More funding to support healthy, inclusive communities
Twenty-seven community organizations are driving important sociocultural change and are empowering underrepresented people to enhance a sense of belonging for everyone in Island communities.
The PEI Association for Community Living, along with 26 other community organizations received a total of $657,453 through the Gender, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (GEDI) and Community Enhancement Program to support healthier, more inclusive, diverse communities across PEI.
"This funding is a significant milestone for our organization and the individuals we serve," said Julie Smith, Executive Director of the PEI Association for Community Living. "We are grateful for the opportunity to address the gaps in support and promote inclusivity and empowerment for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Through this project, we will be able to provide appropriate, targeted support, education and resources on gender diversity and sexuality that consider the unique needs and challenges of this underserved community. It is our goal, like many community leaders, to help build a strong community foundation of knowledge, empathy and support where everyone can be themselves."
Other GEDI recipients include:
- Actions Femmes IPE (AFIPE)
- BIPOC USHR
- Brazilians in PEI
- Canadian National Institute for the Blind
- Chinese Culture Federation
- Community Sector Network of PEI
- Filipino Community of PEI
- Fusion Charlottetown Inc.
- Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce
- Kerala Association of PEI
- Music PEI
- Muslim Society of PEI
- PEERS Alliance
- PEI Business Women's Association
- PEI Cultural Human Resources Sector Council (CreativePEI)
- PEI Titans Foundation Inc.
- PEI Transgender Network
- Rural Municipality of Miltonvale Park
- Rural Municipality of Mount Stewart
- Sierra Club Canada Foundation (Wild Child PEI)
- Sport PEI
- The Canadian Vietnamese Association
- UPEI Experiential Education Department
- UPEI Mawi'omi Centre
- West Prince Ventures Ltd.
- Women's Network PEI
“The growth of our province has given us a chance to learn more from people of different identities, lived experiences, cultures, and backgrounds,” said Minister of Workforce, Advanced Learning and Population Jenn Redmond. “For us to continue on our path to building a healthy and inclusive PEI, we need to provide funding to community leaders who can advocate for meaningful and lasting change. I’m proud to support these important grassroot projects that will reach every part of our province.”
To support the GEDI program’s goal of healthy and inclusive communities, the Interministerial Women’s Secretariat provided $157,453 to fund gender-based violence prevention initiatives stemming from the bilateral agreement between the Governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island to support the National Action Plan to End Gender Based Violence.
"We are pleased to support these initiatives, which focus on removing barriers, embracing diversity and shaping a more connected community. Thank you to the 27 organizations for empowering marginalized voices, particularly women, and enhancing our collective journey toward a more vibrant and inclusive province."
- Education and Early Years Minister and Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Natalie Jameson
Media contact:
Vicki Tse
Department of Workforce, Advanced Learning and Population
vickitse@gov.pe.ca
| Organization | Project | Project Description | Funding |
| Actions Femmes IPE (AFIPE) | Young Leaders - Understanding to Act Against Violence | To prevent violence against women and girls in PEI by raising awareness among young Francophones about gender-based violence through conducting workshops in schools on self-esteem, consent, harassment, online safety and healthy relationships. | $80,000.00 |
| BIPOC USHR | Say no to ableism | To address ableism within their organization and to incorporate a disability justice lens into their work. | $2,270.00 |
| Brazilians in PEI | Connecting Brazilians in PEI | To empower Brazilians living in PEI by welcoming them in the community, helping them settle in and celebrating their culture and customs through the support of their peers and community. | $6,800.00 |
| Canadian National Institute for the Blind | Awareness Campaign about riding education to benefit the vision impaired | To develop targeted public service announcements to promote awareness about bike-riding etiquette that considers members of the vision-loss community, and to offer the vision-loss community a greater sense of belonging and safety in public outdoor spaces. | $11,330.00 |
| Chinese Culture Federation | 2nd Asian Heritage Month Celebration (2024) | To host the Island’s 2nd Asian Heritage Month celebration to address underrepresentation and the lack of awareness about Asian cultures in PEI communities. | $15,000.00 |
| Community Sector Network of PEI | Community Champions | To run a campaign to raise awareness about the crucial role of the community sector in addressing the needs of diverse communities; to inspire and mobilize individuals from various ethnicities, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds to actively participate in their communities, and to recognize outstanding individuals and organizations within the community sector. | $30,000.00 |
| Filipino Community of PEI | PEIsta Kultura, Your Bridge to Filipino Heritage | To host community events that celebrate the rich culture and robust heritage of the Philippines in PEI. | $15,000.00 |
| Fusion Charlottetown Inc. | Fusion Flavours II | To continue fostering community and a sense of belonging between newcomers and long-time Island residents through the medium of food, while addressing issues around affordability and sustainability within the food sector. | $7,200.00 |
| Kerala Association of PEI | Community Inclusion Program | To host cultural events that encourage people from South India to come together and feel connected and valued within the community. | $15,000.00 |
| Music PEI | Project Soundcheck PEI | To bring Project Soundcheck (a sexual harassment and assault prevention initiative tailored to the Music Industry) to PEI; to bring festival organizers, venues, and community together to challenge the tendency to ignore incidents of sexual harassment and assault in large group situations; and to train Music PEI staff, board of directors and its members on ways to prevent sexual violence at festivals, concerts, shows, and other events in PEI. | $25,553.00 |
| Muslim Society of PEI | Ramadan 2024 | To celebrate the traditions of the Muslim community during the Holy month of Ramadan and promote cultural inclusion. | $15,000.00 |
| PEERS Alliance | Safer Spaces for Trans Adults and Youth | To help prevent gender-based violence and promote gender equity of trans youth and adults in PEI through therapeutic support groups, inclusive education, and professional workshops. | $50,000.00 |
| PEI Association for Community Living | Promoting Inclusivity and Empowerment | To empower individuals with Intellectual Disability (ID) regarding their sexuality through the creation of an expert advisory committee, development of a training program that aims to enhance understanding, inclusivity, and support for these marginalized communities; and the development of specialized tools to empower individuals with ID regarding their sexuality. | $50,000.00 |
| PEI Cultural Human Resources Sector Council (CreativePEI) | The Good Project Phase Two | To facilitate dialogue with BIPOC elders, artists and community leaders on the topics of good and art within the community through podcasts, art drop-ins, and community gatherings. | $20,000.00 |
| PEI Titans Foundation Inc. | Cultural Inclusion and Population Retention | To celebrate and bring cultural awareness of Hindu heritage in PEI. | $15,000.00 |
| PEI Transgender Network | Break the Cistem | To host an event series celebrating both International Transgender Day of Visibility and Transgender Day of Remembrance. | $58,000.00 |
| Prince Edward Island Business Women's Association and the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce | Celebrating BIPOC Women Entrepreneurs / PEI BIPOC Business Expo | To host a BIPOC business expo and to celebrate BIPOC women entrepreneurs under one roof at an all-day event with information sessions and panel discussions. | $26,614.00 |
| Rural Municipality of Miltonvale Park | Exploration of the Art of Drag | To host drag brunches in efforts to address harmful rhetoric and stigma surrounding drag and gender-diverse communities in rural PEI. | $5,330.00 |
| Rural Municipality of Mount Stewart | Mount Stewart Community Cultural Dinners | To promote diversity and cultural inclusion by hosting community dinners for seniors living in Eastern PEI, exposing them to diverse cultural food options from Island-owned restaurants. | $3,150.00 |
| Sierra Club Canada Foundation (Wild Child PEI) | Llika'Wksitqmuk (Walk the Earth) | To reconnect non-reserve Indigenous children back to the land using traditional teachings. | $50,000.00 |
| Sport PEI | GEDI Community Sports Fairs | To deliver two types of sport fairs: 1. New to You Sports and Recreation fairs (NTY) to increase participation in sport among youth newcomers and streamline education for parent newcomers who want their children or themselves to become involved in sport; and 2. Sports For Everyone fairs (SFE) to better educate youth, coaches, officials, and board members on how to be more inclusive by exposing new sports and providing education on to be more inclusive, culturally sensitive, and anti-racist in their respect roles as member of the community. | $50,000.00 |
| The Canadian Vietnamese Association | Think Ahead, Be Ahead | To host a Lunar New Year celebration to celebrate Asian culture in PEI. | $15,000.00 |
| UPEI Experiential Education Department | International Student Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) | To provide more equitable support to UPEI students engaging in WIL programming by contributing matching funds for international students where opportunities are currently only available to domestic students. | $40,000.00 |
| UPEI Mawi'omi Centre | Indigenous Student Ceremony Bursary | To cover costs associated with Indigenous UPEI students attending and participating in ceremony. | $7,500.00 |
| West Prince Ventures Ltd. | Inclusive Community Celebrations | To allow the Community Navigators to attend events across Rural PEI encouraging Islanders to make connections in their communities and to celebrate diversity and belonging. | $5,000.00 |
| Women's Network PEI | Building Better Communities | To build stronger relationships with community partners in order to better serve vulnerable populations that have experienced Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and ease navigation of support services on PEI. | $38,706.00 |