BUILDING WITH, NOT FOR
KEY DETAILS:
90min class/week
Class is held by zoom
Live captioning available
10 weeks, with a 2 week break
Bring a real project/program to class to work on!
-
WHAT TIME IS CLASS?
Times will be held in the afternoon Eastern time, and will be finalized with input from applicants as part of the application process.
WILL THERE BE RECORDINGS?
This class is meant to be experienced live and preference will be given to folks who can make the majority of the live sessions. That said, yes, we will be recording class and recordings will be accessible to participants until January 31st, 2023.
HOW MUCH IS CLASS?
Please scroll down for to see the sliding scale we have for our exchange. Payment plans are available. Class fees are nonrefundable.
WHO IS TEACHING THIS CLASS?
Building With is taught by Cuán McCann. More about him here.
APPLICATION INFO & KEY DATES
Applications are due by 12pm (noon) Eastern on Tuesday, August 16th.
Notifications will be sent on Friday, August 19th. Every applicant will receive a reply.
Course payment (or deposit if paying by payment plan) is due by September 1, 2022.
To get started on your application, click here.
DON’T SEE YOUR QUESTION HERE?
Send it to info@buildwith.org
QUESTIONS?
Email info@buildwith.org
ABOUT THIS CLASS
“Building With” is designed to help new organizers and experienced community engagement staff alike design effective, mutually enriching communal engagements by rooting this work in consent, power, and accountability. This 10 week class is both for those organizing communities external to their organizations (or collectives or departments), as well as for those organizing internally, within their workplace.
Too many so-called community engagement efforts focus on building audiences or consumers for one’s work, rather than investing in the ongoing relationships and collaboration that comprises real, lasting engagement and social change. If you and your team are ready for the work it takes to (re)center community in your engagements, “Building With” is for you.
Over 10 weeks, you’ll shake up and reground your understanding of, approach to, and practice of community engagement, all while applying what you learn to a real world engagement project, program, or situation of your choosing. You’ll learn specific tools and approaches for designing, evaluating, and implementing engagements, develop organizing, communication, and facilitation skills to support your work, and dig into wisdom from a variety of fields, including community arts, museum science, and deliberative democracy. And, according to past students, you might just have fun while you do it.
In between our live sessions, participants will be given guided exercises and readings (read: homework!) to help deepen your learning.
DATES FOR OUR 2023 COHORTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN FEBRUARY! SIGN-UP TO BE NOTIFIED HERE:
You’ll leave this CLASS with…
a refreshed perspective on community engagement, what it is, why it’s important, and how it intersects with all aspects of your work
essential organizing skills, tools, & techniques to help you identify, invest in, and honor your community relationships; develop dynamic, mutual partnerships; and practice consent and accountability in your communal work
connection with who your communities are, and how you already show up within community, even as we plan for new or different kinds of engagement
a plan for interrupting certain patterns of exclusion and oppressive power dynamics from the beginning of your engagement plans through to the end
insights into navigating offline and online organizing, and dealing with the reality of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
creative insights and practical facilitation skills to aid you in facilitating highly collaborative community spaces, work, and events
your own roadmap for applying these tools and learnings to a real-world community engagement effort of your choosing
what past participants have to say:
““I feel like having gone through Cuán’s class I’m forever different. I’ve taken other professional trainings, and I learned some core, and important, technical skills, but I feel like with this training, you just change as a person.””
“This course was life changing in so many ways... professionally certainly, but also personally. My sincere thanks to the instructor for sharing their talent, expertise and experience in community engagement with me!”
“I wish I could have taken this training a long time ago, when I started this job. This work helped me see things that I had to learn through trial and error, and it helped me understand the two-way street that has to exist in community partnership...I think more people in government should have to take this class. It should be required.”
“Cuán McCann is a rock star! Their passion and knowledge on community engagement is stellar and I highly encourage anyone dipping their toe into community engagement to train with them. It will make your duties much easier; therefore keeping you youthful, less stressed, and it will substantially increase your job performance!”
“There is zero doubt in my mind that I will be able to apply concepts and techniques from the course in my future work, primarily because the course helped crystallize and solidify my desire to work with community engagement no matter where my career goes, whether I continue to work in policy at the level of local government, or if I transition into urban design, community organizing, teaching, or eventually academia or elected office....Though the importance of engagement was not a new concept for me...it was so eye-opening to see clear evidence and examples of what engagement is and is not, and the many ways in which institutions (especially government ones) use the word engagement without actually fulfilling its meaning.”