The Northern Plains Ethics Institute at NDSU will host a free online workshop to help hone skills for conversation facilitators.

The first of four online training sessions is scheduled for Tuesday, June 8 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Other sessions will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., on June 22, July 13 and July 27. Please plan to attend all four sessions to complete the workshop.

Spots are limited and will be filled in the order requests are received. Contact ndsu.npei@ndsu.edu to sign up.  

Conversations about a subject increase retention of ideas as well as create stronger relationships and connections through listening to others’ stories.

We struggle to figure out how to start and engage in the conversations with those with whom we may not agree. We can address the challenges of these situations to help create better conversations if we approach individual and small-group conversations as facilitators. 

Successfully facilitating conversations in small groups requires open, on-point questions to start and continue conversations, a method for ensuring multiple voices are heard and an approach to validate strong emotions to ensure emotional safety and learning within groups.

While learning requires some discomfort, the conversations we want to facilitate are not intended to be therapy or confrontational, even while we are addressing challenging and uncomfortable questions. 

The goal of honing our existing facilitator skills, as well as learning new ones, is to enhance exploration of challenging topics, create connections within communities and engage people in ongoing learning with each other.

The Northern Plains Ethics Institute fosters thoughtful, accessible dialogues in a civil marketplace of idea on social and ethical issues affecting communities in the Northern Plains and beyond.