fbpx

Blog

We’re Rebranding!

December 12, 2019

SWOVA is rebranding! Since 1996, our organization’s full name has been “SWOVA Community Development and Research Society.” We continue firmly rooted in the original purposes reflected in our 1996 Constitution, but in mid-2020, we hope to announce a new name for our organization.

For more than a year we have worked behind the scenes to renew our mission and vision statements, clarify our core values and develop a strategic plan for our future. After almost a quarter of a century of service to the Gulf Islands and communities beyond, the people of SWOVA—employees, facilitators and board members—are engaged in renewing our programs and operations to serve a new generation of students and educators. Honouring our past, we look forward to future effectiveness and expansion.

We hope you, our Members and Friends, will support our efforts by:

  • attending a General Meeting next spring to consider a special resolution changing the name of our society
  • voting on the special resolution if you’re a voting Member of our society
  • getting updates by checking our new website and its blog
  • following us on Facebook and Instagram and in the news
  • sharing our programs and impacts with others

We know your interest in SWOVA reflects your own passion for creating healthy, gender-equitable, and violence-free communities. We are always glad to receive your emails. Interested in volunteering? Please do let us know; opportunities are available!

Thank you for your interest and support.

Feeling Rejuvenated

Val Jordan, the Mentor Supervisor of the Pass It On Project in Prince George, knows her community well. Prince George is the Northern capital of British Columbia with a population of approximately 70,000. There is a strong multicultural and Aboriginal component to the...

Guy Talk

One of the most important reasons why I work with youth around gender, stereotypes and healthy relationships, is that I get the opportunity to engage in complex and thought provoking conversations with young men.  Speaking of self- esteem, emotions, conflict...

Bridging The Distance

Jennifer Quam is the Mentor Supervisor for the Pass It On Project in Valemount/ McBride, British Columbia. McBride has a population of 710 while 90 kilometers away is Valemount, with a population of 1100. The school population for both communities hovers around 100...

It Is So Emotional To See These Girls Shine

The Pass It On Project - Phase II is occurring simultaneously in 5 communities throughout British Columbia - Salt Spring Island, Uclulet, Valemount/McBride, Prince George and Kamloops. Kamloops is in the Southern Interior of the province with a population of 85,000....

The Pass It On Project Goes on the Road in British Columbia

This winter, I had the privilege of traveling around British Columbia delivering workshops with rural girls and young women as part of Phase 2 of the Pass it On project. These workshops were originally written for youth here on Salt Spring Island and thanks to the...

Exciting News at SWOVA

We recently found out that the Department of Justice Canada is funding us to work in partnership with the Musqueam Indian Band.  As part of their Justice Partnership and Innovation Program - Access to Justice for Aboriginal Women, we will look at existing data from...

It’s Like Being Matched with Themself at That Age

As Pass It On Phase II is being implemented across the province, young middle school girls are meeting up with their high school mentors.  When asked to respond to 3 questions, 2 mentor supervisors from our most Northern communities involved in the project and 1 from...

Even Mentors Need Mentoring

What makes mentoring work for young women and girls? - having a supportive network. The 10 young female high school mentors on Salt Spring Island had their opportunity to test out their own expectations of what mentoring is this past week. Of the 10 mentors, half were...

Name(Required)
Email(Required)
Please let us know what's on your mind. Have a question for us? Ask away.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.