Celebrating community impact and sustainability with Sovereign in 2024!


Celebrating community impact and sustainability with Sovereign in 2023

LGBT YouthLine has been making great strides in helping 2SLGBTQI+ youth in Ontario&rsquo;s Northern, remote, rural, and Indigenous communities get better access to resources and support.
Last year, as part of our 70th anniversary celebrations, Sovereign donated $70,000 to <a href="https://www.youthline.ca/">LGBT YouthLine</a>, an organization that shares our values for diversity and inclusion. We connected with Youth Line to learn how they put the funds to good use.
These are just some of their impressive accomplishments over the past year:
<h4>Creating a new outreach program</h4>
In 2023, in response to the closing of the Provincial Youth Ambassador Project (PYAP), YouthLine formed the Northern, Rural, Remote, and Indigenous (NRRI) outreach program. The project aims to engage with 2SLGBTQI+ youth in underserved communities through on-the-ground training, presentations, and community projects.
Launching a new program comes with challenges, and funding from Sovereign helped to get the program off the ground and establish a Youth Line presence in NRRI communities. One year later, this outreach program has reached as least 940 NRRI community members!
&ldquo;Thanks to the generous contribution from Sovereign, we hired a dedicated Northern, Rural, Remote, and Indigenous Specialist to expand our outreach work,&rdquo; said Sierra Savedra, Manager of Outreach and Training with YouthLine.
For Sovereign, this isn&rsquo;t a one-off initiative, we&rsquo;re committed to supporting more diverse and inclusive communities and workplaces.
&ldquo;This contribution reflects our commitment to diversity and inclusion and the resilient communities we serve,&rdquo; said Barb Stephens, AVP of Internal Communications with Sovereign. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re gratified to know that YouthLine was able to reignite its Northern, Rural, Remote, and Indigenous outreach program as a result of our funding.&rdquo;
<h4>Supporting key events</h4>
Over the past year, this funding helped to support key events:
<ul>
<li>2S Powwow in Georgian Bay provided an opportunity for 2SLGBTQI+ youth to meet event organizers in-person, fostering stronger connections.</li>
<li>Katatnolunkwa (&ldquo;I Love Me&rdquo;) Community Pride, hosted on the Oneida of the Thames First Nation, which included participation in an Oneida rainbow flag-raising ceremony.</li>
<li>Sioux Lookout Drag Show, which provided an engaging platform for entertainment and community engagement.</li>
</ul>
&ldquo;This also enabled us to table and make connections at key events in Northern Ontario, which has grown into our current collaborative project conducting a survey and creating resources for 2-Spirit and Indigequeer youth in the North,&rdquo; said Savedra.
<h4>Enacting grassroots initiatives</h4>
Some of the other impacts YouthLine has made over the past year include:
<ul>
<li>Connecting face-to-face with youth in communities where 2SLGBTQI+ representation and events are few and far between.</li>
<li>Fostering relationships with community organizers and key organizations in underserved regions and initiating new collaborations.</li>
<li>Distributing resources and outreach materials to youth, allies, and service providers in NRRI regions. Continuing its relationship with Ever Sick (a 2-Spirit drag collective) and Grand Council Treaty 3 (a First Nations government), through a collaboration on developing resources for 2S and Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ community members in Treaty 3 territory.</li>
</ul>
<h4>&nbsp;About LGBT YouthLine</h4>
YouthLine was formed in 1993 to provide toll-free phone support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and questioning youth across Ontario. While&nbsp;support lines&nbsp;already existed in larger cities, the group recognized the need for a province-wide support line in underserved areas to alleviate the isolation and loneliness felt by queer youth.
In response to changing technology, YouthLine launched a live online chat in 2009 and text support in 2011 for its peer support services. Youth Line&nbsp;also offers a resource database to ensure youth in rural and suburban regions have access to current, reliable resources. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the peer support volunteer program has operated remotely, and YouthLine has trained numerous queer and trans youth volunteers across Ontario on providing peer support. With funding, the organization can continue to support 2SLGBTQI+ youth in Ontario&rsquo;s Northern, remote, rural, and Indigenous communities.
Learn more about Sovereign&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.sovereigninsurance.ca/diversityinclusionjourney">diversity and inclusion journey</a> and the amazing organizations and causes we&rsquo;ve championed.

How YouthLine is making a difference for 2SLGBTQI+ youth

Celebrating community impact and sustainability with Sovereign in 2024!

Purpose And Impact

Infographic

About us

Diversity and Inclusion

Newsroom

Media Kit

Claims

Contact us

Team-building exercises in the workplace can help build trust among employees, improve camaraderie, and increase collaboration, innovation, and morale. These are many of the same goals that DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs aim to achieve, so it&rsquo;s well worth integrating DEI into your next team-building event.
In fact, when organizations incorporate DEI into team-building events, they can help to foster a greater understanding of the diverse backgrounds and experiences of employees, which in turn can cultivate greater empathy and respect.1
DEI team-building ideas
There are many ways to not only celebrate diversity at your organization, but also cultivate a better appreciation for and understanding of DEI within your organization. Here are some DEI themed ideas to consider incorporating into your next teambuilding event:
Guest speakers: Bring in guest speakers who specialize in DEI topics, such as cultural awareness, understanding stereotypes, and unconscious bias. Events can be held in person or online but be sure to leave time afterward for questions and discussion among employees.2
DEI book club: A fun way to explore different viewpoints is through a book club, where books are chosen based on DEI themes such as race, gender, disability, etc. Make sure the books selected are engaging (you don&rsquo;t want it to feel like homework) and give employees plenty of time to read the book (at least a month). Then hold an in-person or virtual meeting to discuss.3
Team-building games: Games aren&rsquo;t just fun; they can be educational. A trivia session, for example, can be done either in-person or with remote teams. By divvying employees up into teams and encouraging friendly competition, the event will be more engaging&mdash;helping employees retain what they learn. The idea is to highlight lesser-known facts about DEI to encourage discussion and learning.4
Celebrations: Year-round, organizations can honour observances such as Black History Month (February), Mental Health Awareness Month (May), Pride Month (June) and Women&rsquo;s History Month (October), as well as a diverse range of religious and cultural holidays.5 These could be ideal times to share educational resources, demonstrate allyship, and amplify the voice of non-profits or charitable organizations working in this space.
Volunteer: Another option is to offer volunteer opportunities for employees&mdash;as a team&mdash;in the community, such as serving food to the unhoused or helping at a charity event, which can create camaraderie while fostering greater understanding and empathy for others.
<h4>Sovereign: DEI in action</h4>
Sovereign Insurance put DEI into action during a team-building event at its 2023 Claims Conference in Calgary, which brought together 52 team members from across Canada. The conference&rsquo;s theme, &lsquo;The power of connection,&rsquo; emphasized the importance of building strong relationships with peers and with the community.
One of the highlights of the conference was a team-building activity that included participants simulating accessibility challenges. By experiencing first-hand the limitations of loss of sight, hearing, or touch, the team gained a better understanding of the widespread need for differently abled and disability accommodations.
The team also built wheelchairs for the Calgary Drop-in Centre, to create a meaningful and tangible impact for the community. As a result, nine wheelchairs were donated to those in need, and the team was proud to show their commitment to diversity and inclusion.
&ldquo;For our Claims Conference, we wanted to select an activity that allowed us to both collaborate as a team and reflect upon our commitment to making a positive impact in our communities,&rdquo; says Larissa Maclean, Assistant Vice-President of Claims at Sovereign Insurance.
&ldquo;The challenge activities supported our ongoing commitment to DEI, allowing us to gain insight into the challenges faced by those who are differently-abled, and resulted in the donation of nine wheelchairs to a local organization&mdash;a win-win!&rdquo;
These activities were organized through <a href="https://www.outbackteambuilding.com/">Outback Team Building &amp; Training</a>, a team building and employee training provider in North America that offers more than 60 team-building and training solutions endorsed by thousands of corporate groups across North America.6
&nbsp;
Sources:
1 &ldquo;15 Fun Diversity Team Building Activities&rdquo; (Teamland, accessed Jan. 16, 2024). <a href="https://www.teamland.com/post/fun-diversity-team-building-activities">15 Fun Diversity Team Building Activities (teamland.com)</a>
2 Angela Robinson; &ldquo;18 Virtual Diversity And Inclusion Activities For Workplaces&rdquo; (teambuilding.com, Oct. 24, 2022). <a href="https://www.teamland.com/post/fun-diversity-team-building-activities">15 Fun Diversity Team Building Activities (teamland.com)</a>
3 Collin Waldoch; &ldquo;Diversity and inclusion Team Building Activities (10 Options), (Water Cooler Trivia, Apr. 1, 2022). <a href="https://www.watercoolertrivia.com/blog/diversity-and-inclusion-team-building-activities">Diversity And Inclusion Team Building Activities (10 Options) (watercoolertrivia.com)</a>
4 &ldquo;15 Fun Diversity Team Building Activities&rdquo; (Teamland, accessed Jan. 16, 2024). <a href="https://www.teamland.com/post/fun-diversity-team-building-activities">15 Fun Diversity Team Building Activities (teamland.com)</a>
5 Grace He; &ldquo;Diversity and Inclusion Activities &amp; Ideas for the Office in 2024&rdquo; (teambuilding.com, Dec. 12, 2023). <a href="https://teambuilding.com/blog/diversity-and-inclusion-activities">Diversity and Inclusion Activities &amp; Ideas for the Office in 2024 (teambuilding.com)</a>
6 Outback Team Building, accessed Jan. 16, 2024. <a href="https://www.outbackteambuilding.com/">The #1 Corporate Team Building Company | Outback Team Building</a>

DEI-themed ideas for your next team-building event

In a traditional industry like insurance, change can sometimes happen at a gradual pace. But there&rsquo;s one emerging technology many businesses might be wise to move quickly on: Generative AI.
Hailed as a transformative force in business, Generative AI (GenAI) refers to deep-learning models that can generate high-quality text, images and other content based on the data they were trained on.1 While GenAI&rsquo;s roots trace back to the early days of artificial intelligence in the 1950s, the technology burst on the public scene in 2022, when OpenAI launched a consumer-facing GenAI tool called ChatGPT.2
In the insurance sector, experts say GenAI is &ldquo;fundamentally reshaping everything from underwriting and risk assessment to claims processing and customer service.&rdquo; More specifically, GenAI tools &ldquo;have the potential to automate processes, enhance customer experiences and streamline claims management, ultimately driving efficiency and effectiveness across the industry.&rdquo;3
In the Canadian Underwriter 2024 National Broker Survey, sponsored by Sovereign Insurance, brokers were asked how beneficial certain changes or investments have been in their organizations. Just over a fifth (21%) of respondents said using artificial intelligence and machine learning tools such as ChatGPT have been highly beneficial to them. Brokers were also asked how beneficial certain investments and actions have been for strengthening their business. Twenty-two percent of brokers indicated AI and machine learning tools have been highly beneficial on that front.&nbsp;
While it&rsquo;s still early days for generative AI, there&rsquo;s no doubt brokers and carriers alike are thinking about how they can harness the power of GenAI across their operations. Here&rsquo;s a look at a few key areas where the sector can leverage AI.&nbsp;
Claims management: For carriers, one promising application is in claims management, says Ricky Chan, Senior Solution Architect at Sovereign Insurance. &ldquo;Generative AI can help automate claims processing and assessment, which in turn increases adjusters&rsquo; productivity, allowing them to focus their expertise on more complex claims,&rdquo; he says.&nbsp;
Underwriting: GenAI can also help inform underwriting decisions. As Accenture notes, the technology highlights risk control analysis insights to show loss prevention measures in place and the effectiveness of those controls. Generative AI can generate a comprehensive narrative of the overall risk and its alignment to the carrier&rsquo;s appetite and book, as well as identify and source missing data.4
Submissions: For brokers, GenAI has a variety of promising use cases, such as submission preparation and client Q&amp;As. According to Accenture, the effort required to identify adequate coverage and prepare submissions can be dramatically reduced through GenAI. Specifically, the technology can prompt the broker on the types of questions they should ask based on what is known about the insured, the industry the insured operates in, and the risk profile of the insured&rsquo;s company compared to others. In addition, GenAI could identify potentially overlooked up-sell or cross-sell opportunities.5
Information and knowledge: For any company, GenAI can make day-to-day work life easier by performing administrative tasks and knowledge gathering, an area that Sovereign is currently exploring. &ldquo;There are substantial positive impacts to day-to-day operations, such as summarizing information and meeting minutes, intelligent information search and ease of access of information,&rdquo; says Ricky.&nbsp;
Chad Hunter, Vice-President, Information Technology at Sovereign Insurance, adds that Sovereign &ndash; like many companies &ndash; uses a handful of different platforms and domains, including e-mail, OneDrive, SharePoint and Microsoft Teams. By using a natural language chatbot or co-pilot tool, the company&rsquo;s knowledge and data could be streamlined. For example, &ldquo;instead of underwriters having to go to several different spots looking for knowledge, they could use the chatbot&hellip; and behind the scenes, that generative AI model will go to all the different areas and provide real-time responses,&rdquo; explains Chad.&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s next for GenAI? Beyond just talking about the possibilities of the technology, many companies in the insurance space &ndash; Sovereign included &ndash; are now testing and learning. Looking ahead, Deloitte notes that as generative AI moves from possibilities to practicalities, choosing the right use cases, selecting appropriate tools, getting to scale, and accurately measuring progress will all be important steps.6

Sources&nbsp;
1 IBM, &ldquo;<a href="https://research.ibm.com/blog/what-is-generative-AI">What is generative AI?</a>&rdquo; April 20,2023 2 Medium, &ldquo;<a href="https://matthewdwhite.medium.com/a-brief-history-of-generative-ai-cb1837e67106">A Brief History of Generative AI</a>,&rdquo; Jan. 7, 2023 3 EY, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.ey.com/en_us/insights/insurance/how-insurers-can-leverage-the-power-of-generative-ai">How insurers can leverage the power of generative AI</a>,&rdquo; Aug. 28, 2023 4 Accenture, &ldquo;<a href="https://insuranceblog.accenture.com/3-ways-insurance-underwriters-gain-insights-generative-ai">3 ways insurance underwriters can gain insights from generative AI</a>,&rdquo; March 21, 2024 5 Accenture, &ldquo;<a href="https://insuranceblog.accenture.com/5-key-generative-ai-use-cases-in-insurance-distribution">5 key generative ai use cases in insurance distribution</a>,&rdquo; Feb. 13, 2024 6 Deloitte, &ldquo;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/consulting/us-state-of-gen-ai-report-q2.pdf">Now decides next: Getting real about Generative AI</a>,&rdquo; April 2024

Celebrating community impact and sustainability with Sovereign in 2024!

Celebrating community impact and sustainability with Sovereign in 2024!

You may also like