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REPORT TO THE 2015 ANNUAL MEETING ON 

ETFO’S EQUITY AND WOMEN’S PROGRAMS

LEADERS FOR TOMORROW WP

Leaders for Tomorrow (L4T) is an intensive, year-long leadership program for women members 
who self-identify as Aboriginal, disabled, lesbian/bisexual/transgender/queer or questioning and/or 
racialized. The program includes a variety of workshops and experiences related to leadership roles 
within ETFO both locally and provincially. The course is designed to enhance leadership skills in an 
inclusive, anti-racist/anti-oppression framework. The program focusses on leadership in the area of 
equity and social justice, personal and professional development and union involvement. 

ONTARIO FEDERATION OF LABOUR (OFL) WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT WP

The Summit is a result of a resolution that ETFO and other affiliates brought to the 2013 OFL Convention. 
Thirty ETFO members attended the summit, which took place at the Unifor Family Education Centre in 
Port Elgin in May 2015. Members participated in working groups and gained a better understanding of 
the importance of ETFO’s connection to the broader labour movement. 

BEYOND THE BASICS WP: PRS TRAINING FOR WOMEN LEADERS

This four-day program was offered, in two parts, to 40 women leaders. The first two days of the training 
looked at different types of leadership and at allegations and boundaries through the eyes of the local 
leader. Through discussion and scenarios, members became more familiar with how to deal with and 
avoid allegations, as well as members’ rights and responsibilities and ways to offer support. In the 
second session, members were given opportunities to explore harassment and conflict and examined 
the differences. Members were provided opportunities to facilitate conversations using case studies 
as well as an in depth look at perceptions of mental health and reshaping views. The conference 
concluded with members creating a leadership plan moving forward.

REFLECTIONS ON PRACTICE

Reflections on Practice (ROP) has completed 
its eleventh year. This unique program is led 
by a team of facilitators, all of whom have 
been through the action research process of 
the program, and were selected to re-invest in 
the program as leaders. A large percentage of 
participating members represent designated 
groups from across our teacher, occasional 
teachers (and for the first time this year), DECE 
locals. A compendium of the participants’ action 
research papers are published following each 
year, describing the research done by participants 
in their own classrooms. 

ROP 2014-2015 was re-designed and streamlined 
to better support attainment of all six Women’s Program Goal Statements, and to extend beyond 
the leadership program objectives and into union advocacy and activism as main threads weaving 
throughout the program.