Tech Stewardship
Practice Program
Bend the arc of technology
towards good.
Become a Tech Steward.
12hrs | Online | Self Paced
Late registration for the Fall program open until Nov. 15th, 2023
Technology is transforming our world
- for better and worse.
Now more than ever, those of us involved in the creation and application of technology need to consider the social, ethical and environmental impacts of our work. Join a growing movement of tech stewards who believe better is possible.
Program Overview
The program is for any professionals or post-secondary students who have an interest in helping bend the arc of technology towards benefit for all.
It consists of a series of simple, yet powerful, reflective exercises (practice cycles) that are designed to overlay your technical and innovation efforts.
It has been designed with plenty of flexibility, so it can easily fits in with your work, educational, and personal commitments.
Once you have completed this program to launch your practice, the Tech Stewardship Network offers various types of support for you to maintain your practice.
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ADVANCE UNDERSTANDING
Deepen understanding of our relationship with technology, challenge dangerously limited narratives and stereotypes.
Estimated 4 hrs to complete 5 practice cycles -
DELIBERATE VALUES
Seek to understand how our values are shaping and being shaped by the technologies we build and scale.
Estimated 4 hrs to complete 5 practice cycles -
PRACTICE BEHAVIOURS
Practice the daily behaviours that enable progress in all its forms - from incremental steps all the way to breakthroughs! Plus learn how to maximize your opportunities by integrating your Tech Stewardship & Career Management Practices.
Estimated 4 hrs to complete 5 practice cycles
Earn A Micro-Credential
What leaders are saying
“Too often technological development is focused on frivolous purposes when there is so much to be done to meet our sustainable development challenges.”
Mary Wells, Dean, Waterloo Engineering
“The creators and designers of technology have the right to interrogate the ethics of what they are developing. But our ethics only extend as far as our lines of inquiry. More responsible technology starts when we grant ourselves and each other the permission to inquire.”
Martin Ryan, Strategy & Stewardship, ServiceNow
“Diversity and inclusion is critical to both the means and ends of tech stewardship. To start we must combat the ‘myth of rationality’ in engineering and tech fields that has for too long created a headwind against substantive change.”
Marisa Sterling, P.Eng. – Past President, Professional Engineers Ontario
“To find regenerative paths forward, there is an opportunity to dance with different ways of knowing. Instead of choosing sides, we can enter a reflective space that welcomes a third presence where we combine insights from both.””
Melanie Goodchild – Co-Founder, Turtle Island Institute
Funding Partners
Facilitation Partners
Organizational Partners
Academic Partners
Facilitators
Mark Abbott (he/him)
Director, Tech Stewardship
Mark Abbott, P.Eng., MBA, is an Ashoka Fellow who currently serves as the founding director of the Tech Stewardship Initiative and the Engineering Change Lab. Both initiatives are based at MaRS Discovery District, the world’s largest urban innovation hub. Tech Stewardship are the practices that help bend the arc of technological development towards benefit for all. The goal of the Engineering Change Lab is to make Tech Stewardship the new normal in the engineering community. Previously, Mark served as a member of the Executive Team at Engineers Without Borders Canada for several years. Before that, Mark spent fourteen years working for a heavy industrial consulting engineering firm based in Vancouver.
HD McKay
Sr Manager, Tech Stewardship
HD McKay is currently the Sr Manager for the Tech Stewardship Program at the MaRS Discovery District. In the past she has been a research Librarian in higher education, a user experience designer working with startups to test highly focused MVPs, as well as facilitating cross-sector stakeholders to tackle complex social problems using innovation methods. She has applied her professional training in information studies and interaction design across trans-disciplinary projects. She brings 15 years of professional experience conducting mixed methods research; and designing, prototyping, delivering, and managing novel programs and services. She holds a Masters of Information Studies from the University of Toronto, a Graduate Certificate in E-Learning for adult learners from North Carolina State University - and has never stopped learning.
Mark Franklin (he/him)
Practice Leader at CareerCycles & Co-Founder of OneLifeTools
Mark Franklin, MEd, PEng, spent 10 years in engineering before shifting into career development. "People often ask me about my career change from engineering to career development. Really I never left engineering! In my work leading CareerCycles and OneLifeTools I “redeployed” my systems thinking and structured problem solving skills to focus on the 'wicked problems' of dissatisfaction and disengagement." Much of Mark's work is with engineers and others with technical professions, and leading employers who are looking for Tech Stewards (whether they use that term yet or not!). Mark has been involved in the Engineering Change Lab for several years.
Tech Stewardship Network
A Diverse Group Of Leaders
Throughout the program, we will introduce you to a diverse group of Tech Stewards with different professional backgrounds working in different sectors (industry, academia, government, professional associations, and civil society) - but all unified in their goal of helping shape technology for the benefit of all!
What past participants had to say...
“The program was life changing! It has shaped my approach to ethics and how technology can be harnessed to serve a greater good. ”
Naturinda E. - Entrepreneurship Fellow - BSc Medical Tech
“After understanding the concepts of tech stewardship, I was highly able to relate it to my current work practices. ”
Viraj K. - Postgrad Engineering Business
“The program did not feel like an obligation or a task to do, but rather a moment in my week where I sat and learned something I enjoyed. ”
Sebastian L. - Undergrad Business
“The program provided an abundance of examples of how to integrate tech stewardship practice into future jobs and learning opportunities. ”
Sivan P. - Undergrad Engineering
“The tech stewardship certificate will help me stand out to recruiters, as it is proof of my ability to think critically about tech. ”
Jennifer N. - Undergrad Commerce
“My experience with the tech stewardship program has reignited my interest in my engineering education.
”
Engineering Student - Winter 2022 participant
“Even as someone who has decades of experience, I found a number of resources that were helpful and challenged me to stretch my thinking to new areas.”
Suzanne K. - Dean of Engineering
FAQ
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What is Tech Stewardship?
Tech Stewardship is a professional identity, orientation and practice. As tech stewards, we continuously discuss, refine and imagine new ways to shape technology for the benefit of all. The essence of Tech Stewardship practice is about supporting each other to better navigate the tensions we face in our day-to-day work.
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Who developed these concepts and who is behind this program?
Starting in 2015, a coalition of diverse engineers, technologists and creators began meeting around the question: how can we ensure technology is beneficial for all? So far, over 350 leaders from 150 organizations have contribute deeply to shaping tech stewardship as a response, and thousands more have contributed. This program is the next step in that journey, and is being supported by the Facilitation, Organizational, and Academic partners whose logos are listed above. As you engage with this program, we invite you to join the growing community of leaders who are shaping the concept of Tech Stewardship and the shared infrastructure to support our collective practice.
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Is this just about digital and cutting edge tech?
No! The program will support anyone involved in the creation and application of physical, digital, biological technology in all stages of development. From traditional tech in well established sectors like mining, to leveraging AI to develop a dating app, all they way to the design of gene editing technologies in healthcare and everything in-between.
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Is this just for engineers and technical folks?
No. The program is open to anyone and is designed to break down silos by creating common language and shared practice. It is for those:
-> Who focus on the creation and application of technology (e.g. engineers, computer scientists, technologists).
-> Who focus on scaling and providing access to technology (e.g. entrepreneurs and business people).
-> Who study the nature of technology and seek to regulate its impacts (e.g. policy makers, social scientists).
-> Who contribute through fields like architecture and city planning, where training and work already includes a significant amount of technical and social integration.
-> Who reflect on our past, present and future (e.g. futurists, artists, historians).
And for anyone else who wants to help play their part in bending the arc of technology towards good! -
What will the program look like / how will it be delivered?
The program has been designed as a light and flexible overlay to existing work and education activities. It consists of a series of "practice cycles," each of which is framed around a simple, yet powerful question. Short videos are use to introduce questions and share sample responses before you are invited to share your own reflection. There is then a short debrief video to cap things on before you go to the next cycle. For those who prefer, there are slides that can act as a substitute or supplement for each video. For those who are interested in going deeper on questions, optional resources and references are provided throughout.
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How long / how much effort will the program take?
The program is estimated to require 12hours of effort. Our recommended "ideal" pacing for the entire program is 12 hours over 12 weeks, which allows time for reflection and adsorption of the key concepts. The shortest reasonable time to complete the program is 5 weeks. Although it is possible to go through all of the materials in one long sitting, we strongly suggest spreading out the practice behaviour portion of the program to ensure maximum benefit.
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When will I have access to the program / what happens if I don't finish in time?
There are three runnings of the program every year. Registration typically opens roughly one before the program materials become available. If you pre-register before this date, you'll have to wait for the materials to become available. If you register after the materials are released, you will have immediate access:
-> Winter Program materials become available on January 1st and the program closes on April 30th.
-> Summer Program materials become available on May 1st and the program closes on August 31st
-> Fall Program materials become available on September 1st and the program closes on December 31st.
If you are not able to complete a program before it's closing date, you can simply register for the next version of the program and pick up where you left off. You are allowed to do this one time without having to pay again. -
How will this program help me to get a job / advance my career?
More and more leaders are looking for Tech Stewardship - whether they use the specific term or not. At the same time, leaders are engaging directly in the growing Tech Stewardship movement; you will have an opportunity to connect with some of them during the program. We also provide strategies to leverage the micro-credential you earn in the program to support continued connections once you're done.
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How will I be evaluated?
The program consists of a series of reflective questions that don't have right or wrong answers. Therefore, we won't be evaluating the substance of your responses, rather simply that you've taken the reflection process seriously.