Policy Challenge
The Policy Challenge is an education program run by AGE-WELL and the AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub – APPTA. This education program is a unique opportunity for AGE-WELL trainees to work closely with policy experts and learn first-hand how research ideas become policy options for implementation at a provincial, territorial, or national level.
Each year policy priority questions are identified by government stakeholders from across Canadian jurisdictions. Applicants choose a policy priority and continue to spend the duration of the program working closely with APPTA’s team and the larger government stakeholder network for the development of their own policy report. Participants acquire policy writing skills, invaluable networking opportunities as well as a relevant, impactful knowledge product to add to their portfolio upon program completion.
2022-2023 Policy Challenge Recipients
We are very excited to announce our three policy challenge winners for 2022-2023. Ashley-Ann Marcotte (MA in Community Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University) will be pursuing the question: What is the effectiveness of interventions that aim to enhance digital literacy in older adults? Lyne Ouellet (PhD student, University of New Brunswick) will be pursuing the question: What tools or resources are effective in helping older adults and/or their caregivers navigate support services/the healthcare system? And Isaac Akinkunmi Adedeji (MA Gerontology, Simon Fraser University) will be pursuing the question: How can government leverage resources and supports (inclusive of technologies) to better enable persons living with dementia to remain at home, or existing level of care? We can’t wait to work with them on their policy reports and much more.
Lyne Ouellet
Ashley-Ann Marcotte
Isaac A. Adedeji
Previous participants
Adebusola Adekoya
Amika Shah
Natasha Gallant
Alisa Grigorovich
Ann Marie Corrado
Amélie Gauthier-Beaupré
Jonathan Lai
Andrew Magnaye
“The Visions for Change Policy Challenge Award provided me with an exciting opportunity to apply both my research and public policy skills, while working closely with policy experts at all three levels of government as well as staff at AGE-WELL and the APPTA national innovation hub. As a result of the mentorship and support that I received, I was able to successfully lead a policy report that will inform evidence-based decision making related to housing options for seniors with disabilities who wish to independently age in place. I would recommend this challenge to all AGE-WELL trainees as this educational experience is unparalleled!”
– Ann Marie Corrado
