Alterna encourages women social change leaders

The Alterna Prize for Women Social Change Leaders at Ryerson University has its first winner. The award was created in 2018 by the financial institution to help women students who are leading a civic, environmental or community-based initiative or social purpose enterprise. Two prizes will be awarded each year, each valued at $2,500. Alannah Fricker, a third-year student and president and founder of the Ryerson branch of Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP) is the inaugural recipient.

“For me personally, winning the award is extremely meaningful,” says Fricker. “I took a few years off of school to support my family and, as a woman who came from a low income background, I struggled with the idea of seeing myself as a leader. For Alterna to have an award like this was really powerful and encouraging.”

Rob Paterson, President and CEO of Alterna, notes that, “Alterna believes in helping our communities thrive. Last year we donated more than $1 million to the community and, in partnership with employees, contributed 11,300 volunteer hours. We’re very proud to sponsor organizations that promote education and social entrepreneurship, such as Enactus, the Mekong Challenge, CSI (Centre for Social Innovation), and this Ryerson award,” he adds. “We support the Alterna Prize for Women Social Change Leaders and similar scholarships because we want our profits to serve a purpose and to see more women in leadership roles.”

Fricker, as head of CSSDP Ryerson, completed a number of projects over the last year that contributed to her winning the prize from Alterna. These include educational events and panels, harm reduction workshops, a report to the university and Ryerson’s president and provost on overdose prevention and response, community outreach activities, harm reduction supply distribution, and many others. Under Fricker’s leadership, CSSDP Ryerson also advocated for academic and legal protection for students who use substances, and conducted training sessions for community members on how to prevent and respond to overdoses and administer Naloxone, a medication used to block the effects of opioids.

“Drug use often goes hand in hand with poverty, homelessness, the criminalization of drugs, and the impacts of colonization and racism in Canada,” says Fricker. “Criminal and medical approaches to addressing substance use have led to policies that have had devastating impacts on individuals and communities. Until we look at social issues as a primary factor, nothing will change. That’s why I started this group. In addition to providing informational and practical tools, we can hopefully change the way we approach issues and find solutions that heal more than harm.”

Fricker is currently working on a website for CSSDP Ryerson and, in addition to planning more events and presentations, she is considering the possibility of pursuing a master’s in social justice education or criminology. She will use the award from Alterna to further CSSDP Ryerson’s fight for sensible policies and a safer, more just future for people who use drugs.

To find out how you can support students like Alannah Fricker, please visit Giving to Ryerson.