Strengthen how work gets done, with equity as a goal.
The Associateship in Equitable Systems Design connects organizations with practice-ready Centre for Equitable Systems Design (CESD) Associates to take on real workplace and community challenges, and produce practical deliverables, such as tools, recommendations, and process improvements teams can apply right away.
Partner with us
Partner organizations gain concrete deliverables and added capacity.
Associates build applied experience in real organizational contexts.
CESD provides structure and support throughout the program.
What is the Associateship?
The Associateship in Equitable Systems Design is a structured work-integrated learning partnership offered by UBC Extended Learning’s Centre for Equitable Systems Design (CESD).
It brings together:
- Partner organizations with equity-related priorities and challenges
- Practice-ready Associates (CESD graduates)
- CESD guidance and structure to support practical, high-quality work in context
Associates complete an initial learning phase with CESD, then apply their skills through a supported practicum within a partner organization. The result is thoughtful, practical work that partners can use.
Who the Associateship is for
Partner organizations
- Employers, nonprofits, public sector, and community organizations
- Teams seeking practical, credible support to strengthen culture, capability, and outcomes
- Organizations exploring equity and inclusion work, at different stages, from early efforts to more established practices.
Prospective associates
- CESD certificate and micro-certificate graduates
What partners gain
Practical, scoped work supported by CESD and grounded in your context.
Partners benefit from:
- Practical deliverables tailored to your organization by a CESD Associate (e.g., tools, templates, process improvements, recommendations, learning resources)
- Added capacity to move priority work forward with an equity lens
- Fresh perspective informed by best practices and lived experience
Associates develop concrete deliverables that are scoped with you, with CESD structure and support throughout.
What associates gain
Associates build confidence and credibility by applying their learning in a real organizational context.
Associates benefit from:
- Hands-on, real-world practice in equity-centered systems design
- Mentorship and guidance from CESD
- Cohort learning and peer exchange
- Portfolio-ready work and professional visibility
- Experience working with real organizations and communities
How it works
Connect • Scope • Match • Design • Deliver
- Connect: Partners share a challenge or priority with CESD.
- Scope: CESD and partners agree on the project focus, timeline, and expectations.
- Match:CESD Associates are paired to the project.
- Design: Associates develop practical work with partner touchpoints and CESD support.
- Deliver:Associates finalize and share project work at the end of the practicum period.
Explore what’s possible
In partnership with the Business + Higher Education Roundtable, and with support from the Government of Canada.
Find out more in this latest press release.
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