About Coady Institute
Coady Institute works alongside leaders, organizations, and partners in Canada and around the world to strengthen communities through leadership education, shared learning, and collective action.
Inspired by the Antigonish Movement’s vision of economic and social justice, Coady’s roots trace to St. Francis Xavier University’s Extension Department, established in 1928.
Working with communities across Atlantic Canada, the Extension Department advanced adult education, cooperative development, and citizen-led action. Building on this foundation, StFX established Coady International Institute in 1959 to share these approaches with communities around the world.
Today, Coady equips practitioners and community leaders with the knowledge, skills, and practical tools to strengthen leadership, foster peace and resilience, advance equity and inclusion, and support sustainable, community-led development. Through education programs, partnerships, research, and collaborative learning, the Institute helps people and organizations build on local strengths, create lasting partnerships, and respond to complex social, economic, and environmental challenges.
Located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People, on the campus of St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Coady is part of a global network of more than 11,000 graduates in 154 countries. Together, they share a commitment to creating a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world by ensuring that communities lead their own development.
“The classes were so lively, interactive, and participatory. It is indeed the best course I have ever attended. The methodology of the course was a good balance between theory and practical learning, which enables participants to apply the knowledge in day-to-day life.”
“I strongly recommend taking a course at Coady to everyone because, apart from the knowledge you stand to gain from the structured curriculum and modules, you are also exposed to vast and diverse shared experiences from high profile participants drawn from across the globe.”