Partners & Sponsors

Peggy Nash is a former NDP Member of Parliament for the Parkdale–High Park riding and has served as the Official Opposition Critic in the portfolios of Finance and Industry. Before her first election in 2006, she was a senior labour negotiator with the Canadian Auto Workers (now UNIFOR), in the auto, transportation and service sectors.

Peggy has pioneered initiatives to end gender-based violence, create workplace child care and foster political involvement. She is a founding member of Equal Voice, a multi-partisan organization with the goal of electing more women. She is a frequent media commentator and international speaker on politics, women’s rights and democratic engagement. Her new book, "Women Winning Office: An Activist's Guide to Getting Elected (external link)  is now available. 

A Senior Advisor to the Dean of Arts at Toronto Metropolitan University, Peggy is co-leading the Institute for Future Legislators, as well as the Women in the House program. She is a Member of the Order of Canada, has an honorary doctorate of laws from Brock University and is a YWCA Woman of Distinction. She holds an MA in politics from York University.

Sara Singh is a former member of provincial parliament for Brampton Centre (2018-2022), she holds a Ph.D. in Policy Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University. She is a community activist, artist and educator who believes that social change takes unity, action and love. She is currently serving as a Distinguished Visiting Practitioner at Toronto Metropolitan University, where she will be teaching in the Department of Politics and Public Administration and assisting as co-lead at the Institute for Future Legislators.

John Beebe leads the Democratic Engagement Exchange, serves as Advisor to the Dean of Arts on Democratic Engagement, and an Adjunct Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. He is a long-time educator, seasoned community activist, street photographer and senior political advisor who founded the Democratic Engagement Exchange in the Faculty of Arts at Toronto Metropolitan University in 2017. Throughout his career John has remained committed to listening to and empowering people. His democratic outreach and engagement programs include the award-winning Vote PopUp and Democracy Talks initiatives. John’s political career includes work on campaigns in both Canada and the U.S., including a U.S. Senate and presidential campaign.  He served as Chief of Staff to a U.S. Congressperson and was actively engaged in a successful campaign to publicly finance state elections. John is a graduate of Tufts University. He earned his Master of International Affairs from John Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies.

"The Institute was a carefully curated program that immersed students into the workings of Canada's legislature. The program started with workshops featuring industry leaders like MPs and journalists, allowing participants to learn from their experiences. As an economics major with limited exposure to politics, I was genuinely impressed with the vast amount of knowledge I consumed during the weeks leading up to the trip to Ottawa. The mock parliament helped put our newfound knowledge to practice leaving us with invaluable skills. Overall, IFL did not just enrich our understanding of Canada's policy-making process; it also encouraged us to ground ourselves in our personal experiences to create innovative leaders for the future."