Basic Skills for Effective Grassroots Groups November 2, 2009

These four 3-hour workshops are designed to improve skills required for effective peer-led community groups. Aimed at people who want to improve their group participation skills to create more effective groups in their community, participants could include neighbourhood or community associations, peer support groups, emerging co-ops, community project teams and many others. Take just one session or take them all!

Communication Skills
* gain knowledge of basic communication theory
* explore skills of active listening
* learn to minimize communication roadblocks

Problem-Solving & Decision-Making
* define common problem-solving and decision-making processes
* practice the problem-solving model by using participatory decision-making tools

Effective Group Development
* identify the five stages of group development
* discuss the facilitator's role in each developmental stage
* define and optimize different learning style behaviours in a group setting

Power and Diversity
* identify different forms of diversity
* define oppression and raise awareness of power imbalances that exist consciously or unconsciously
* describe ways to level uneven power dynamics in groups