Every time we facilitate group learning, we have the chance to uncover our personal and collective power to change circumstances for the better.  Popular education practices shift dominant power dynamics by unraveling the 'expert paradigm' and tapping into the capacity of groups to develop their own solutions to the problems they face..

Designed and Tailored to your needs...

• Facilitating Power takes any set of content and transforms it into a dynamic interactive training that taps into the power and creativity of participants. 

• In addition, those listed below are standing trainings that Ms. González has developed and delivered extensively. They can be tailored to the needs of any group.

THE ART OF FACILITATION

1-3 hours • for all people who engage groups

This interactive facilitation practicum supports participants to unlock their own power as facilitators to cultivate dynamic spaces for relationship-building, authentic communication, and creative problem solving.  Participants leave with a powerful sense of purpose to guide one’s unique approach to facilitation, and a meaningful set of core principles connected to best practices, enhanced by opportunities to practice and reflect on evolving skills. 

PRINCIPLES & PRACTICES OF POPULAR EDUCATION

3-6 hours • for anyone who engages groups for positive change 

For educators, organizers, service-providers and anyone looking to deepen constituency-building, this training arms participants with a theoretical framework and a set of popular education practices tailored to their unique circumstances, all of which is modeled, practiced, and reflected on throughout the workshop. 

THE POWER OF STORY TO MOVE PEOPLE TO ACTION

2-4 hours • for all individuals and groups seeking to enhance communication

 How can we share our personal stories in ways that inspire others to take action?  This fun, interactive workshop leaves participants with a renewed sense of purpose and connection to others, and a tested approach to storytelling and public speaking that inspires transformational leadership.

NEIGHBORHOOD POWER BUILDING

1-4 days • for groups focused on change at the neighborhood level

 This intensive participatory workshop creates the space for grassroots groups and leaders to innovate neighborhood-based campaigns and solutions in ways that forge meaningful relationships grounded in shared values, build power from the bottom up, and engage constituents in creative ways.  Modules include Finding Shared Purpose Process, Issue Analysis Forums, Solution Salons, Power Mapping for Campaign Development, Storytelling for Change, Popular Education Approaches to Constituency-Building, and Power in Three Acts (personal, collective, and dominant).

SOCIAL CHANGE WITHIN SERVICE PROVISION

3-6 days • service providers

This intensive leadership training supports service providers to connect their work to social change efforts happening within the communities they serve.  The series of workshops provides an introduction to the historic connection between service-provision and community organizing in the US, tools for participants to analyze their own fields of opportunity and challenge, and client-centered models.  Participants leave with personalized action plans for integrating approaches to social change within their work.

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

1-3 days • anyone seeking to deepen the impact of their work

Relationship-based processes support participants to reflect on their personal journeys and visions for social transformation, to activate the core purpose that drives their work.  Purpose-driven, transformational leaders communicate from the heart, see the big picture, and build personal and collective power to transform circumstances for the common good.  Through dynamic, interactive sessions, participants reflect on and begin modeling transformational leadership practices.

TRANSFORMING CONFLICT

2-8 hours • anyone interested in transforming how they approach interpersonal conflict

This is a popular education workshop rooted in the lived experience of participants.  The fundamental principles and practices of this workshop are rooted in non-violent communication, which takes an approach to conflict that is about meeting basic human needs.  Participants practice identifying the human needs behind their own emotions and becoming cognizant of the human needs behind others' emotions, leaving with their own personalized set of practices for turing conflict into breakthrough.

YOUTH ORGANIZING

3-8 hours • educators + organizers activating the power of young people

The practice of youth organizing creates opportunities for young people to reframe the dominant narratives that have held them back, build personal and collective power, and begin utilizing the resources around them to create the world they want to live in.  This workshop prepares adults to facilitate processes that do just that, but more than anything it prepares adults to listen.

PARTICIPATORY EVALUATION

1-3 hours • anyone leading projects, programs, or campaigns

How do we make sure evaluation processes do not just become extra work for program leads and participants?  Can the processes we use to evaluate the impact of our work actually model the shift in power dynamics our work ultimately seeks to achieve?  How do we measure the transformational impacts of our work?  This workshop is designed to support project leads in design and implementation of participatory evaluation processes that engage stakeholders throughout the life of a program to inform its on-going development.

THEATER-BASED STRATEGIES FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

4 hours – 4 days • educators, organizers, service-providers, actors

 This is a fun, interactive practicum exploring the intersection between Forum Theater, Image Theater and Civic Practice to “dynamise” education and organizing.

CULTURAL HUMILITY & COMMUNITY BUILDING

 1-3 days • educators, organizers, service-providers

Diversity is an asset that benefits all stakeholders.  This workshop is designed to cultivate participants' ability to navigate and facilitate the power within diverse groups and communities.  A process approach support participants to tap into their compassion for self and others, which creates a safe space for authentic communication and exponential growth.  Some of the principles that guide this workshop include: 1) Cultural humility vs. cultural competency; 2) Authenticity vs. perfection; and 3) Emotional impact/motivation + relevant and doable action steps = SHIFT.  Participant leave feeling more equipped to build and sustain mutually beneficial relationships and healthy communities.  

We are living at a time of major shift.  Economic.  Political.  Environmental.  Demographic.  These shifts are calling for us to interact with each other in new ways.  They require more voices at the table.  They are asking our full selves to show up.  And they are clarifying how imperative it is that we learn how to be in community again, in mutually beneficial, collaborative, trusting relationships with one another.  

FACILITATING POWER...

is working to create a thriving culture of participation in which communities work together to solve social, economic, and environmental challenges

provides essential tools, techniques, and strategy to educators, organizers, service-providers, managers, and community leaders looking to revolutionize engagement and deepen their own facilitative leadership.

Rosa E. González creates transformational teaching and learning experiences that foster deep participation, critical inquiry, and the capacity of individuals and groups to effectively address complex challenges.  With more than 15 years experience in the field, she brings a balance of heart and rigor to her consulting in group facilitation, program design, and transformative methodology.  To inquiry about services, please contact [email protected]