Implementation Science Meets Indigenous Knowledge:

Co-Creating Healthier Cities

Winnipeg Summer School 2026

The Summer School 2026 was a success!

Building on the momentum of previous years, the 2026 Summer School brought 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” explored four interconnected sectors of Health, Housing, Food, and Transportation examined through both urban and Indigenous perspectives. Students engage deeply with how these systems intersect to shape equitable, sustainable, and resilient communities.

The start of the 2026 SMART Summer School was filled with learning, collaboration, and new perspective as students engaged with a lineup of guest speakers and mentors who provided valuable context on healthy city challenges and introduced the “wicked problems” that teams would work to address throughout the week.

Participants also explored Winnipeg from a new perspective during a bike tour and tree planting, gaining firsthand insight into how local environments shape healthier communities.

The week concluded with student team presentations, where each group showcased innovative, evidence-informed solutions to the complex challenges they had been tackling since the start of the Summer School. Congratulations to all of our participants for their outstanding work, and a special congratulations to the teams recognized as winners in their respective streams!

Transportation Winner: Team 1
Shernell Hines
Isaak Fast
Corrine Clyne
Mohammad Mojammel Raihan

Food Access Winners: Team 2
Elle Garriock
Anita Eze
Pacific Rusati
Jeea Thakker