A quiet transformation is underway in the tourism sector in Atlantic Canada: one that puts residents’ well-being at the forefront and reimagines development as a community-rooted process. At the heart of this shift are over 200 passionate community members who are actively making strides to strengthen the social and economic fabric of their home community. Through support from the ACTivate program, residents are (re)discovering what makes their community unique and exploring new approaches for how to mobilize community assets and agency to strengthen their community and create positive change. This storytelling session will focus on how investing in strengths-based narrative and behavioural shifts can (re)spark community resilience, empowerment, and collective impact, using ACTivate as a case study. The lessons shared are relevant not only for educators and practitioners in tourism but anyone working across community development, adult education, and place-based economic renewal.

Learning Question:  How might strengths-based approaches spark community empowerment, well-being, and resilience?