Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Services

Our work is rooted in deep recognition of the ongoing and pervasive anti-Black and anti-Indigenous systemic racism ubiquitous in Canadian society.

We are committed to providing services that are reflective of, and responsive to, the unique and specific experiences of Indigenous, Black, newcomer, and other marginalized communities.

Our distinctive qualifications include:

Highly qualified Black, Indigenous, and other racialized researchers and subject matter experts, offering both lived experience and impeccable professional credentials
Being deeply knowledgeable about the barriers to equity and inclusion faced by racialized communities and other equity-deserving groups
Utilizing approaches that are grounded in multimodal theories of equity, and anti-oppressive praxis
Incorporating decolonial and anti-racist lenses into all our projects, to include the multifaceted and multidimensional diverse identities of people and the oppressions they face
Transforming multidisciplinary theories into practical and applicable anti-oppressive practices and, more broadly, equity, diversity, and inclusion approaches that can change organizations for the better
Methodologies of Two-Eyed Seeing and intersectionality rooted in Indigenous and Black worldviews
Grounding all our work in evidence-based practiceTransforming multidisciplinary theories into practical and applicable anti-oppressive practices and, more broadly, equity, diversity, and inclusion approaches that can change organizations for the better.

Prince Edward Learning Centre (PELC)

Organizational EDI Audit and Action Plan

Archipel was contracted by PELC, a regional adult education centre, to determine how best to create and implement a plan to review governance policies and procedures, staffing and employment practices, learning content and opportunities, and partnerships with an equity, diversity, and inclusion lens. This three-phase project included:

(i) an organizational audit, which assesssed the PELC as an organization incorporating EDI principles and standards to the work PELC does;

(ii) the development of a PELC specific organizational framework of assessment and evaluation; and

(iii) Develop the PELC action plan, as a comprehensive roadmap that is linked closely to the framework and scorecard from the previous phase.

The Haven

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy

The Haven—a non-profit transformative learning campus located on Gabriola Island, B.C.—contracted Archipel to create and implement a plan to review governance policies and procedures, staffing and employment practices, learning content and opportunities, and partnerships with an equity, diversity, and inclusion lens.

Based on the findings of the organizational evaluation, a comprehensive action plan was developed, including benchmarks, a scorecard, and accountability mechanisms.

Ontario Coalition of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)

Accessibility Initiative E-learning Module Development

For OCASI, Archipel developed and implemented a consultation strategy for a national needs assessment, to understand the needs of newcomers with in/visible disabilities and Deaf newcomers. This was used to inform and revise OCASI’s Accessibility Initiative e-learning self-directed courses in English and French. We brought an anti-racist, decolonial, and critical disability studies lens to our work. The National Needs Assessment’s objective was to identify the training needs of settlement workers across Canada, including the GTA. We developed a research methodology that included surveys, online focus groups, and phone interviews with 10-15 subject matter experts and stakeholders.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Services