Through this 3-part series, learn how to facilitate our proven community-building Belonging Matters Conversations dialogue process to support the voice, dignity and leadership of people with lived experience. Our dialogue process is based within the Belonging Matters framework and these conversation experiences and outcomes can be used as assessment, planning and action tools.
As a result of taking this training, facilitators within organizations are equipped with the in-house knowledge and tools to foster belonging, increase meaningful participation and engagement, and gain insight for service improvement for sustainable and lasting change.
Learn to work with members of the community in ways that empower participants. Facilitators get access to a strengths-focused, problem-solving approach that engages diversity, builds belonging, and ignites meaningful participant-led collaborative action.
Become an exceptional facilitator in our proven community-building dialogue process, starting with experiencing Belonging Matters Conversations yourself. Explore belonging from the inside out and learn a problem-solving approach that engages diversity, builds belonging, unleashes dormant talents and ignites meaningful action.
Gain competence and confidence as you understand the rationale behind each step of the process. You’ll learn how to amplify the strengths of participants while also avoiding facilitation pitfalls that erode a sense of belonging.
Facilitators who experience Belonging Matters Conversations (and who also internalize and understand the Belonging Matters principles, values and skills) are equipped to create the necessary safe space for others to dive deeply within themselves, build belonging together, and support meaningful and lasting outcomes with exponential results.
Without feedback and practice, a facilitator is more likely to repeat frameworks, actions and belief systems that don’t serve the Belonging Matters process. As a result, participants within Belonging Matters Conversations will more likely feel unheard and unsafe to reveal their true selves. Further, when cultural differences are present, repeating our own personal frameworks may further erode trust and escalate pre-existing divides.
In this opportunity, you’ll co-facilitate a Belonging Matters Conversation with colleagues, flexing and finessing your new Belonging Matters muscle, and applying all you have learned in this unique training experience.
Facilitators receive both tools and 1:1 feedback to assess their skills throughout the process. When a facilitator increases their mastery and confidence with leading Belonging Matters Conversations, magic happens.
Facilitators and organizations may have powerful programs and goals, but unless they know how to draw together the right people and opportunities, the resources never reach the people they are intended to support or engage. As a result, time and effort is wasted, funding can dry up and results are not achieved.
Convening a Belonging Matters Conversation is an art.
When facilitators learn the art of inviting, engagement skyrockets and the facilitator begins each relationship on the right foot. As a result, when there is high engagement and connection with each participant, trust is built as a foundational step to rich and meaningful Belonging Matters Conversations.
In this training, learn a 5-step process to draw together stakeholders and ensure quality and diverse engagement for your project.
An international speaker, trainer, and consultant, Jessie Sutherland works with organizations and communities to engage diversity, build belonging and ignite intercultural collaboration.
Recipient of BC Community Achievement Award (2023), her approach creates sustainable community change that effectively addresses complex social problems.


