The Academy’s Facilitators Share Ideas and Lessons Learned

The annual Facilitators’ Forum was held at Hart House on April 15 with some 70 current and future facilitators in attendance. Organized by the Curriculum Committee, the Forum provides a formal opportunity to acknowledge the importance of facilitators in the Academy’s approach to peer learning. Throughout the year, facilitators contribute by coming up with original ideas for workshop topics, developing resource lists, communicating with participants, encouraging reluctant presenters, and moderating discussions. We owe them a debt of gratitude!

The Facilitators’ Forum is focused on disseminating new information, exchanging ideas, and discussing problematic issues. This year’s topics included encouraging new workshop ideas, identifying new facilitators, improving communications with workshop participants and discussing future technical equipment needs. Participants sat at tables of eight with a member of the Curriculum Committee acting as moderator and scribe. At break time, participants moved to a new table to help summon forth a fresh mix of ideas. A summary of these conversations has been compiled by the Curriculum Committee and distributed to the facilitators.

During the open mic session much of the conversation centred on the search for new premises for the Academy by Brian Gaston and his committee. We are all excited to see where the 2020/2021 academic year will find us!

Following an action-packed morning, attendees were happy to attend the Volunteer Appreciation lunch where they enjoyed a delicious buffet organized by the Special Events Committee.

Submitted by: Susan Murphy
Vice Chair,
Curriculum Committee