Public Policy Training Institute

Applications for the 2026 PPTI are now open

Return a completed copy of this application form, accompanied by your resume/CV and a letter of support from your Executive Director or Board Chair committing your time to attend the sessions and complete your assignments.

Complete applications can be emailed to ppti@maxbell.org. Applications are due October 10, 2025.

Introduction

The Public Policy Training Institute is a twelve-day professional development program delivered over six months. It is designed to help participants more effectively engage in public policy advocacy.

Applications are open to staff and volunteer board members of Canadian charities who want to advance the mission of their organization through public policy advocacy.

Whether your organization has experience in public policy advocacy or is relatively new to the field, this extraordinary professional development opportunity will help you improve.

Expectations

Before applying, please understand our expectations:

Participants are required to attend all six sessions in person in Calgary. Those who cannot will not receive a travel bursary nor a certificate of completion.
Participants will work on a public policy initiative within their organization during the Institute.
On-time completion of all assignments is required to earn the course certificate. The time commitment required varies considerably with the complexity of the project, but you should expect to spend between two and four hours per month on assignments for the six months of the institute.
Participants will certify that they commit to abiding by the Chatham House Rule throughout the Institute. The Chatham House Rule is: When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.
Participants are expected to regularly contribute to small-group discussions. From time to time, participants will be required to give short impromptu presentations to the class.
Participants are expected to help create a collegial atmosphere where all perspectives, including those you don’t agree with, are treated with equal respect.

About PPTI 2026

PPTI 2026 Dates (all sessions in Calgary)

January 8 and 9	two full days
February 5 and 6	half day on the first day and full day on the second day
March 12 and 13	half day on the first day and full day on the second day
April 13 and 14	half day on the first day and full day on the second day
May 14 and 15	half day on the first day and full day on the second day
June 4 and 5	two full days

Please note that all sessions, apart from session 4, take place on a Thursday and Friday. Session 4, on April 13-14, takes place on a Monday and Tuesday.

PPTI 2026 Faculty

PPTI 2026 Fees and Bursaries

All participants are required to pay a course fee of $500.

Participants who must travel to attend will receive a travel and accommodation bursary of $3,000. To qualify for the bursary, a participant must attend all six sessions in person.

Participants who reside within 75 km of Calgary will not receive a bursary.

Please note that bursaries will be provided by cheque payable to the organization and cannot be issued to an individual.

What will I learn?

The program is designed to help leaders within Canadian charities increase their knowledge of the public policy process and their capacity to influence it.

It will enhance participants’ understanding of how federal, provincial and municipal governments make policy decisions, so they can participate more effectively in public policy advocacy.
It will provide participants with training in how to develop practical and workable policy alternatives through both formal and informal learning formats such as lectures, case studies, readings, panel discussions, group work, and presentations by participants.
It will enable each participant to develop a policy ready position by the end of the program that responds to a given issue of individual/organizational interest.
It will connect participants with a network of colleagues in charities from across the country who are also working to influence public policy.

On completion of the program, participants will have enhanced their knowledge and skills required to develop, inform, and monitor public policy on issues of strategic importance to their organizations.

What does the Public Policy Training Institute offer?

The program provides:

Opportunities to learn from policy experts, including recent and current public servants, leaders in the non-profit sector, and political actors;
One-on-one coaching from a faculty member who is an experienced policy professional; and
A collegial learning environment with opportunities to learn from peers.

A certificate of completion is provided to all participants who complete the program.

Who can apply?

Staff and board members of Canadian registered charities. Participants should expect to commit 10-15 hours per month to the program.

Typically, participants meet for six sessions, once monthly from January to June. Participants are required to complete a series of assignments and deliver a final presentation. Each participant will be offered a limited amount of one-to-one coaching support during the program. Each participant will choose a policy proposal to develop throughout the program, and the sessions, coaching and assignments prepare the participant to advance their policy proposal by the end of the course.

“This has been a superb learning experience for me that has already dramatically improved our organization’s performance in the policy change area.”

“I use the lessons I learned in this invaluable course almost daily. It’s changed how I structure campaigns and communications to be much more strategic and effective.”

“Having participated in many different educational experiences delivered at the executive level in both the corporate world and in graduate studies, I consider this experience to be second to none.”

100% of our 2023 participants said they would “strongly recommend the PPTI to a colleague”.

	Megan Andre Director of Conservation Natural Areas Nature Conservancy of Canada
	Barb Besner Senior Manager Research & Governance United Way Winnipeg
	Rajveer Braich Community Reintegration Manager Calgary John Howard Society
	Jasveen Brar Program Officer Max Bell Foundation
	Dallas Cardinal Board Member Boyle Street Education Centre
	Winnie Chow Horn Board Director Vice-President The Muttart Foundation
	Fobete Dingha Ngoh Case Manager Centre for Newcomers
	Ashley Elgert Interim ED of SECA and Member of SK Leaders’ Caucus with CCCF Saskatchewan Early Childhood Association and Canadian Child Care Federation
	Dean Evangeliou Senior Public Affairs Canadian Climate Institute
	Cheryl Feldstein Manager, Marketing and Communications Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations
	Kat Graves Communications Manager CPAWS Southern Alberta
	Kat Hedges Board Member Vibrant Communities Calgary
	Kerrie Isaac Executive Director Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan
	Anne-Marie Kallal Executive Director Cultural Connections Institute – The Learning Exchange
	Tiarra Kiem Partner Program Supervisor Calgary Food Bank
	Kathleen Lane Executive Director EdCan Network
	Tracy Luca Huger Executive Director Mentor Canada
	Renee MacKillop Project Coordinator Alexandra Community Health Centre
	Sumant Rao Strategic Engagements Malvern Family Resource Centre
	Adil Shivji Program Specialist – Grants and Initiatives Alberta Ecotrust Foundation
	Adine Shuchuk Executive Director Jasper Place Child and Family Resource Society
	Jessica Turowski Director of Public Policy and Research Canadian Mental Health Association, Alberta Division
	Natalie Wiebe Manager, Asset Building Programs SEED Winnipeg
	Mike Williams Waltons Trust
	Brittney Wynnyk Senior Development Officer, Philanthropy & Foundations Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo
	Katherine Yee Public Policy and Community Connections Coordinator Momentum

2024 Participants of the Public Policy Training Institute

	Chantelle Amba Communications Specialist Ducks Unlimited Canada
	Karen Bannister Strategic Advisory Creative Coast
	Colin Bath Aspire Coordinator Momentum
	Megan Charlish PEN Evidence Analyst & Health Policy Lead Canadian Foundation for Dietic Research
	Yolanda Clatworthy Associate Director, Mitigating Wildfire Initiative Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue
	Melanie Davis Executive Director Physical & Health Education Canada
	Fatimah Dini Refugee Sponsorship Program Lead Islamic Family and Social Services Association
	Coralie D’Souza Vice-President, Program Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation
	Nadine Graham Project Specialist AMSSA
	Emilie Grenier Engagement Manager Efficiency Canada
	Cameron Heenan Policy Analyst Vibrant Communities Calgary
	Jocelyn Herbert Grants Manager Leftovers Foundation
	Rosalind Kang Western Regional Program Coordinator Canadian Race Relations Foundation
	Holly Kletke Government Relations Officer Interfaith Food Bank Society of Lethbridge
	Nogah Kornberg Co-Executive Director I-Think
	Sara Krynitzki Director, Public Affairs and Research Philanthropic Foundations Canada
	Lisa Mackay Director of Storytelling Rozsa Foundation
	Sammia Malik Operations Lead The Northpine Foundation
	Brittany McIntosh Assistant Director of Programs BGC Winnipeg
	Christine Monier Regional Leader L’Arche Canada – Western Region
	Will Noel Electricity Analyst Pembina Institute
	Nadja Shamess Merali Strategic Initiatives Lead Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers
	Ali Daoud Smith Prison Programming, Reentry Support Islamic Family & Social Services Association
	Rispah Tremblay Senior Manager, Settlement Services Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers

2023 Participants of the Public Policy Training Institute

	Christina Budnick Compliance & Standards Specialist Calgary Housing Company
	Meghan Cardy Communications Coordinator Alberta Museums Association
	Marie Christian Director Voices: Manitoba’s Youth in Care Network
	Mario Clarke Director of Entrepreneurship & Program Development YES Employment & Entrepreneurship
	Andrea Cox Manager Government Relations YWCA Calgary
	Cassandra Curtis Client Intake & Liaison Caseworker John Howard Society of Red Deer
	Trent Daley Operations Manager Islamic Family and Social Services Association
	Jenn Flynn Executive Director APPLE Schools
	Lisa Garrisen Director of Programs The Children’s Cottage Society
	Samuel Green Policy and Research Specialist Momentum
	Leslie Hill Executive Director Discovery House Family Violence Prevention Society
	Alexis Hranchuk Policy Analyst & Executive Assistant Calgary Drop-in Centre
	Safiyah Husein Senior Policy Analyst John Howard Society of Ontario
	Rebecca Kauffman Staff Counsel Environmental Law Centre
	Meghan Klein Executive Director Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers
	Carolyn Krahn Executive Director Workers’ Resource Centre
	Megan Lafferty Manager of Land Protection Measures Nature Conservancy of Canada
	Jessica Lajoie Program Specialist Alberta Ecotrust Foundation
	Bart Muusse Provincial Policy Specilist Ducks Unlimited Canada
	Dean Paddock Vice-President, Community Engagement YMCA Calgary
	Tessa Penich Executive Assistant/Program Manager Vibrant Communities Calgary
	Fateema Sayani Manager, Content & Strategic Communications Mental Health Commission of Canada
	Jason Wang Analyst Pembina Institute for Appropriate Development
	Geoff Webber Associate Director, Community Food Programs The Alex

2022 Participants of the Public Policy Training Institute

	Betsy Agar Senior (Policy) Analyst The Pembina Institute
	Sidrah Anees Communications and Grants Coordinator Burns Memorial Fund
	Zahra Bhimani Strategic Planning Committee Member (Volunteer) Multi-Generational Housing and Community Centre
	Amanda Boadi Advisor, National Programs Breakfast Clubs of Canada
	Yoni Coodin Social Innovation Coordinator Food Matters Manitoba
	Sibelle El Labban Program Officer Max Bell Foundation
	Nada El Masy Lab Manager – Refugee Livelihood Lab RADIUS SFU
	Gail Haynes Director Housing Services and Peer Support CMHA Edmonton
	Rachael Howgate Public Policy and Fund Development Coordinator SEED Winnipeg Inc.
	Beth Hunter Founding Director The Food Project
	Anila Lee Yuen President and CEO Centre for Newcomers
	Christina Maes Nino Executive Director Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association
	Shannon McInnes Research and Policy Manager PolicyWise for Children & Families
	Nathaniel Miller Director, Programs Inn From the Cold
	Lauren Murphy Director of Workforce Development Clean Foundation
	Emily Neilson Officer, Global Relations Humanitarian Diplomacy Canadian Red Cross
	Alicia Planincic Economist Business Council of Canada
	Jennie Rimstad Administrative Assistant Muttart Foundation
	Leor Rotchild Executive Director Canadian Business for Social Responsibility
	Cara Steiner Executive Director Prairie Lily Early Learning Centre
	Angie Stevenson Director St. Brieux Community Child Care Centre
	Samantha Vaux Clinical Team Lead Islamic Family and Social Services Association
	Marokh Yousifshahi Research and Policy Lead Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies

2021 Participants of the Public Policy Training Institute

	Nagwan Al-Guneid Communications Lead The Natural Step/Energy Futures Lab
	Traci Anderson Executive Director Boys and Girls Clubs of Kamloops
	Sarah Barber Research and Evaluation Specialist EndPovertyEdmonton
	Katherine Blake Director-Secretary Toronto Foundation for Student Success
	Lindsay Boucher Prairie Chapter Coordinator Sierra Club of Canada Foundation
	Meriam Bravante Research and Policy Coordinator ActionDignity
	Joanna Buczkowska-McCumber Executive Director League of Innovators
	Diana Bumstead Advocacy Volunteer Volunteer Action Centre WR
	Susannah Cameron Manager of Strategic Initiatives EndPovertyEdmonton
	Francis Campbell Policy & Research Analyst Capital Regional Housing Corporation
	Georgia Carstensen Senior Manager – Campaigns (Policy & Advocacy) Heart & Stroke Foundation
	Andrea Christensen Youth Housing Support Worker (YTA Program) Trellis Society of Community Impact
	Sandra Clarkson Executive Director Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre Society
	Surma Das Research Coordinator EndPovertyEdmonton
	Andrea Donini Communications Officer EndPovertyEdmonton
	Jennifer Fischer-Summers Research Assistant Community-University Partnership for the Study of Children, Youth and Families (CUP), University of Alberta
	Emily Jensen Network Engagement Coordinator Imagine Canada
	Adam Jog Manager, Public Policy & Research Imagine Canada
	Rachel Rizzuto Research Manager Northern Policy Institute
	Robyn Romano Director of Operations Distress Centre Calgary
	Alanna Schwartz Position Paper Committee Chair The Trauma-Informed Care Collective
	Ariel Siller CEO Children’s Literacy Foundation
	Anita Simon Child and Youth Mental Health Lead Imagine Citizens Collaborating for Health

2020 Participants of the Public Policy Training Institute

	Akash Asif Engagement Specialist Centre for Suicide Prevention
	Amanda Barberio Analyst Healthy Public Policy Unit, Alberta Health Services
	Pamela Berg Director of Resource and Policy Development Praxis Spinal Cord Institute
	Aleysha Christensen Program Officer Alberta Parks and Recreation Association
	Mehrzad Eftekhar Project Manager Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS)
	Jan Fox Executive Director Reach Edmonton Council
	Anita Hofer
	Ashley Huang Follow-up Support Worker Boyle Street Community Services
	Michael Hutchison Growth & Partnerships Manager Teach For Canada
	Nicole Kahal Conservation Analyst Miistakis Institute
	Brooke Kapeller Conservation Program Coordinator Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Southern Alberta Chapter
	Kolbi Kurkaba Project & Public Relations Manager Canadian Mental Health Association, Alberta Division
	Rebecca Leong Alberta Early Learning and Care Leaders Caucus Member (CCCF), Executive Director (A.C.E.) Alberta Early Learning and Care Leaders Caucus Member (CCCF), Executive Director (A.C.E.)
	Chris Markham Executive Director Ophea
	Nicolette Miller Director, Corporate Services Bishop O’Byrne Housing Association
	Rohadi Nagassar President Action Coalition on Human Trafficking (ACT ALBERTA)
	Patricia Pasemko Chief Executive Officer On Site Placement
	Eric Pianarosa Director of Collective Impact Sagesse
	Melody Santiago Learning and Development Coordinator Volunteer Alberta
	Christina Steed Board Member Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society
	Kristin Ward Diaz Senior Manager, Ecosystem and Public Participation Alberta Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women, Community Development Unit

2019 Participants of the Public Policy Training Institute

	Jalene Anderson-Baron Policy and Research Analyst Capital Region Housing
	Meaghan Bell Strategic Business Analyst City of Calgary/Calgary Housing Company
	Kirsten Boda Research and Reporting Coordinator CUPS
	Karin Duff Director of Early Learning Rancho Ehrlo Society
	Jolene Fawcett Unity Coordinator Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary
	Chloe Ferguson Chief of Staff/Program Director, The Early Years The Martin Family Initiative
	Susan Garrow-Oliver AECEA Board Member Canadian Child Care Federation/Association of Early Childhood Educators of Alberta (AECEA)
	Ruhee Ismail-Teja YMCA Canada National Board Director; Chair, Public Policy & Advocacy Committee YMCA Canada
	Bernadette Johnson Manager, Public Policy Imagine Canada
	Octavio Rodriguez Lara Diversity Liaison Calgary Catholic Immigration Society
	Lisa Litz Director Stakeholder Relations Horizon Housing Society
	Sandra MacDougall Engineer, Highways and Public Works, Whitehorse Yukon Volunteer, Raven Recycling, Whitehorse Yukon
	Beth Mansell Strategic Project and Operations Coordinator Sage Seniors Association (Sage)
	Josée Méthot Watershed Planning Manager Red Deer River Watershed Alliance
	John Richardson Research & Policy Coordinator Calgary Arts Development Council
	Teresa Rose Assistant Professor Athabasca University
	Peter Schalk Board Member Edmonton Social Planning Council
	Johanna Schwartz Communications Lead The Alex Community Health Centre
	Lee Stevens Community Facilitation and Engagement Specialist Vibrant Communities Calgary
	Sarah Stuebing Communications and Community Investment Manager Alberta Real Estate Foundation
	Angela Torry Analyst Healthy Public Policy Unit (HPPU), Public Health Surveillance & Infrastructure Population, Public and Indigenous Health, Alberta Health Services (AHS)
	Marie Tremblay Senior Education Advisor Alberta Council for Environmental Education
	Sue White CEO Winnifred Stewart Association Winnifred Stewart Foundation