AMO Education
AMO’s educational programming provides opportunities for municipally elected officials to advance their leadership skills in a variety of areas. Our programs are custom designed specifically for municipal leaders. AMO continues to evolve its offerings so check back often.
View the complete calendar of AMO educational opportunities here. Our current programming is outlined below.
Current Educational Opportunities
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) is committed to support and enhance strong and effective municipal government in Ontario. We do that in a variety of ways including providing educational programs that provide insight, skills and tactics for elected municipal officials to build and refine their skills in the many roles and responsibilities they carry out in their local leadership roles.
Our education workshops address current and long standing matters. AMO is a non-partisan organization and does not hold or take positions on global matters.
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies: Antisemitism: Then and Now - NEW
In collaboration with the Friends of Simon Wiesenthel Centre for Holocaust Studies (FSWC), AMO is offering timely and in demand education on: Antisemitism: Then and Now.
The FSWC is one of Canada’s leading human rights and social advocacy organizations. Inspired by the legacy of Simon Wiesenthal, FSWC works to build a more inclusive and respectful Canada by sharing the lessons of the Holocaust, advocating for human rights and combatting both antisemitism and hate in all its forms.
This two-hour training covers historic and contemporary antisemitism, how to address this, and ways to build allyship. This workshop will help municipally elected officials to better understand the experience of and serve Jewish employees and community members.
New Dates Coming Soon.
Canadian Council of Muslim Women: Anti-Islamophobia Training - NEW
In collaboration with the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW), AMO is presenting a 2 hour workshop that will support AMO members to critically examine the impacts of Islamophobia on the lives of Muslims living in Canada and how it further marginalizes Black and Indigenous Muslims, queer Muslims, and Muslims with disabilities. Participants will what Islamophobia is and how to be active allies to counter Islamophobia.
The CCMW is an organization dedicated to the empowerment, equality and equity of all Muslim women in Canada. Their mission is to affirm the identities of Canadian Muslim women and promote their lived experiences through community engagement, public policy, stakeholder engagement and amplified awareness of the social injustices that Muslim women and girls endure in Canada, while advocating for their diverse needs and equipping local CCMW chapters with the necessary resources to maximize national efforts and mobilize local communities to join the movement.
New Dates Coming Soon.
Cybersecurity for Municipal Elected Officials - Prevent, Prepare and Respond
Ransome ware attacks on municipal organizations are on the rise. You may believe you have your basis covered, but do you? This workshop lead by experts in the cybersecurity field from the Rogers Catalyst Cybersecurity Centre at TMU will help you build the protections you need to keep your municipality safe from attack. This workshop will guide participants through short lectures, guided discussions, and activities. Elected officials will be provided insight and information to better understand the landscape and critical decisions related to preventing, preparing for, and responding to cybersecurity incidents.
September 24, 2024- Registration and Full details |
Governance and Leadership Education
Councillor Training - Refresh and Refine
The demanding arena of municipal politics requires you to be up-to-date on issues (many!) and to have the skills and insight to manage expectations and relations, while delivering on strategies and commitments in a relatively short period of time. This is a tall order. AMO’s Education provides the foundations and insights to support you as you continue the role of local leader.
New dates coming soon.
Advanced Councillor Training Series
Elected municipal officials are facing many pressures. This includes: provincial interventions in municipal matters, a lack of Council cohesion, concerns about ethical behaviour, the challenges of municipal stewardship, relations with municipal staff, the demands placed upon you by constituents...and of course your unique experiences arising from local matters. The pressure is real and we are here to support you.
Session 1- Focus on Governance and Leadership
You will explore each of these elements, your roles and responsibilities within and effective, healthy and productive approaches to each.
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Session 2 - Strategic thinking, planning and leading
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Session 3 - Community Engagement Strategic Approaches
Session 3 is really important. It helps you demystify a number of key municipal responsibilities. Budget and strategic planning are a great internal exercise but if your constituents and community members don’t really understand what you are doing, why you are doing it and how priorities are identified and planned for, well, we all understand what the fallout can look like. This session explores the importance of and options to community engagement and how leadership is the key ingredient to meaningful and impactful local engagement.
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AMO- Abilities Centre: Disability Inclusion Workshop and Panel Discussion - NEW
Accessibility and inclusion are more than meeting your obligations under Ontario’s AODA Standards. Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committees provide important insight and direction for municipalities in building accessible and inclusive communities.
AMO has partnered with the Abilities Centre to enhance elected officials understanding and approach to inclusion. The Disability Inclusion Workshop and Panel Discussion will highlight best practices and provides a platform for local leaders to reflect on your own and your organizations knowledge and approach to inclusion.
You will leave this workshop with a greater depth of knowledge and understanding that is essential to providing access and the ability to enjoy your community.
New dates coming soon.
Municipal Codes of Conduct: Essential to Good Governance - NEW
Municipal Codes of Conduct are extremely valuable for local councils to establish a general standard to ensure that all Members of Council share a common basis for acceptable conduct, and to which all Members are expected to adhere to and comply with. As AMO and municipalities await provincial direction, your Association has developed a course that helps and guides municipal leaders in: developing or revitalizing existing codes of conduct, establishing buy-in or ownership at council, expectations on ethical behaviour and how to ensure adherence, how to address and manage breaches, Integrity Commissioners as a supporting resource and so much more.
This training will be delivered by a leading Ontario lawyer in the municipal sphere including in that of integrity commissioners.
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Competing Rights: What You Need to Know! - NEW
As elected officials, you often face complex issues that seem to pit rights of one group against the rights of others. What do you do when faced with this? This training will help you negotiate these sensitive situations including what you, as an elected official, need to do to fulfill your human rights obligations. This 3-hour virtual event is focused on the perspective and realities of elected officials.
September 26, 2024 - Registration and Full Details |
Islam: Its Roots and Wings - NEW
AMO has partnered with the Canadian Council of Muslim Women to offer AMO members an opportunity to learn about Islam and honour the rich history and diversity of Canadian Muslims and Muslims living across the globe.
New dates coming soon.
Managing Communications through Crisis - NEW
During times of crisis such as natural disasters or public disruption, municipally elected officials find themselves at the front line and facing the expectations of providing up to date and useful information to their communities. This interactive, one-day course will teach participants how to manage all aspects of crisis communications during an emergency or large-scale event. Participants will learn how to be comfortable with managing local, national, digital and social media to get messages heard. This educational opportunity will provide attendees with techniques to effectively and proactively communication with the community and media.
| October 9-10, 2024 Registration and Full Details |
Navigating Conflict Relationships as an Elected Official (NCR 1.0)
Municipal life is very much a people-oriented business, meaning elected representatives must engage in and build a wide variety of relationships with constituents, municipal staff, other elected officials, other orders of government and community organizations. Participants will gain skills in building collaborative relationships and negotiating difficult ones in their role as an elected municipal official.
October 16 - 17, 2024 - Registration and Full Details |
Navigating Conflict: Advanced Strategies for Elected Officials to Master Conflict Relationships (NCR 2.0) - NEW
Building on AMO’s in demand program, Navigating Conflict Relationships as an Elected Official (NCR 1.0), Advanced Strategies for Elected Officials (NCR 2.0), will take you to the next level of negotiating one of the more difficult aspects of local leadership: relationships.
New dates coming soon
Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC): Indigenous Community Awareness
The AMO-OFIFC Indigenous Cultural Competency Training helps build indigenous cultural competency in municipal government by providing knowledge and tools to utilize in moving improved and stronger relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. This session includes both self-paced learning modules and a live virtual component
October 8, 2024- Registration and full details
Foundations in Planning for Elected Officials
An interactive and engaging half day session that familiarizes participants with legislation, processes and provides real life examples to give a deep understanding and insight into important planning matters.
October 22, 2024 - Registration and Full Details |
Advanced Land Use Planning: A Deeper Dive
This course examines, from a strategic perspective, the planning process and the complexities that people can bring to the process. Over three hours, participants will engage in case studies and real life examples that are analyzed and understood through instructor lead instruction and group discussion.
October 23, 2024 - Registration and Full Details |