Applications Open! Training for Trainers – January 2018

Applications for this course are now closed

Take your training to the next level

For the last two years we have been co-organising a Training for Trainers programme, bringing Nico Amador and Erika Thorne from Training for Change over to run three highly successful trainings, in collaboration with our friends over at Campaign Bootcamp. These workshops have attracted trainers, facilitators and campaigners from across the sector and from many different movements, and they really have helped many of participants to strengthen the way they do training.

After such successful trainings in 2016 and 2017, you’ll be glad to hear that Erika and Nico will be returning to the UK in January 2018 with their co-trainer Matthew Armstead to run another two workshops. These workshops are designed to help you take your training skills to the next level, and to help you change the way trainings are done in your group, organisation or workplace. Read on to find out more, and for details on applying to join the 2018 trainings…

Here’s what some of our previous participants had to share about the Training for Trainers programme:

..I think we came away feeling empowered, energised and more confident trainers and facilitators. We’ve emerged with a greatly enlarged facilitation toolkit, a deeper awareness of how structural oppression and our own privilege can inhibit our attempts at movement-building… I spent 10 days getting to grips with direct education. I will spend a lifetime making use of the lessons I’ve learned.

Training for Change & Their Approach

Training For Change, is a Quaker-founded group based in Philadelphia, USA, who have been training those working for social change for over 20 years. They’ve led hundreds of workshops and trained thousands of people all over the world. They use an approach that they call direct education, which is about empowering the group and creating learning spaces where it’s OK to take risks. You can find out more about that here.

Here at Turning the Tide, we’re working to include this approach (amongst others) in our own work, and our trainers continue to learn from Training for Change. We aim to create a space where learning can happen whoever you are and whatever background you come from. We’ve been working with Campaign Bootcamp to make this training happen and we’re all really excited to have the chance to bring Training for Change back to the UK.

So if this seems like your thing and you’re excited to change the way training happens in your group, organisation or workplace, then read on for details and how you can apply.

January 2018 Training for Trainers

In January 2018 we will be running Training for Trainers at two levels. You can take either or both of the trainings in January. To apply you need to fill in this from by 9am Thursday 16th November.

Workshop 1: Training for Social Action Trainers (TSAT)

• Course Dates: Thursday 4th January 2018 – Saturday 6th January 2018
• Course Times:
  Thursday 4th January (5.30pm – 8.00pm)
  Friday 5th January (9.00am – 8.00pm)
  Saturday 6th January (9.00am – 5pm)
• Location: Friends House, Euston, London, NW1 2BJ (This is a fully accessible venue)

The three day­ day ‘Training for Social Action Trainers’ is an intensive training designed for anyone wanting to take their skills to a new level and learn how training can be used more effectively. As a participant, you will gain greater awareness about yourself and your strengths as a facilitator; get a chance to take risks, experiment and refine skills in a safe and supportive environment; learn new tools that are easily adapted, principles of workshop design, skills for working with diversity and a better understanding of how to use experiential education methods effectively.

I’d recommend the TSAT to anyone (and in fact, I do). The facilitation of the course is gentle, probing, and creative; the learning is deep, collective and challenging; the facilitators are magicians. I’ve gained so many ideas for designing and facilitating workshops and for working collaboratively, and developed new language and a world-shifting understanding around power and group dynamics.

Workshop 2: Advanced Training of Trainers (ADTOT)

• Course Dates: Monday 8th January 2018 – Saturday 13th January 2018
• Course Times:
  Monday 8th January (5.30pm – 8.00pm)
  Tuesday 9th January (9.30am – 8.30pm)
  Wednesday 10th January (9.30am – 8.30pm)
  Thursday 11th January  (9.30am – 5.00pm)
  Friday 12th January (9.30am – 8.00pm)
  Saturday 13th January (9.30am – 5pm)
• Location: Hampstead Meeting House

The six ­day ‘Advanced Training of Trainers’ involves tackling some of training’s biggest challenges – including doing cross­-cultural work, handling conflict and strong emotions, and modifying workshop designs on the fly (which TfC calls ‘emergent design’). This training is only open to people who have already taken the Training for Social Action Trainers workshop. As a participant, you will receive in depth, personal coaching on your goals; prepare for cross-­cultural work, including international training and use more practice time to experiment with new approaches in a supportive setting.

This course has quite literally changed my life: I don’t just feel like a better, stronger, more skilled, and more aware facilitator, but a better, stronger, more skilled and more aware friend, colleague, human being. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Which Training Is For Me?

For the TSAT we welcome applications from those at any level of training experience. For the ADTOT you must have completed a TSAT to be eligible to attend. This includes the TSAT that runs directly before in Jan 2018, or any of the TSATS that have ran over the last 2 years. Priority for the ADTOT will be given to those who lead trainings more regularly.

How do I apply?

Just head on over and fill in this form by 9am on Thursday 16th November.

If you have any questions then you can get in touch with us via turningtide@quaker.org.uk and your email will get to the right person!

How much do they cost?

The cost of these workshops are majority covered by participant fees. To keep it affordable there is a sliding scale and a variety of scholarships available. To ensure we can continue to run workshops like this and that those who need it most get scholarships please pay as much as you/your organisation can. There is a space on the application form to indicate which kind of place you are applying for.

Scholarship Places, which cover the full cost of the fees, are available for both trainings if your organisation is not paying for your place and you are unwaged, unemployed, low income, or because of other responsibilities cannot afford to contribute. The scholarships do not cover travel or accommodation, however if this means you would be unable to take part in the training then please get in touch and we will work with you to try and find a solution.

The costs below are for each individual workshop, if you want to take both just add the two costs together for the full price.

Workshop 1: TSAT Cost

The fees cover the training and all meals during training hours. The fees do not cover travel or accommodation which you will need to arrange yourself.

Workshop 2: ADTOT Cost

Photo: Training for Change