Course & Curriculum

Project Chrysalis features a novel 8-week course for UHN community members to learn about and integrate social justice concepts, practices, and theory for change leadership in research. The year-round course is designed to engage community members in transformative learning, while coaching them to apply their learning to the everyday settings they work in.

Become a Facilitator

Community members who complete the course are invited to join ongoing meetings of a UHN-wide community of practice. Through the community of practice, community members get connected to a growing network of course alumni to collectively foster a sense of change cohesion, continuous learning, and systems-level transformation.

Project Chrysalis Course Format

The course is comprised of six originally developed modules delivered over an 8-week period. Drop-in “office hours” are offered in between modules to create informal spaces to meet with facilitators, discuss course material, and get personalized consultation on participants’ local change initiatives.

All modules are led by expert facilitators from across UHN and the broader health system. Module ranges from 30 to 90 minutes in length. For greatest convenience, all course meetings are held during regular business hours and less busy periods in research.

Course content is delivered through a mix of synchronous (live, facilitator-led) and asynchronous (recorded, self-directed) formats. To support participant uptake and ease of schedule, total classroom learning time will not exceed 10 hours.

All modules are recorded with consent from participants and posted to a fully accessible and secure online discussion platform. Community members are encouraged to continue their critical reflections outside of the classroom through moderated online discussions, sharing additional resources, and call outs for support.

Curriculum Overview

Course modules were developed from the latest evidence in education science. They span topics from an introduction to health equity and its implications for health research, to change leadership theory, to critical strategies to identify local sites for material change.

Course launch week

Description
Pre-course materials are shared with community members to expose them to foundational principles, definitions and concepts, and examples of health research transformation through a social justice lens

Delivery Method
Asynchronous, approximately 60 minutes

Course launch week-Office Hours

Description
An informal space for participants to meet, discuss pre-course materials and begin reflecting on their potential sites for material change

Delivery Method
Synchronous, approximately 60 minutes

Module 1 – Reframing the Role of Health Research in Health Equity

Description
An overview of the purpose and significance of health equity in participants’ institutional environments, including research-related harm and research justice

Delivery Method
Asynchronous, approximately 30 minutes

Module 2 – Nurturing Sites of Momentum and Impact

Description
Participants explore the theory and practice of critical reflection and receive tools and coaching on how to identify material sites for change within participants’ locus of control

Delivery Method
Synchronous, approximately 90 minutes

Module 1 & 2-Office Hours

Description
An informal space for participants to discuss course material and apply concepts to their change plan

Delivery Method
Synchronous, approximately 60 minutes

Module 3 – Co-creating Change

Description
Understand practical approaches to co-creation and stakeholder collaboration

Delivery Method
Synchronous, approximately 90 minutes

Module 3-Office Hours

Description
An informal space for participants to discuss course material and apply concepts to their change plan

Delivery Method
Synchronous, approximately 60 minutes

Module 4 – Mapping the System for Change

Description
Practical guidance for scoping and mapping sites for local change, and developing a change plan

Delivery Method
Synchronous, approximately 90 minutes

Module 4-Office Hours

Description
An informal space for participants to discuss course material and apply concepts to their change plan

Delivery Method
Synchronous, approximately 60 minutes

Module 5 – Sustaining and Spreading

Description
An overview of key concepts and practices for building sustainability and spread into change plans

Delivery Method
Asynchronous, approximately 60 minutes

Module 6 – Final Presentations on Change Plans

Description
Participant presentation on final change implementations, rationale, and potential impacts, and next steps

Delivery Method
Synchronous, approximately 90 minutes

Core Principles

Seven core principles were co-created with partners from across Princess Margaret research and operations to inform curriculum development and approaches to delivery. The principles are shared with course facilitators prior to creating content for their sections. This helps to deepen curriculum cohesion and reinforce community members’ continuity of learning and practice across modules. The seven curriculum development principles are to:

  • Foster both healthy discomfort and safety in the learning space
  • Embed critically reflective practice throughout the curriculum
  • Maintain a focus on intervention (local sites for material change)
  • Balance content with participatory, dialogic learning
  • Engage a broad range of evidence development traditions
  • Practice citation justice, by accurately and respectfully attributing knowledge to original sources
  • Be aware of strategic alignments and other educational opportunities

In addition to the curriculum development principles, all course facilitators draw from education science to develop their content, rather than relying on archetypical learning styles or teaching methods with little evidence base.

Become a Course Facilitator

The successful spread and impact of Project Chrysalis is dependent on the community of expert facilitators, participants and supporters who actively engage with the course and community of practice. To help with this, the project team is always looking to grow a diverse network of facilitators. The program expectation is that all participating facilitators have:

  • A breadth of knowledge and teaching competencies related to at least one module
  • Availability to deliver the module(s) and support related learning and discussion outside of the classroom

In the spirit of equitably recognizing the time and labour of facilitators, they are eligible to receive a small honorarium for their contributions. The opportunity to join Project Chrysalis as a facilitator is open to all qualified people and not limited to UHN employees.

If you believe you have the time, expertise and interest required to participate as a facilitator, please email chrysalis@uhn.ca.

Sign Up for the Course 

Follow the simple process below to sign up for the course. The process takes most people roughly 20 minutes to complete.

Step 1

Open the Project Chrysalis Expression of Interest form by clicking here link.

Step 2

Complete and submit the form through our website. Email chrysalis@uhn.ca for help

Step 3

A member of the program team will contact you with next steps

Explore Partnership Opportunities

Project Chrysalis is open to partnering across a diversity of community groups, health centers, research institutes, and other practitioners of social justice and transformation.

Do you have a partnership idea or opportunity to share with Project Chrysalis?
Email a member of the program team at chrysalis@uhn.ca

Course Materials and Resources

Project Chrysalis aims to create an ever-growing, multi-media community library to support practitioners of social justice and change leadership in research. This library includes course materials and external resources to support your practice.

You can search our community library by using open search, or by browsing resources saved by theme.

Do you have a suggestion for a new resource to include in the library? Email a member of the team at chrysalis@uhn.ca