Silver Gummy's Impact on Gender Based Violence
We fund organizations that focus on education as a way to combat gender-based violence. We strive to cultivate self esteem, respect for all genders and an understanding of how to maintain healthy relationships.
Our impact can be seen in the projects we have supported.
Testimonials
Organizations we Support
Silver Gummy is pleased to have assisted these organizations in removing barriers and providing education.
Get to know some of our past Grantees and the projects we have supported.
Sisters in Sync
“We Got You, Sis” Toolkit: The Akoma Ntoso Approach
Our Mission: Helping Black Girls and Women to Be, Become, and Belong
through programs, services, and advocacy efforts that:
- Promote self-esteem and self-efficacy to empower Black girls and women to access opportunities, resources, and justice
- Address systems of social inequalities that contribute to the creation of barriers and a lack of available and accessible services and information
- Expand our influence on survivor-informed practices
About the funded project
“We Got You, Sis” Toolkit: The Akoma Ntoso Approach is a culturally responsive, survivor-informed project designed to strengthen how organizations, service providers, community members, and trusted adults support Black girls and young women experiencing gender-based violence, unhealthy relationships, and other forms of trauma.
Another major focus of the project has also been healthy teen relationships and prevention. Rather than only responding once harm has occurred, we are working with young people to build their understanding of healthy relationships, boundaries, consent, communication, warning signs, and where to turn when they or a friend need support.
At the same time, we are focused on building stronger allies around young people. This includes equipping parents, educators, service providers, community organizations, and other trusted adults with the knowledge and confidence to recognize signs of unhealthy relationships, respond appropriately to disclosures, and connect young people to culturally responsive supports.
With support from Silver Gummy, the project is helping us move beyond individual support toward building a more informed and responsive community—one where Black girls and young women have the tools to identify healthy relationships and where the people around them are better prepared to listen, believe, support, and respond when help is needed.
Classroom Champions
Circle Program: Indigenous Youth Mentorship
Classroom Champions is a K-8 classroom curriculum that helps build the confidence, perseverance and fundamental skills students need to succeed in school and beyond. Rooted in the mentorship and mindset of elite athletes, we inspire kids to dream big, work hard and believe in themselves. Woven through a series of dynamic units ranging from goal setting to teamwork and leadership, Olympic, Paralympic and NCAA athlete journeys bring these units to life, deeply engaging students and transforming classroom culture. We equip them with a Champion Mindset that embraces challenges, seeing them as an opportunity to learn and grow. It’s about more than academics- we’re helping kids find their inner champion in every part of their lives.
About the funded project
The Circle Program: Indigenous Youth Mentorship is a culturally grounded mentorship and social-emotional learning program developed in collaboration with Indigenous educators and community leaders who guide the content, approach, and priorities. The program aims to support Indigenous students in developing confidence, self-awareness, resilience, leadership, and respect for themselves and others, while creating safe and culturally grounded learning spaces where youth are encouraged to reflect, share experiences, and build empathy.
Indigenous athlete mentors are paired with participating communities and serve as positive role models who model perseverance, leadership, and resilience. Through their shared lived experiences, mentors offer students diverse examples of strength, success, and belonging. The program also uses the K-8 Champion Mindset curriculum, which is aligned with community values while allowing flexibility for each school to make the program its own.
Key achievements and milestones
As of January 2026, 51 Indigenous communities are being served in Canada, and Classroom Champions is still accepting new schools for programming. The program is in an active growth stage, with plans to build a stronger presence in Southern Alberta and Western Canada, including Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
Project next steps
The immediate next steps for the Circle Program are focused on strengthening existing partnerships, preparing for expansion, and ensuring that program growth remains community-led and culturally responsive.
Theatre of the Beat
Bargaining Human Life (now called Invisible Threads)
Since 2011, Theatre of the Beat has been creating and touring original educational theatre productions to explore pressing social justice issues, inspiring conversation and action among audiences across Canada.
About the funded project
Theatre of the Beat’s new play Invisible Threads toured Canada from May-June 2026. Previously entitled “Bargaining Human Life,” the play used compelling narratives to explore the issues of human tracking, forced labour, and modern slavery locally and globally.
In Canada, 67% of human tracking cases reported to the Centre to End
Human Trafficking between
Key achievements and milestones
Theatre of the Beat performed a total 15 shows for a net audience of 997 people across 5 provinces. Although there were 2 performances in traditional theatres, these performances were typically in community spaces, including: 2 community centres, 2 high schools, 8 places of worship, and 1 federal prison. In total, 91.5% of audience members surveyed expressed that they learned something new about human trafficking by attending Invisible Threads.
Project next steps
We have applied for 2026-2027 funding to mount a Toronto-specific run of the performance.
Canvas Arts Action Programs (Canvas Programs)
RelatABILITY: Capacity-Building and Expansion of Critical Consent and Relationship Education to Youth and Adults with Developmental Disabilities
Canvas Arts Action Programs (Canvas Programs) is a Toronto-based charity with a mission to provide empathy-based education on consent, 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion, and gender equity across schools, community spaces, workplaces, and summer camps. We envision a society free from homophobia, transphobia, and sexual violence, where 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals can express themselves without fear, survivors are believed, and young people celebrate diversity and practice active consent.
About the funded project
RelatABILITY supports participants who are on the autism spectrum to increase their knowledge, confidence, and skills to navigate relationships safely and respectfully. In the long term, RelatABILITY contributes to reduced vulnerability to sexualized violence, improved relationship outcomes, stronger peer connections, and a deeper sense of belonging and safety for adults and youth on the autism spectrum. The program also strengthens caregiver and service-provider capacity to support healthy relationships, creating positive ripple effects across the community.
Key achievements and milestones
In 2025, Canvas delivered the RelatABILITY program in partnership with the Geneva Centre for Autism (GCA) supporting youth on the autism spectrum. RelatABILITY is a research-informed program designed to meet the needs of youth with developmental disabilities, based upon community research and extensive consultations with GCA staff and with our target population.
- 85% of responses noted the tools for identifying healthy consent based relationships as being the most helpful skill learned at the RelatABILITY program.
- 85% of responses noted the tools for identifying healthy consent based relationships as being the most helpful skill learned at the RelatABILITY program.
Project next steps
We will develop and test 2 new programming streams for RelatABILITY. To date, Canvas Programs has been offering RelatABILITY Stream 1: Foundational skills for healthy relationships. For this multi-year project, we will develop RelatABILITY Stream 2 which will provide more advanced skill-building related to online and in-person dating and consent and a Caregiver Stream that will provide a deeper understanding of the topic areas in Stream 1 and Stream 2, challenge stigma, and help caregivers develop skills to support people with developmental disabilities.
Testimonials
A key story from this session is seeing a participant learn more about consent and watching him adjust his language around hook ups and to be more consent focused, anti-oppressive, and empathetic. This group has taught me a lot about my own views on dating and how everyone, regardless of identity or ability, needs safe spaces to talk about lived experiences and vulnerability!”
– Facilitator
“I learned the nuances of boundaries that are personal pertaining to people you know, like, care about, or don’t know. I learned about the errors I made in a past relationship”
– Participant
Urban Society for Aboriginal Y
Legacy Keepers
The Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY) is an Indigenous-led charitable organization dedicated to supporting the success, well-being, and empowerment of Indigenous youth. USAY provides culturally grounded programs that create opportunities for youth to connect with culture, build skills and confidence, develop leadership, access essential supports, and strengthen connections to community. Through innovative programming, mentorship, education, technology, arts, wellness, and basic-needs supports, USAY works to ensure Indigenous youth have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.
About the funded project
Legacy Keepers supports Indigenous Two-Spirit youth in learning about Two-Spirit leaders in their communities. Youth research and celebrate these leaders by creating superhero-style trading cards that come to life through USAY’s augmented reality app, IndigiPRINTS.
Key achievements and milestones
Engaged Indigenous Two-Spirit youth in culturally grounded learning, research, wellness, and creative activities.
Researched and celebrated Two-Spirit leaders from Indigenous communities.
Created superhero-style Legacy Keeper trading cards featuring Two-Spirit leaders and connected them to USAY’s IndigiPRINTS augmented reality app.
Increased youth knowledge of Two-Spirit history, with 100% of participants reporting increased knowledge.
Strengthened representation and inclusion, with 100% agreeing the project improved Two-Spirit representation in their community.
Built confidence and leadership, with 90% reporting increased leadership skills and confidence.
Strengthened community connection, with 90% reporting a stronger connection to their community and peers.
Successfully leveraged the project and Pride programming to secure additional funding, extending opportunities for Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ youth.
Project next steps
Our immediate next steps are to engage more Indigenous Two-Spirit youth, continue creating and sharing resources that increase awareness of Two-Spirit leaders, and expand the Legacy Keepers collection. USAY also looks forward to continuing to support and engage with the broader Silver Gummy community, sharing knowledge, resources, and lessons learned through the project.
WITS Foundation
Inclusion Strategies
WITS Foundation creates and distributes, to schools in all of Canada, eduational materials that reduce bullying and discrimination.
About the funded project
Our Inclusion Strategies project is to investigate, ideate, design, pilot and scale up new educational programming for children and youth that is designed to reduce discrimination of all kinds. In October 2026 we will start to pilot a new program called WAIS to Belong / SOIS le Lien in ten provinces and teritories.
Key achievements and milestones
Need confirmed: informed by over 50 educators across Canada.
Completed: Environmental Scan
Completed: Literature Review.
New Program drafted: WAIS to Belong (WAIS = Welcome, Accept, Include, Share). SOIS le ien (SOIS = Salue, Ouvre-toi, Inclus, Soutiens)
Team compiled: Support from two universities including evaluation roles; Associates estblished in BC, AB, ON, NB & NL; internal staff expanded; Independent consultants engaged;
Pilot sites confirmed: 30 of anticipated 40 schools in ten provinces and territories.
Project next steps
In October 2026 we will start to pilot a new program called WAIS to Belong / SOIS le Lien in ten provinces and teritories. Six of these schools will receive additional attention from researchers from Royal Roads University. Also in October, Adler University will provide two interns to assist with the project. Pilot program users will provide feedback that informs the next phase of program development. Our Goal for 2026-2027: engage over 5,000 children and youth in the first pilot.
Announcements
Centre for Gender Equity
Research for gender equity and stronger communitiesResearch for gender equity and stronger communities
The Centre for Gender Equity at the University of Calgary is a new research Centre that brings researchers and community partners together to collaborate on critical areas of research relating to growing strong communities with a focus on gender equity and decreasing gender-based violence. The Centre is a place where scholars, students and communities from a variety of backgrounds – not just one community or faculty – can come together to identify important questions, have complex conversations and conduct research that has an impact on real-world challenges.
UCalgary is now hiring two key leadership positions, who will shape the mission and vision of the Centre for Gender Equity:
- Academic Director, Centre for Gender Equity
- Director, Centre for Gender Equity
The Centre is embedded within the Faculty of Arts and draws upon research excellence from across the UCalgary community while connecting into a local, national and international network of researchers.
Community engagement and knowledge translation is at the core of all activities of the Centre. To learn how you and your organization can be involved with the Centre for Gender Equity, please speak with a UCalgary representative in attendance at GumSum 2026 or visit:
arts.ucalgary.ca/centre-gender-equity
Contact:
Dr. Leslie Reid
Interim Dean, Faculty of Arts
University of Calgary
[email protected]
Dr. Amelia Kiddle
Associate Dean, Research, Faculty of Arts
University of Calgary
[email protected]
Publications
Sept. 17, 2026
New research identifies opportunities to intervene before male violence escalates
Landmark Calgary study reveals consistent patterns in police contact among men who later face a domestic violence charge
Author: Ziyana Kotadia, Shift at the Faculty of Social Work
02 Jun 2026
Learning from Young Canadians: Perspectives on Reporting and Disclosing Interpersonal Violence in High-Performance Sport
Authors: E. Willson, S. Wensel, and G. Kerr.