Applications open for Transformative Reconciliation in Community Social Services cohort 6
If you have participated in a previous cohort of the Transformative Reconciliation program, please log in to navigate to the online community and resources. If you are having trouble accessing the community, please email Katherine at training@fcssbc.ca.
Applications are open now for cohort 6 (January - December 2026).
Program overview
The Transformative Reconciliation program has been designed for Federation members to engage in reconciliation work through collaborative learning, design and practice. We invite leaders, whether within your organization or the wider social services sector, to engage in difficult conversations in a supportive space to transform our practice and embody the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. Dr. Louie’s action-oriented design is ideal for leaders keen to develop real-world approaches to reconciliation grounded in decolonizing principles and Indigenous Knowledges in your local context.
The program is designed to be inclusive of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants and Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations. Everyone is welcome; if you are interested, this opportunity is for you.
“Even if you are already an ally or strongly support reconciliation efforts or understand the history of indigeneity in Canada, this program goes deeper and feels more personal. There is so much to learn, and it will certainly set you on course to be more curious and to yearn for more and better understanding. You will come away so profoundly impacted by the learnings of the program.”
– 2020/21 Participant
Program structure & goals
This program was developed by Dr. Dustin Louie and is administered by The Federation staff team. It is a 12-month-long program with two sessions monthly, except in August and December:
- A 2-hour online learning and collaborative session facilitated by Dr. Louie; and
- A 1-hour online witnessing session for small group discussion guided by Indigenous knowledges.
Our shared goals are to:
- Create a strong foundation in reconciliation, decolonizing and indigenizing.
- Actively translate these theories into practice.
- Safely explore our own positionality and responsibilities in this work.
- Provide the tools to identify and disrupt colonial foundations of our practice and systems.
- Learn local Indigenous knowledges and embed them in our organizations.
- Develop a network of community practice support to sustain transformative reconciliation.
During the program:
- Participants will identify an aspect of their organization's work or practice founded in colonial ideas and develop a decolonial intervention to disrupt that practice. A coaching session with Dr. Louie will allow participants to discuss the project and how to turn their ideas into action.
- Individuals and their organizations will make connections to strengthen each other and the social services sector and create a supportive environment where bold approaches are nurtured and realized.
- Participants will develop a personal claim to continue the work of reconciliation and to transform the practices and systems we find ourselves within.
Participants will be honoured and recognized for completing the program through practices that reflect local Indigenous ways of acquiring knowledge.
Learn more about the program
Interested and want to learn more? Watch a recording of a Transformative Reconciliation information session with program instructor Dr. Dustin Louie.
Still have questions? Send us an email to training@fcssbc.ca and we'll do our best to find answers for you.
Cohort 6 details
Applications are open now for cohort 6 (January - December 2026). Please contact Katherine Lim, engagement coordinator, at training@fcssbc.ca with any questions about applying for this cohort.
Program dates
Cohort 6 of the program runs from January through December 2026. Sessions will take place over Zoom.
Monthly learning sessions will be held on the 2nd Wednesday of every month, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. PT.
Monthly witnessing sessions will be held on the 3rd Wednesday of every month, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. PT.
While we will make every effort to adhere to the above dates and times, some sessions may be postponed or rescheduled to accommodate Dr. Louie’s travel and teaching schedule or to accommodate statutory holidays. Participants will be informed as soon as possible of any change to session dates or times.
Coaching sessions will be scheduled over the summer at times mutually available to Dr. Louie and participants from each organization. An in-person session may be scheduled during the cohort year to help participants deepen their connections with each other and the learning.
Program fees
Full & Associate Federation members and partnered organizations
$3,800 (includes space for 2 participants) per organization
Benefit Affiliate and non-member organizations
$6,000 (includes space for 2 participants) per organization
Organizations should invite two participants, including at least one senior leader or board member, to take part in the program. We find that participants who apply as the only person from their organization in a cohort face greater challenges in achieving a transformation of their practice. If space allows, more than two participants from an organization may apply, with a maximum of four. All participants must be identified on the application.
If you are unsure of your organization's membership status, please contact Katherine (training@fcssbc.ca) for more information. The Federation will verify membership status based on current records and will contact each applying organization to confirm program fees during the application process.
We may consider fee reductions on a case-by-case basis, subject to our budget. If your organization requires consideration for a fee reduction to participate in this program, please email Katherine (training@fcssbc.ca).
“The Transformative Reconciliation course has been a tangible inspiration and kickstarter for the change our organization is making at the board level... Dr. Louie is extremely approachable and knowledgeable, and the learning far surpasses work environments. It is personal and layered with accountability.”
- 2022/23 participant
About the instructor
Dr. Dustin Louie is a First Nations scholar from Nee Tahi Buhn and Nadleh Whut’en of central British Columbia. He is a member of the Beaver Clan.
Dustin’s educational background includes a degree in Canadian history, a Master’s in International Relations, and a Ph.D. in Educational Research. The topic of Dr. Louie’s dissertation was Sexual Exploitation Prevention Education for Indigenous Girls.
He has worked as a historian in a land claims law firm, studied Indigenous homelessness in Western Canada, worked internationally for non-governmental organizations in Uganda and Australia, and is now an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia and the Director of the NITEP Indigenous Teacher Education program.
As a tenured Associate Professor, he teaches primarily in courses related to Indigenous education, social justice, and educational philosophy. Further research interests include practical approaches to Indigenizing education, decolonizing education, Indigenous pedagogies, and critical theory. Dr. Louie is conducting research, educational design, and training with First Nations, schools, and organizations across Western Canada.
In addition, he has led work with school districts, private companies, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations on reconciliation, decolonization, and indigenization projects. Dr. Louie’s research has been published in The Canadian Journal of Education, The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education, and Critical Education, among other places.
Program payment and cancellation policy: Transformative Reconciliation
- Applicants accepted into this program will receive an emailed invoice with payment remittance details. If payment is not received within 30 calendar days after the start of the training, applicants will be invoiced for an additional $25.00 administration fee.
- There will be no refund issued if cancellation occurs after the first learning session. Relevant dates for the training will be circulated by email and posted in the online community group for each cohort.
- Accepted applications are transferable to a different person within the organization to participate in the program prior to the first learning session. Please contact The Federation office for assistance with the transfer and to discuss who would be a suitable replacement given the goals and commitments of the program. Accepted applications are not transferable to another type of training.
- Organizations cannot rotate attendance and send different representatives over the course of this one-year program. The participants who have registered are the participants who are permitted to participate. If a registered participant is no longer able to participate in the program, please contact The Federation office to discuss who would be a suitable replacement given the goals and commitments of the program.
Thumbnail and feature photo by CIRA/.CA.