Association of Cooperative Educators

Join us for a live Zoom webinar featuring Antoine Boudreau LeBlanc, IVADO Member Researcher, UNESCO Expert, and Postdoctoral Researcher at Laval University.

Date: December 17, 2025
Time: 12:00 pm CT (1:00 pm EST)
Format: 30-minute presentation + 10-minute Q&A
Explore the possible applications of Artificial Intelligence in the agri-food sector and learn from a province-wide consensus-building process on AI, automation, digital technology, and big data. Gain insights into ethical governance, sustainability, and real-world implementation of AI in cooperative and agricultural contexts.

About the speaker:
Antoine Boudreau LeBlanc, PhD in Bioethics, is an expert in ethics and governance applied to One Health and sustainability initiatives in digital, data, AI, and socio-ecological systems. He played a central role in a consensus-building process on AI adoption in the bio-food sector and has conducted postdoctoral research on ethical governance in AI. He is affiliated with Laval University, Mila’s LiNC Lab at McGill, UNESCO, and several national research initiatives in health data and AI governance.
Learn more about his work here: https://loom.ly/tR0exQo

This webinar is part of the online course: Unlock Your Knowledge of Agricultural and Rural Cooperatives
Register here: https://loom.ly/BygdDX4

👨‍🌾 From family farm to national conservation leadership

We are honored to welcome Jeff Lakner as a guest speaker in one of our course webinars. Jeff is a South Dakota agricultural leader whose lifelong dedication to conservation began on his family farm in Wessington.

Despite early pressure to skip college, Jeff pursued agricultural business studies at SDSU, opening the door to innovation that transformed his family’s land for future generations. Today, he continues to advance sustainable agriculture through his work with cooperatives, university advisory boards, and national research organizations.

This is a unique opportunity to learn directly from someone who has lived the cooperative model every day.

Join us in the course and be inspired by Jeff’s story of persistence, innovation, and community impact. 🌱
https://loom.ly/BygdDX4

📣 Agricultural cooperatives are at the heart of thriving rural communities. At ACE, we believe the cooperative model is a powerful way to strengthen local economies and create a more sustainable future.

That is why we are proud to offer Unlock Your Knowledge of Agricultural and Rural Cooperatives in collaboration with the CHS Foundation. This fully online learning experience gives you the opportunity to:
• Explore the cooperative ecosystem in rural and agricultural contexts
• Learn from real world cooperative case studies
• Join expert led webinars for practical insights
• Receive one on one mentorship to build your own cooperative business plan

Whether you are a student or early career professional, this course will equip you with the tools to turn a cooperative idea into action.

Ready to make an impact in your community? 🌱

Enroll today and join a cohort committed to shaping the future of rural development.
https://loom.ly/yc-sk68

Congratulations to the 2025 ACE Award Recipients

Now that the Institute is behind us, we want to take a moment to celebrate the individuals and organizations whose leadership and dedication are advancing cooperative education and development across the Americas and the Caribbean. It is especially meaningful to present a new award named in honor of Mary Nirlungayuk, a leader who has advanced board governance rooted in values, cultural relevance, and community wellbeing.

The Jessica Gordon Nembhard Cooperative Education and Training Award
Bijiibah Begaye

The William Hlushko Award to Young Cooperative Educators
Grace M. Matos Morales

The Reginald J. Cressman ACE Award
Arctic Co-operatives Limited

The John Logue ACE Award
CoopZone

The William Nelson Contribution to ACE Award
Canadian Centre for the Study of Cooperatives

The Mary Nirlungayuk Award for Board and Co-op Governance
Mary Nirlungayuk ᒥᐊᕆ ᓂᓪᓗᖓᔪ

Thank you for your ongoing work to strengthen cooperative values, promote education, and build more inclusive economies.



Photo Credits: HEC Montréal, Voltaic and Institute participants.

We extend our deepest thanks to the incredible sponsors who made the 2025 ACE Institute possible.

Special gratitude to our scholarship partners: the Ralph K. Morris Foundation the Cooperative Development Foundation, and the Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse (OFQJ) en France. Your support helped bring emerging leaders to this year’s gathering.

And a warm thank you to our sponsors: Co-operatives First, CooperationWorks, National Cooperative Bank, and Shared Capital Cooperative. Your contribution helps grow the cooperative movement and deepen the impact of cooperative education.
We couldn’t do it without you.

Stay tuned for photos and more highlights from a memorable week.

Day 4 at ACE Institute 2025 wrapped with insight, impact, and inspiration.

From powerful sessions on cooperative governance, circular economy, and decolonizing practices to a lively banquet and the return of the Silent Auction, we celebrated the strength of cooperation in action.

🌟 Congratulations to our 2025 ACE Award recipients:

• Jessica Gordon-Nembhard Cooperative Education and Training Award: Bijiibah Begaye
• William Hlushko Award to Young Cooperative Educators: Grace M. Matos Morales
• Reginald J. Cressman ACE Award: Arctic Co-operatives Limited
• John Logue ACE Award: CoopZone
• William Nelson Contribution to ACE Award: Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives
• Mary Nirlungayuk Award for Board and Co-op Governance – Mary ᒥᐊᕆ Nirlungayuk ᓂᓪᓗᖓᔪ, inaugural recipient of this new award created in her name

A heartfelt thank you to IICADD for their outstanding organization and warm welcome throughout the conference.

Today is our final day in Montréal. Thank you to all who joined us and helped make this week unforgettable.

ACE Institute 2025 – Day 3 Highlights 🌿

Another powerful day in Montréal! From innovative agri-coop research to new thinking on governance, the morning sessions sparked rich discussion. A major highlight: the ACE Annual General Meeting, welcome to our newly elected board members Natalie Kallio (🇨🇦), Johan Matthews (🇺🇸), and Dr. Dess Mardan Basnet (🇳🇵)!

In the afternoon, participants explored inspiring local co-ops across the city: Bâtiment 7, Milton Parc, Le Comité, CAUS, Coop CultivAction, and MC2M Maison de la coopération du Montréal métropolitain. Real-world examples of solidarity, sustainability, and community power 💪

The momentum carries into today with our Banquet and Silent Auction, and one final morning to come!

Another powerful day at at the ICA CCR Global Research Conference!

We started with welcome remarks from all the organizing partners, including our very own President Charity Schmidt, setting the tone for a day full of connection and insight.

The sessions that followed covered a wide range of themes:
🌐 Collaboration and tools for enhancing co-op business education
🤝 Communities of practice and meaningful engagement
🌱 US Black-led food co-ops and their innovations in education and development
🏠 The (re)emergence of a Black co-op ecosystem of care

Each conversation added something meaningful. New questions, fresh thinking, and a reminder of the depth and diversity within the co-op movement.

In the afternoon, we visited Milton Parc, a neighborhood tucked between downtown Montréal and the Plateau. With 22 housing co-ops and non-profit organizations representing 640 units, it was, at its founding, the largest community housing project in North America. In the 1970s, residents came together to stop demolition plans and protect their homes, creating a living model of urban democracy that still thrives today.

Since then, Milton Parc has become a pioneer in ecology, tenant organizing, grassroots democracy, and solidarity with unhoused people. In recent years, a wave of solidarity economy initiatives has taken root, including a worker-owned bar and restaurant (Coop BMP), a coworking and community library space, collective gardens, a food bank, a youth worker co-op, a tenant union (SLAM), and Indigenous-led peer initiatives.

We closed the day with the ICA CCR Welcome Cocktail, where Nina Segalovitz delivered a stunning traditional Inuit throat singing performance. It was a grounding and powerful way to end a full day of learning and connection.

Plenty more to come. Stay tuned!

Great first day at during ICA CCR in Montréal!

Before the full week of conferences and presentations kicks off, early birds did get the worm at the visit of La Centrale agricole, a thriving co-op hub right in the heart of Montréal Island!

At this unique site, participants didn’t just learn about the promise of insect-based food systems; they experienced a remarkable ecosystem of cooperation in action. In this massive shared space, diverse co-op enterprises work side by side, transforming waste into valuable resources in a continuous, collaborative cycle.

Compost from fisheries and cider operations is used to feed insects. The insects help mitigate food industry waste. Mushrooms grown on-site are turned into building materials, which are then mixed with coffee grounds from the in-house roaster to construct the very bar where those coffees are served.

It’s a powerful example of what’s possible when co-ops collaborate under one roof.

Learn more about this inspiring initiative at https://centrale.coop/, and stay tuned: more exciting visits and sessions are on the way as hits full stride today!

🎉 The ACE Institute kicks off today!
We’re thrilled to welcome you to a week of learning, connection, and cooperation at ICA CCR 2025 in Montréal.

A few quick reminders as we get started:

🚕 Taxi Coop Montréal is available to help you get around the city! A limited number of coupons are available at the welcome desk, with priority for participants with accessibility needs. Otherwise, we encourage you to use Taxi Coop or public transit when possible.

🍹 Join us tonight for the ACE Cocktail Evening at Le Mal Nécessaire, a tropical, values-driven spot in the heart of Chinatown. Sign up here: https://loom.ly/0evGKTI
🗓 Monday, July 7
🕔 5:00–7:00 PM
📍 Le Mal Nécessaire

Come say hello, raise a glass, and celebrate the start of the week with your fellow cooperators.
Let’s make it a great start!

🚨 Last Call! 🚨

Today — Monday, June 2 — is the final day to submit your application to join the ACE Board of Directors!
We’re looking for passionate, cooperative-minded leaders to help guide ACE’s future. There are three 3-year seats and one 2-year seat to be filled, starting July 2025.
📬 To apply, send your CV, photo, and contact info to [email protected]
📅 Deadline: Today!
📍 New directors will be announced at the AGM on July 9 in Montreal.
🔍 Must be an ACE member in good standing.

Be a part of shaping cooperative education across North America and the Caribbean! 💡🌎