Paula Drouin

It is very exciting how much our program has expanded since going online and IMI is to thank for
much of that growth. Our applicants are from across Canada and various countries in the world. Last
year we had two students from Malaysia and one from France. This next group will have a student
from Qatar and we have applicants for the fall cohort from Trinidad Tobago and Saudi Arabia.
Receiving CMTP status during the pandemic has really helped us become known globally. The
students are amazing and they continue to reach out to each other after the training is over. I’ve had
a few graduates start an alumni group so learners can get together to role-play practice virtually.
More IMI Qualified applicants will be coming from our Bear Paw Peace-making training, the
mediation training we deliver to the Indigenous communities in Canada. We designed and have
been delivering an 80 hour ADR training program for them for 20 years. This year we’ve added in the
components of the mediation training IMI has already approved so that their training will be
recognized. We are excited because IMI does not dictate a model which allows us to give our
trainees the freedom to demonstrate their mediation skills in a traditional way, while ensuring it is
still an interest-based process, to meet the ADR Institute of Canada requirements.