Education results in preventive insight, personal challenge, and skill development for individuals and for groups. Educational activities (workshops, seminars, lectures) which elucidate such topics as the dynamics of healthy and unhealthy relationships, abuse, and violence are available. Educational content will focus on psychological, sociological and interdisciplinary principles.

All training sessions are customized to clients' specific needs. This occurs in dialogue with principals involved in establishing the training program. What follows is a sample of a training proposal which is an illustration of the breadth of GroupWorks training competencies.

Sample Training Curriculum On Group Facilitation

General Description

This training is designed to provide intensive education in specialized communication and conflict resolution practices. Emphasis will be placed on group dynamics, facilitation of effective group functioning, and on working with conflicted groups. Management and leadership of groups will be explored. Healthy responses to conflict and models for constructive ways to deal with conflict between dyads and groups will be explored. Themes of intense affect and difficult behaviour, creative dimensions of group functioning even when in conflict, mediation, and resolution will be examined from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Learning Objectives

• to improve participants’ overall competency in communication
• to gain working knowledge of theoretical background to effective group facilitation
• to practice skills for effective group facilitation
• to explore the opportunities and challenges of crosscultural group work
• to recognize and understand conflict in its constructive and destructive forms
• to gain useful skills and behavioural principles for conflict management and resolution

Training Approach and Methods

• creation of a cooperative learning environment will use and demonstrate principles taught
• training materials, published and customized, will be provided to each participant
• audiovisual materials will supplement trainer instruction
• demonstration exercises will illustrate the application of skills presented
• collaborative learning, using active discussion, reciprocal instruction, study circles, etc., will be planned
• roleplay simulations and skills practice will help participants explore the application of new learnings
• participants’ unique settings will be scrutinized for application challenges

Sample Curriculum Outline, Group Facilitation

Morning, Day 1

• principles for effective communication
• effective communication under challenging circumstances
• encouraging and facilitating others’ communication
• managing high intensity situations
• presentation skills: organization, message focus, creative methods, evaluation

Afternoon, Day 1

• group dynamics
• inviting full, open participation in discussion'
• facilitating full disclosure in group work
• collaborative crafting of deliverable decision outcomes

Morning, Day 2

• consensual decisionmaking to establish group agreement
• facilitating responsible support of group decisions
• group leadership and facilitation
• working with mixed culture groups

Afternoon, Day 2

• defining and recognizing many types of conflict
• groups dynamics when in conflict
• issue identification and conflict assessment
• overview and practice of conflict resolution techniques
• conflict resolution through mediation

Evaluation