Are you a Community Steward?

You might be called a manager, (vice) president, point-person, coach, leader, entrepreneur, teacher, event-planner, consultant, principal, director, counselor, boss, librarian, instructor, chief-of-something, coordinator, organizer, or any number of other titles. But regardless of the official title you have, you are someone who helps coordinate the steering of a group of people – a community. You are a part of a hub in a wheel that makes sure that that wheel keeps turning to help benefit the group. Does that description fit? Then this learning community is for you! Not sure, then this FREE taster session is where you can join us to find out! For this free session, we will have fun, mingle (meet new people!), and answer any questions you have about the series.

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Here is the description of the full series:

Join us for an impactful eight weeks to get inspired by your peers, feel grounded by new ideas, and make connections that will last a lifetime. Each week of this series we will meet together to focus on a section of our Guide for Community Stewards. The exact focus of the session will depend on our group, and what everyone is facing at that moment, but below is an outline of the weekly topics, and what might be covered under each one. Sessions will meet for 1-hour, except for the opening and closing sessions, which will meet for 1.5 hours. If you are unable to make a session, no worries, all of the materials will be sent to you, (recordings will not be made nor shared to respect the confidentiality of this group). This will truly be a fun and inspiring (dare we say, life-changing?) experience! Please reach out to us at evajomeyers@gmail.com if you have any questions!

Weekly Topics

(based on our new Guide for Community Stewards!)

I. Gather and Connect

• Consider more closely how you design and facilitate community events
• Understand which gathering options will work best for your group
• Gain insight into how to increase community connections

II. Learn Together

• Discuss how to help your community share their expertise with each other including through formal learning relationships and activities
• Look at how to integrate reflection and storytelling as a way to learn and grow together Share and learn strategies to collect and integrate community feedback in authentic and meaningful ways

III. Cultivate your Membership

• Gain insight into how to find, retain, and uplift community members
• Develop a vision for what membership means for your community
• Understand how to create roles and space to allow everyone to participate and contribute
• Notice membership gaps and address them

IV. Communicate Clearly and Consistently

• Develop a communications strategy
• Learn ways to increase transparency and coherent documentation within your community
• Develop a plan to celebrate and acknowledge community contributions
• Share and learn strategies to foster clear, open channels of communication

V. Be Intentional with Power

• Notice how habituated dynamics may be influencing your thoughts, feelings, and actions about your community
• Understand how to address traditional power differentials and hierarchies present in your community

VI. Rethink the structure and language you use to upend those dynamicsVI. Model Empowering Governance Structures

• Define the purpose of your community, and outline what success will look like for you
• Connect your community vision to governance, decision-making, and member expectations
• Understand how to collect and utilize community input

VII. Build an Aligned Business Model

• Be able to clearly outline what resources you need and the most aligned way to source those
• Identify membership fee structures and options that will work for your community
• Understand your legal structure options
• Develop accounting and administrative protocols

VIII. Prepare for the Unknown

• Develop protocols for handling incidents, privacy, and the unexpected
• Understand how to foster creativity and resilience
• Recognize when it’s time for big change within your community

Dates and Times:

Please note that all sessions meet on Tuesdays. September 24: 9am – 10:30am PT (12 – 1:30pm ET / 11am – 12:30pm CT) October 1: 9am – 10am PT (12pm – 1pm ET / 11am – 12pm CT) October 8: 9am – 10am PT (12pm – 1pm ET / 11am – 12pm CT) October 15: 9am – 10am PT (12pm – 1pm ET / 11am – 12pm CT) October 22: 9am – 10am PT (12pm – 1pm ET / 11am – 12pm CT) October 29: 9am – 10am PT (12pm – 1pm ET / 11am – 12pm CT) November 5: 9am – 10am PT (12pm – 1pm ET / 11am – 12pm CT) November 12: 9am – 10:30am PT (12pm – 1:30pm ET / 11am – 12:30pm CT)

About the facilitators:

Arika Virapongse and Eva Jo Meyers met 20 years ago as Fulbright scholars in Thailand. In 2022 they launched a project to co-author a guide for community stewards, in order to support leaders in steering more empowered and impactful communities of purpose. Arika and Eva both have extensive experience facilitating mission-driven learning initiatives and communities of practice, and strive to create spaces where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and heard. You can read more about Arika, here, and more about Eva, here. To peek into the guide they recently authored, click here.

Are you a Community Steward?

You might be called a manager, (vice) president, point-person, coach, leader, entrepreneur, teacher, event-planner, consultant, principal, director, counselor, boss, librarian, instructor, chief-of-something, coordinator, organizer, or any number of other titles. But regardless of the official title you have, you are someone who helps coordinate the steering of a group of people – a community. You are a part of a hub in a wheel that makes sure that that wheel keeps turning to help benefit the group. Does that description fit? Then this learning community is for you! Join us for an impactful eight weeks to get inspired by your peers, feel grounded by new ideas, and make connections that will last a lifetime. Each week of this series we will meet together to focus on a section of our Guide for Community Stewards. The exact focus of the session will depend on our group, and what everyone is facing at that moment, but below is an outline of the weekly topics, and what might be covered under each one. Sessions will meet for 1-hour, except for the opening and closing sessions, which will meet for 1.5 hours. If you are unable to make a session, no worries, all of the materials will be sent to you, (recordings will not be made nor shared to respect the confidentiality of this group). This will truly be a fun and inspiring (dare we say, life-changing?) experience! Please reach out to us at evajomeyers@gmail.com if you have any questions!

Weekly Topics

(based on our new Guide for Community Stewards!)

I. Gather and Connect

• Consider more closely how you design and facilitate community events
• Understand which gathering options will work best for your group
• Gain insight into how to increase community connections

II. Learn Together

• Discuss how to help your community share their expertise with each other including through formal learning relationships and activities
• Look at how to integrate reflection and storytelling as a way to learn and grow together Share and learn strategies to collect and integrate community feedback in authentic and meaningful ways

III. Cultivate your Membership

• Gain insight into how to find, retain, and uplift community members
• Develop a vision for what membership means for your community
• Understand how to create roles and space to allow everyone to participate and contribute
• Notice membership gaps and address them

IV. Communicate Clearly and Consistently

• Develop a communications strategy
• Learn ways to increase transparency and coherent documentation within your community
• Develop a plan to celebrate and acknowledge community contributions
• Share and learn strategies to foster clear, open channels of communication

V. Be Intentional with Power

• Notice how habituated dynamics may be influencing your thoughts, feelings, and actions about your community
• Understand how to address traditional power differentials and hierarchies present in your community

VI. Rethink the structure and language you use to upend those dynamicsVI. Model Empowering Governance Structures

• Define the purpose of your community, and outline what success will look like for you
• Connect your community vision to governance, decision-making, and member expectations
• Understand how to collect and utilize community input

VII. Build an Aligned Business Model

• Be able to clearly outline what resources you need and the most aligned way to source those
• Identify membership fee structures and options that will work for your community
• Understand your legal structure options
• Develop accounting and administrative protocols

VIII. Prepare for the Unknown

• Develop protocols for handling incidents, privacy, and the unexpected
• Understand how to foster creativity and resilience
• Recognize when it’s time for big change within your community

Dates and Times:

Please note that all sessions meet on Tuesdays. September 24: 9am – 10:30am PT (12 – 1:30pm ET / 11am – 12:30pm CT) October 1: 9am – 10am PT (12pm – 1pm ET / 11am – 12pm CT) October 8: 9am – 10am PT (12pm – 1pm ET / 11am – 12pm CT) October 15: 9am – 10am PT (12pm – 1pm ET / 11am – 12pm CT) October 22: 9am – 10am PT (12pm – 1pm ET / 11am – 12pm CT) October 29: 9am – 10am PT (12pm – 1pm ET / 11am – 12pm CT) November 5: 9am – 10am PT (12pm – 1pm ET / 11am – 12pm CT) November 12: 9am – 10:30am PT (12pm – 1:30pm ET / 11am – 12:30pm CT)

About the facilitators:

Arika Virapongse and Eva Jo Meyers met 20 years ago as Fulbright scholars in Thailand. In 2022 they launched a project to co-author a guide for community stewards, in order to support leaders in steering more empowered and impactful communities of purpose. Arika and Eva both have extensive experience facilitating mission-driven learning initiatives and communities of practice, and strive to create spaces where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and heard. You can read more about Arika, here, and more about Eva, here. To peek into the guide they recently authored, click here.

Emerging Leaders Retreat Cohort 2024-25

Why join us?

• Being a “leader” can be an exciting but lonely journey, and there are moments where it can feel like there is no one to turn to for advice or support.
• Without a system, burnout and turnover cost organizations and individuals both time and revenue.
• There is always room to hone our skills in critical leadership abilities like coaching, having difficult conversations, balancing time and resources, setting boundaries, supervising staff, and other challenging demands of our jobs.

No matter what stage of your career you are at, we feel there is always something to be gained by being surrounded by others who are navigating the same waters. Together, we can learn to lead in ways that are both more sustainable and impactful. Our 6-month series for people in leadership positions is designed to create a community of support and transformation, so that you can truly thrive.

Who can join 

Our community is open to:

• Executive directors
• Department heads
• Team leads
• Program managers
• Site coordinators

In short, anyone who would like to be in a space to learn about and support each other on issues related to their positions of leadership. Please contact us if you have questions about whether this series is right for you! Together we will engage in:

• Four synchronous online sessions
• Two in-person overnight retreats at the Westerbeke Ranch in Sonoma, CA

What you’ll get out of the experience:

• Learn and share new ideas and strategies for increasing your impact and well-being
• Have a space to process and share successes and challenges
• Access creativity as an outlet for dreaming, and find excitement and joy in the possibilities
• Gain clarity on your past, present, and future self as a leader
• Feel supported, uplifted, and appreciated as part of a web of change-makers dedicated to elevating the collective

Frequently Asked Questions

→ When does the community start and end? What are the important dates?

We begin with a kickoff opening networking session online on Tuesday, October 22, from 11am – 12pm. In-person overnight retreats at Westerbeke will take place:

• From 4pm on Monday, October 28 to 7:30pm on Tuesday, October 29, 2024
• From 4pm on Monday, March 24 – 7:30pm Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Virtual Sessions will take place:

• Wednesday, November 13, 10am – 12pm (via Zoom)
• Tuesday, January 28, 10am – 12pm (via Zoom)
• Tuesday, February 25, 10am – 12pm (via Zoom)

  It is important that you are able to attend all sessions, so please check your calendar before enrolling in the cohort.

→ What is included in the overnight retreats?

• Dinner on Monday night, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Tuesday (all dietary restrictions can be accommodated)
• A shared room for Monday night
• All materials, snacks, and other goodies
• Access to the pool, hot tub, meditation labyrinth and grounds at Westerbeke

→ How much does the retreat cost?

We are offering an equity-based sliding-scale payment structure for the retreat. All participants will receive equal access to everything about the retreat, regardless of ability to pay. We encourage you to reach out to foundations and your organization’s funders to sponsor your participation! We consider this to be very cost-effective and essential support that will build equity and resilience within your organization.   Full Rate: $5,000 – If you/your organization is able to pay this amount, it will help discounted rates for those who need financial support.   At-Cost Rate: $2,400 per person – If your organization is helping to pay for you to participate, or if you earn enough for this to be viable for you, this is the actual rate for the series.   Discount Rate: $1,200 per person – If you are paying for the retreat yourself and earn a modest income, or if you work for a small organization that cannot help subsidize your participation, please use this rate.   DCYF Grantees: Please click here for a FULL scholarship application.

→ How can I get to Westerbeke?

We will help to arrange carpools for those wishing to save on gas and ease the burden on the environment. Plus, riding up together offers an excellent opportunity to get to know each other better. Westerbeke Ranch is located at 2300 Grove Street, Sonoma, CA 95476

→ Can I join with a team from my organization?

Yes! You are strongly encouraged to join with a colleague (or two, or three). If cost is a concern, please reach out to find out about group rates.

→ Who is leading the series?

This series is being facilitated by a team of seasoned leaders and practitioners convened by Spark Decks – but the magic centers around the wisdom and experience brought in by participants. Together, we are committed to offering an inclusive and accessible space for all identities and levels of experience. 

Have more questions? Ready to sign up?

Please reach out to Eva: evajomeyers@gmail.com for any questions or to enroll.  The deadline to enroll is September 15, 2024!  

Learn more and register here –> https://facilitator-leadership-circle-fall-2024.eventbrite.com

Looking to improve the environment of your meetings, workshops, classes, or events?

Join us for a four-part series to explore how to bolster your facilitation skills so that all of your participants, staff, and/or students feel included, inspired, and heard. This community is recommended for leaders in school district, non-profit, higher education, and city agencies, or for anyone who is interested in increasing engagement, retention, and motivation with an equity lens. We will meet on four Fridays from 9am – 11am PST (11am – 1pm CT; 12pm – 2pm ET) via Zoom:

• October 25
• November 1
• November 8
• November 15

All participants will receive a copy of Raise the Room: A Practical Guide to Participant-Centered Facilitation, by Eva Jo Meyers. Come prepared to talk, listen, connect and be inspired by this tight-knit community of peers. Here is what a past participant had to say about his experience in the Leadership Circle:

“Eva does an incredible job of bringing warmth, thoughtfulness, inclusivity and belonging to all of her workshops. I always feel like I’m in the most relaxed space which helps me do my best thinking and engagement with others. Loved spending time with my new colleagues from all over the country. Thank you for working on excellence with me!”

Tuition

• $600 non-profit/individual ($500 early bird*)
• $900 corporate/institutional ($800 early bird*)

Early bird discount if you register before October 1, 2024!