 13^th, 2026.   Click here to access the application.  Please be as complete as possible.  GMIST will be accepting applications on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early.  We are accepting applications from individuals, but we are open to applications from community clusters as well.

Contact & Questions

If you have further questions about ACTivate, check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Click here for a downloadable PDF with ACTivate Program Information.

For more information, please contact GMIST at info@gmist.ca.

Supported by: Government of Canada