May 21 Webinar

On the Merits of Radical Flexibility: How  social workers can build bridges to authentic EDI community engagement (Part 1 of 2 )

Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026 -12:00 Noon

Presented by: Dr. Ginnette Lafrenière, Dr. Ariel Kroon, and Utamika Cummings van Zyl, MSW, RSW, Social Innovation Research Group ( SIRG), Wilfrid Laurier University

Social workers often feel paralyzed professionally when working with equity-entitled clients and grassroots organizations because of the rigid systems in which they find themselves. The presenters of this webinar understand this and wish to plant seeds of hope for an alternative method of community and social work within a practical framework. This workshop will attempt to illustrate that working “differently” with Indigenous, Black, and Racialized-led organizations is a very possible endeavour. 

While the concept of “radical flexibility” may seem like an illusion to many social workers, the presenters argue that social workers often “move sideways” to decolonize the inflexibility of their workplaces. This webinar will challenge the risk-averse practice settings of typical health and\or social service workplaces through several case studies within the Region of Waterloo, Ontario and will create a space for attendees to critically examine and unpack them in ways which could be meaningful and applicable to their lived realities. 

Cost: $85 +GST

Please note: When submitting your payment information, ensure that the billing address matches the address on file with your card issuer. If the address is incorrect, your payment may still be processed, but an error message could appear. To avoid duplicate charges, please make only one payment attempt. Contact swdigitallearn@umanitoba.ca for assistance.

About presenters:

  • Dr. Ginnette Lafrenière

    Dr. Ginnette Lafrenière

    Dr. Lafrenière received her PhD from the University of McGill’s School of Social Work in 2005. She is the founding director of the Social Innovation Research Group (SIRG) which is a research and training incubator comprised of a multidisciplinary group of researchers and community practitioners dedicated to university-community collaboration. The guiding philosophy behind Dr. Lafrenière’s work is her belief that public intellectuals should be of service to the communities in which they operate. She currently is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University where she teaches courses in leadership, poverty, and community interventions. Dr. Lafrenière mentors undergraduate, Master’s, PhD, and post-doctoral fellows in the “art and science” of community-based research and development.

  • Dr. Ariel Kroon

    Dr. Ariel Kroon

    Ariel Kroon, PhD, is a Research Project Coordinator and Writing Consultant with the Social Innovation Research Group (SIRG) at Wilfrid Laurier University's Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work, where she has worked for the past two years. During that time, she has supported the research, coordination, writing, and delivery of reports for various community projects, both grassroots and mainstream, in the Region of Waterloo.

  • Utamika Cummings van Zyl

    Utamika Cummings van Zyl

    Utamika, MSW, RSW, PhD student, is currently a research project coordinator for the Social Innovation and Research Group (S.I.R.G) and a full-time social work PhD student at Wilfrid Laurier University. In various spaces from Guyana to Canada, she has spent the past twenty years working as a project manager, registered social worker, community consultant and educator with a passion for community research and development, capacity building with not-for-profits, and teaching at post-secondary institutions. Utamika has managed to break barriers by implementing a culture of advocacy for equity deserving groups while demonstrating a servant and transformational leadership approach in the workplace, community and classroom.

Registration

May 21 Webinar (Regular rate)

May 21, 2026 - On the Merits of Radical Flexibility Part 1 Webinar

Regular rate registration

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May 21 Webinar (Discounted rate)

May 21, 2026 - On the Merits of Radical Flexibility Part 1 Webinar

Discounted rate registration

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Upon submission, please click link to payment portal. Registration is not confirmed until payment has been received.