Creating Impact Together
At COSTI, community engagement is vital. By celebrating achievements, supporting education, recognizing staff and championing equity, diversity and inclusion, we strengthen connections and drive meaningful impact in the communities we serve.
Empowering and Enabling Women
COSTI celebrated women’s achievements and addressed critical issues through two impactful events in March. COSTI’s annual Women’s Day Conference, titled Empower Together: Unlocking Limitless Potential, honoured our amazing staff and women entrepreneurs. The event featured a panel discussion on creating safe spaces and addressing women’s issues. Also present at this event were remarkable women-entrepreneurs showcasing their successful businesses, all of whom graduated from COSTI’s Women-Specific Employment Training (WSET) and Nurturing Creativity and Entrepreneurship in Women (NCEW) programs.
Also, in March, COSTI unveiled the Together We Thrive: Art Exhibit at Toronto City Hall, coinciding with the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. The exhibit showcased artwork by women impacted by Islamophobia, addressing their fears and anxieties while celebrating their identities, strengths and remarkable achievements. Supported by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the program provides a safe space using a trauma-informed art approach to help participants cope with discrimination.
Honouring Excellence through Scholarships
COSTI supports newcomers to Canada who are pursuing post-secondary education through scholarships funds. In 2023, four recipients were awarded scholarships and recognized for their academic excellence:
- WCPD Foundation Scholarship Fund awarded scholarships to two students, one from McMaster University and one from Centennial College.
- Vittoria Adhami Immigrant Women’s Scholarship Fund honours Vittoria Adhami’s 30-year commitment to enhancing services for female clients at COSTI. The 2023 scholarship was granted to a student at Toronto Metropolitan University.
- Mary Cellucci Women’s Scholarship Fund was established in 2023, to honour Mary Cellucci’s legacy and her nearly four decades of service at COSTI, awarding its first scholarship this year to a student at Carleton University.
Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
In 2023/24, COSTI reaffirmed its commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) through meaningful learning, community engagement, observances and celebrations. In September, CEO, Samina Sami kicked off COSTI’s Journey of Learning with a heartfelt message and important learning resources for all staff, highlighting the importance of our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, while emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and reflecting on Canada’s colonial history, and engaging in ongoing learning and dialogue towards reconciliation.
During Black History Month, COSTI celebrated the rich contributions of Black authors and activists, sharing resources that encouraged deeper understanding and reflection. Our Journey of Learning underscored the importance of education in combating racism and promoting inclusion.
Throughout the year, our staff have engaged in a variety of initiatives to help support an inclusive ecosystem for our clients, partners and staff, including supporting marginalized, vulnerable clients and responding with a trauma-informed, inclusive lens to critical incidents, addressing racism, homophobia and transphobia, supporting gender equity, challenging anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, and enabling accessibility.
We also shared 30 social media posts on each of our platforms, celebrating diverse cultures and marking commemorations, garnering over 37,000 post impressions. From Indigenous Peoples Day to Sikh Heritage Month, these posts promoted inclusion and engagement throughout the year.
