1. Register for the CASC-ACE Conference!

In 2016, CASC will partner with the Association of Cooperative Educators to bring you the 2016 CASC-ACE Conference - Energizing Communities: Co-operatives Nurturing Democratic Practices – to be held May 31 – June 3 at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta.

Our joint conference is part of the larger Congress for the Humanities and Social Sciences, a convergence of approximately 70 scholarly associations that attracts academics, researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners.

Registration for the CASC-ACE conference is done through the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences congress website.

Below is important information about fees, the registration process, accommodations, and conference highlight.

Fees 

* Congress Fee (a general conference fee for all Congress attendees; these funds help cover general overhead for conference planning by the Federation):

– Before April 1: $175 CAD regular,  $65 CAD student or retiree

- On or after April 1: $210 CAD regular, $65 CAD student or retiree

* CASC-ACE Conference Fee (These funds cover space, rooms, and administration for the CASC-ACE portion of Congress; you will need to pay both a Congress and CASC-ACE conference fee): $175 CAD regular, $55 CAD student or retirees

* Mobile Learning Sessions (Co-op Tours) Fee (The Mobile Learning Session, otherwise known as Co-op Tours, will be held all day on Thursday, June 2.): $35 CAD

* Banquet Fee (CASC and ACE, along with the Association for Nonprofit and Social Economy Research, will be holding a joint Awards banquet on the evening of Thursday, June 2):  $50 CAD

Registration

You can register for the conference here.  Use option “92. Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation (CASC).” (ACE will not be listed, because ACE is not a member of the Federation). 

Accomodations

There are a number of housing options ranging in price around the University of Calgary. Remember, these accommodations are for the many hundreds of Congress attendees, so don’t delay in booking your accommodations.

Highlights

Combining the best of the ACE Institute and CASC Congress, this conference will offer a number of great co-op education opportunities, including:

• Keynote Speaker, William Nelson

• Presentations on the latest co-op research

• How-to education workshops ranging from teaching the general public to employees to youth

• Mobile Learning Sessions – touring great co-ops in and around Alberta

• Student case study competition

• Education video competition

• A Youth Cohort

• Awards Banquet

Questions? Please contact Sarah Pike at pike@ace.coop

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2. Enter the P5 Video Challenge: Educating for CooperationWin $1000 Dollars!

WHAT: Make a video about co-op education! Subjects may include, but are not limited to:

* School and campus based co-ops as sites of education

* Co-operatives and extension programs

* Co-operative education programs

* Cooperative development as experiential education

* Co-operative education pioneers (movements, figures)

* Specific areas/features of education (e.g., co-ops and peace)

WHY: P5! Education is a big part of what co-ops do. There is a long history of cooperative film, which has been a very effective method for education.

The winning video in each category will receive a cash prize of $1000! Find details about the competition here and upload your videos here.

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3. Enter the 2016 CASC Students’ Cooperative Case Study Competition

The Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, University of Saskatchewan, and CASC are sponsoring a student case study competition on June 1, 2016 as part of the CASC-ACE Conference. The case used in this competition will focus on critical governance and policy issues in a Canadian retail co-operative. Selected applicants will receive $1,000 to support their participation in the case competition.

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4. Donate to CDF in honor of Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard’s induction into the US Cooperative Hall of Fame

5. Apply to/distribute the RFP – Higher Education Needs Assessment (Eng, Fra)

Last year’s AGM of Cooperatives and Mutuals Canada saw the passing of a CASC-proposed resolution to develop a strategic plan to meet the needs of the sector Higher Education Programs.  The first step in developing the strategy is to undertake a needs assessment.  Please consider applying through the links above.

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6. Just released: Co-operatives and Universities: Some Reflections, by Brett Fairbairn

Co-ops.  Universities/colleges.  What do they have to do with each other?  This essay argues that co-ops need postsecondary knowledge, and educational institutions need real-world, community-based partners.  Faculty and co-operative practitioners can have mutually beneficial partnerships – provided that their interests are aligned and they build trust.  The cost of haphazard relationships will be fragmentation and mediocre outcomes.

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We hope you are all as excited about these opportunities and developments as we are!  And as always, feel free to distribute/ poke at your colleagues and friends with these news items and requests…  Not everyone reads these emails as closely as you do!     ; )

In Co-operation,

Your Friends at CASC