Vision

To help forge a future for every community that is healthy, sustainable, and flourishing.

Mission

To promote flourishing, sustainable, healthy communities across Alberta and Canada through multi-sectoral collaboration, cross-disciplinary engaged research and capacity building, and by contributing to evidence-informed policies and practices.

Guiding principles

Advocate for healthy communities' research platforms, programs and policy in Alberta, across Canada and internationally.

Share research outcomes with stakeholders, communities, government and the public to support practice and policy.

Partner with communities; government; non-governmental, nonprofit and grassroots organizations; private sector stakeholders, and researchers from other disciplines to build capacity and achieve shared goals.

Harness scientific and experiential expertise and access necessary tools and data to build and enhance supportive environments.

Utilize innovative and rigorous research techniques and theoretical foundations to guide research, policy, and practice.

Bridge organizations, people, places/communities, knowledge and research across multiple disciplines and sectors.

Mobilize research, community and/or practice-based expertise to develop action-focused policies, practices, and programs/services.

Address community concerns related to physical, mental, social, and environmental health, as well as the built environment and new technologies that impact health, wellbeing and quality of life.

Collaboration: We adopt a collaborative model that draws on a broad range of expertise and practice-based knowledge.

Integrity: We operate with full transparency following principles of equity, mutual respect, communication and trust among non-academic and community partners.

Sustainability: We promote longer-term, meaningful community change alongside environmental stewardship.

Research excellence: We strive to achieve excellence in all endeavours as a leader in conducting rigorous research that promotes healthy communities and associated policies and practices.

Health and quality of life: We recognize that the health of individuals and populations is shaped by the social determinants of health. With this in mind, our work takes place in a variety of sectors and settings such as communities, schools and workplaces.

Health equity and diversity: We aim to foster social inclusion and belonging and to achieve wellness for all members of communities by considering equity as well as vulnerable, marginalized and/or oppressed peoples.

Systems-based approaches: We recognize that community health is dynamic and rooted in multiple systems; therefore, we undertake a systems-based approach to addressing complex problems.