| Recipient: | A New Dynamic Enterprise, Inc. (ANDE) |
|---|---|
| Project: | Transitions Lifeshops |
| Province: | Alberta |
| Period: | Fiscal year 2019-2020 |
| Funding: | $192,000 |
Overview:
A New Dynamic Enterprise, Inc. (ANDE), based in Edmonton, is receiving Veteran and Family Well-Being funding for its Transitions Lifeshops seminars across Canada. These seminars help women Veterans and wives or partners of Veterans to map out a successful transition to post-service life while creating a women’s support network aimed at personal and professional growth.
Project Goals:
The project’s goal was to add 16 additional Transitions Lifeshops seminars in French and English.
Project Activities:
To achieve these goals, ANDE:
- Researched and reviewed current literature on the transition of military career into civilian life;
- Identified common issues and challenges for women Veterans, spouses, and serving military women;
- Adapted the existing framework for the program;
- Created a scaffolding format for training to address varying needs of women Veterans;
- Operationalized the program for delivery through networking, advertising, and launching a website for the project (lifeshops.ca);
- Developed processes for building capacity for DND to deliver the program (train the trainer);
- Created resources to accompany program modules (i.e., manuals, handouts, and training resources for activities); and
- Developed formative and summative evaluation process to assess the effectiveness of the program.
Project Results:
ANDE conducted 3 Transitions Lifeshops seminars (prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic) and 42 follow-up sessions in 2020. They also offered executive coaching to graduates of the program in order to help them transition out of the military. A total of 168 women have participated in the program.
As of March 31st, 2021, ANDE transferred $160,000 to the Pepper Pod, a non-profit organization founded by Sandra Perron, the senior partner of ANDE. The Pepper Pod is a 12-bed retreat center for women Veterans, located in the heart of Old Chelsea, Quebec. Most of the retreats will be held in this retreat center, while those located in bases further away will attend retreats similar to the Transitions Lifeshops seminars in previous years. The retreat center will accommodate past graduates of Lifeshops when they attend follow-up sessions, and will welcome all women Veterans who wish to stay at the center to recharge or gain respite.