Calgary ACORN Hosts First Leadership School: Building Skills, Confidence, and Power
Posted November 22, 2025
Calgary ACORN held its first ever Leadership School On Saturday, November 22nd, bringing together a strong turnout of members from neighbourhoods across the city for a day of training, learning, and collective strategy-building. The room was full of engaged voices, thoughtful debate, and the kind of dynamic participation that defines grassroots community engagement.
The Leadership School featured three core workshops designed to strengthen member leadership and civic knowledge and prepare ACORN members for the major municipal opportunities ahead.
Media Training
Members learned how to speak confidently to reporters, stay on message, and represent ACORN’s campaigns with clarity and power. Through practice interviews and group coaching, members built skills that will help amplify the voices of low to moderate income voices in the City.
Municipal Civics
The second session focused on understanding how Calgary’s municipal government works, what issues fall under the city’s jurisdiction, and where ACORN’s platform fits into that landscape. Members learned how to find their councillor, how to make contact, and how key policies like landlord licensing and a max heat bylaw move through City Hall.
2026 Budget & Public Deputations
The final workshop prepared members for the upcoming 2026 budget process. Participants learned how to register to speak, how to craft effective deputations, and how to advocate for priorities such as emergency repairs at the Old Y, stronger enforcement of housing standards, and renter protections. Members practiced writing and delivering short speeches to build confidence for real council meetings.
Throughout the workshop, members brought forward their ideas, questions, disagreements, and lived experience. The energy in the room reflected what makes ACORN strong: a community of people directly affected by the housing crisis, coming together to learn, lead, and take action.
This Leadership School is the first of many. ACORN members are ready to show up at City Hall, speak out, and ensure that the issues facing low- and moderate-income Calgarians are impossible to ignore.
