A 17-day "super-training" for social action trainers

Take your facilitation to a new level of creativity, range and effectiveness in this intensive 17-day super-training: 4 state-of-the-art workshops, with a day's rest between each, sequenced for maximum growth for participants.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Super-T (will show up in a new window)

The Super-T is for experienced and less-experienced trainers and facilitators who want to take their work to a new level of creativity and effectiveness, as well as new trainers who want to learn the major principles of this rapidly-developing field. The Super-T is ideal for a trainer's sabbatical, for facilitators looking for inspiration and fresh approaches, and for international trainers wanting to make a study trip to the U.S.

The Super-T has four parts, carefully sequenced to provide balanced learning by the participants, with rest in between for digestion of the new skills and knowledge. The program leaders are not only expert in empowerment teaching but also have deep experience in nonviolent social change work, internationally and locally. The Super-T goes beyond skills and information to the transformational level, with trainers growing in self-awareness and communicative power. The program includes an adventure-based learning course which will expand your toolkit for strengthening people's leadership, teamwork, and conflict resolution skills.

• More training tools you can use successfully
• Increased skill in challenging situations, including tools for working with strong emotions and difficult participants
• Greater awareness of yourself as a facilitator and new ways to use your strengths more effectively
• More clarity in how to arrange activities in a powerful sequence
• More confidence in facilitating with emergent design
• A certificate of achievement as a graduate of the Super-T

Want to add variety and greater range to the exercises you use in workshops? The Super-T will offer you...

• Expanded tools for working with people who learn primarily through visual, auditory, or kinesthetic channels
• Strategies for how to increase a resistant group's flexibility and openness to learning
• Increased creativity in inventing tools and activities for your kind of teaching

We'll show you how to increase your flexibility as a trainer. By the end of the Super-T, you'll have...

• New approaches to design which enable you to work with hundreds of participants in a workshop if necessary
• More understanding of how to use the dynamics in the workshop itself to teach nonviolence, team-building, democratic leadership, and conflict resolution
• Increased skill in cross-cultural communication and support for diversity

Coaching from experienced, internationally known trainers... Stimulation and support from working closely with other trainers for an extended time... A deeper appreciation for yourself and what you have to offer as a facilitator... More self-confidence

Of central importance is the learning community formed by the Super-T participants, which gives support to individuals' learning goals. This international learning community, by living and learning together for more than two weeks, extends the learning opportunities far past the hours of actual workshops.

The Super-T is very popular with trainers from overseas. In the past few years, we've welcomed trainers from Russia, Thailand, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Canada, Burma, India, Nepal, Romania, and many other countries. We have so many international participants that we've included a special orientation session for overseas visitors.

About visas: In order to travel to the United States, you will need to get a visa from the U.S. embassy in your country. It's your responsibility to get your visa, but we'll help you as best we can. We will write an invitation letter and send it to you and to the embassy. But the letter is not a guarantee of a visa, and even if your visa is approved, the process can be very slow. You should contact us at least 3 months before the workshop you plan to take.

Funding: Are you looking for help paying for your trip to the U.S.? Here's an idea: many participants get funding from social-change groups in their home countries. In return, the participant agrees to do trainings for the group after returning home.

The fee for the whole Super-T is $650-$1,850, sliding scale based on income. The fee includes over 110 hours of training, meals on workshop days, and simple lodging in neighborhood homes for people who request it. Payment is by check or money order payable to Training for Change. To determine your workshop fee, use the chart below.

Keep in mind that the market value of this program is at least $4,000; we're able to offer it for less thanks to generous donors. We know you, too, will be as generous as you can!

Option: meals during off hours, $200: We provide meals during workshop hours. If you'd like us to arrange meals for you during off hours, as well, add $200.

Option: early arrivals, $50: If you live in North America, add $50 if you plan to arrive before the first day of Part 1, Training for Social Action Trainers. (People who live outside North America can arrive early at no extra charge.)

Are you being sent to the training by your employer? If so, don't use your income to determine the fee -- use the annual budget of the organization. For example, if the organization's annual budget is $48,000, your employer would pay $1,450 to send you to the training.

If you have questions about the sliding scale fee, or you need more information about the workshop, feel free to contact us.

The workshop fee includes all meals during workshop hours. Meals are cooked and served family-style at the training site. Participants are responsible for meals that fall outside of workshop hours. If you want us to arrange meals for you at those times, as well, add $200 to your fee.

The fee also includes simple lodging in neighborhood homes for people who request it. Just let us know on your registration form that you'll need a place to stay, and we'll match you with a local host; most of the hosts live within a few blocks of the training site.