Implementation Science Meets Indigenous Knowledge:
Co-Creating Healthier Cities
Winnipeg Summer School 2026
**Please note all out of region spots of been filled. We are still accepting local to Winnipeg students on a rolling basis.
About
When?
June 1 -5th, 2026
Where?
St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre
Winnipeg, Manitoba
What?
Join us for the 5th SMART Healthy Cities Summer School, and for the first time, we are hosting in Manitoba!
Building on the momentum of previous years, the 2026 Summer School brings together a dynamic cohort of interdisciplinary trainees, researchers, Indigenous leaders, community partners, and sector experts for an immersive, solution-focused learning experience grounded in implementation and convergence science.
This year’s theme “Implementation Science Meets Indigenous Knowledge: Co-Creating Healthier Cities” explores four interconnected sectors of Health, Housing, Food, and Transportation examined through both urban and Indigenous perspectives. Participants will engage deeply with how these systems intersect to shape equitable, sustainable, and resilient communities.
Read more about our previous summer schools to learn more
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Each team of trainees will choose a sectoral and within-sector enterprise challenge to address during the week-long summer school. Each challenge will be carefully refined with actors involved to address key pain points in their current business/operating models. The solution proposed by each team must be practical, feasible and cross-cutting to optimize individual, organizational and social outcomes.
By the end of the 2026 SMART Summer School, participants will:
- Apply implementation science frameworks in Indigenous and urban contexts.
- Integrate Indigenous knowledge and cultural safety principles into urban systems design.
- Develop data-informed, community-grounded prototypes and implementation roadmaps.
- Present feasible pilot proposals for cross-sector partners.
Images from Summer School 2025 in Montreal.
How to apply?
Applications are open to students from across Canada at all stages of training, including:
- Senior Undergraduate
- Master’s
- PhD
- Postdoctoral Fellows
We welcome applicants from diverse disciplines who are interested in contributing to the development of healthier, more sustainable cities and communities.
A limited number of spots are available for students traveling from outside Manitoba.
Out-of-province students who are accepted into the program will be provided with a travel and accommodation bursary to help defray transportation and lodging costs to attend the Summer School.
We strongly encourage interested students from across Canada to apply early, as spaces are limited.
**Please note all out of region spots of been filled. We are still accepting local to Winnipeg students on a rolling basis.