SWELL COLLECTIVE’S
Facilitators Academy
A community of learning and practice
Developing a trusted and skilled pool of facilitators who can create spaces rooted in equity and inclusion, and creating a community of practice among facilitators, will have an exponential impact on collaborative effectiveness. Supporting this network of facilitators with holistic and ongoing peer coaching that is trauma-aware will accelerate the positive impact of all of their endeavors.
Many of us find ourselves inspired to be of service as facilitators of group process, restorative accountability, and engaging training. Facilitation, while desperately needed in these times of conflict and global crises, has yet to be fully distinguished as the unique art and science that it is. Many of us called to this leadership role either inside of organizations, or externally as consultants, have been largely self-taught or mentored without any formalized learning paths or communities of practice. For facilitators representing historically marginalized identities, trusted mentors, who understand our unique cultural needs and super powers, can be hard to find.
We are co-creating the Facilitators Academy with our peers in the field to create a network of facilitators around the world who can offer peer mentorship to each other. Together we are creating courses, and communities of learning and practice, to amplify the field.
Facilitators will change the way the world works…
A MESSAGE FROM EMILY
Over the course of thousands of hours designing and facilitating collaborative experiences and decision making, I have had the opportunity to learn alongside masters of the art and science of facilitation. I have watched in awe as conflict has been transformed into deepened trust and creative innovation. As a woman of color, I deeply understand the nuance of navigating our own identities in service to this work while at the same time developing practices of self and community-care that allow me to continue to show up as my best self in this work. I also am a self described “geek” and I have discovered the best technology to scale our work across the confines of time and geography.
Facilitators of effective collaboration are in high demand in communities and industries around the world. I am so excited to grow this community of practice with you so we can discover joy and creativity at the intersections of our differences and together, offer the spaces of community building our world desperately needs.
Explore these growth edges
Are you inspired to lead and collaborate in a way that rises to the challenges and opportunities of our twenty-first century reality? Do you believe that achieving your own professional goals shouldn’t be at odds with the joy and potential that your peers possess? Efficiency and authenticity don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Get aligned
The Academy offers helpful scaffolds to build a practice. Whether interally, inside an organization, or as an outside consultant, we meet each other where we are. We share efficient road maps, templates and plans with each other to grow the effectiveness of the field.
Create Connection
Seeking to inspire connection and collaboration? The new hybrid reality means some of us are back to in-person and some of us are still remote. This creates challenges and opportunities to facilitate spaces for connection.
Reconcile Your Whole Self as a Leader
Have you wondered how to bring your entire self to your facilitation? It may seem counter-intuitive but you are a stronger leader when you lead with vulnerability and authenticity.
MEET SOME OF OUR ACADEMY MEMBERS…
Kit Amreik
The Facilitators Academy was a very invigorating experience and helped reorient my life when I needed it. I appreciate the manner that Emily as well as the team facilitated such a wonderful space. It encouraged me to come out of my shell and roar as a lion :]
Restorative & Transformative justice practitioner
“It encouraged me to come out of my shell and roar as a lion”
“I felt as if a more communitarian future were being manifested before my eyes.”
NANCY LATHAM
I learned so much from the Facilitators Academy – it wasn’t only about facilitation tools (although we learned a lot about those!) – it was really about holding a gentle space for people to bring forward their most authentic selves (even in these awkward Zoom spaces). In these days when the world gives us so much reason to feel rage, despair, and grief, holding gentle space is a critical skill. People can feel all those challenging feelings *and* get in touch with sources of joy and hope. Being in the “room” with the main facilitator, Emily Gonzales was a revelation. I felt as if a more communitarian future were being manifested before my eyes.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
Pat Mundy
Swell Collective’s Facilitators Academy was a transformative and pivotal experience for me. The curriculum is drawn from lead instructor Emily Gonzales’s many decades of hands-on positive-sum facilitation experience, coupled with a rich and ever-expanding library of books, articles, videos, blog-posts and more – all produced by thought leaders in the facilitation and allied spaces. In addition, the many wonderful activities at the heart of the training drove home the key insights needed to take one’s consensus-building skills to the next level, while providing real hands-on experience with the work. I would strongly recommend to anyone considering a facilitation role, especially in the progressive movement space, to place attendance at the Academy at the top of their list.
CEO in Technology
“Swell Collective’s Facilitators Academy was a transformative and pivotal experience for me.”
What you’ll find
The Facilitators Academy journey leads to ….
1
IMPACTFUL FRAMEWORKS TO HOLD YOUR WORK
2
PRACTICAL SKILLS TO UP-LEVEL YOUR PRACTICE
Sometimes we are so busy ‘doing’ the facilitation, we don’t get the necessary time to simply work on our skills. After the Facilitators Academy, you will have new and improved skills that will exponentially impact your effectiveness with the communities you serve.
3
INSIDER ACCESS TO INNOVATIONS IN FACILITATION TECH
Life since 2020 has taught the world just how essential the technology is that allows remote meetings and collaboration. We have built trusted relationships with the makers of some of the field’s most essential and innovative digital tools for facilitators. Facilitators Academy will give you insight and access to the leading edge of this technology and time to test it yourself.
4
A THRIVING COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE
The Facilitators Academy community is the only one of its kind, bringing together facilitators in private practice and from within organizations. We also regularly invite elders, scholars, and practitioners of note to be in community along side us. Find the peer coaching and support you need within the Facilitators Academy community of practice.
5
THE TEMPLATES AND TOOLS LIBRARY
The Facilitators Academy has amassed hundreds of templates and tools with real world tips and tricks from facilitators themselves. Borrow and share with your peers what really works to build community and make decisions rooted in equity.
6
THE RESEARCH CATALOG
Our crew monitors the academic journals and popular press for the latest insights into the interdisciplinary field of facilitation. We analyze and summarize these findings into regular digests so our community can keep a finger on the pulse of the field.
Get the Facilitator’s Guide
Do you geek out like we do?
Learn more about the theory of change behind this project and the research behind our approach with the Facilitator’s Guide.
Have more questions?
Using the button below to schedule some time with our Facilitators Academy crew. We are standing by to answer your questions and get you plugged in to this global community of facilitators!
