Train-the-Trainer Workshops

Strategies for Hope and Resilience

In these times of accelerating change and challenge where we are bombarded with negative news that numbs and overwhelms the spirit, how can we build hope and resilience? How do we build stronger internal and external supports for sustainability personally and for our communities? This 6-hour training provides practical strategies and tools for cultivating hope and resilience from an ecopsychology perspective. The train-the-trainer model features three sections: Personal, Community and Planetary, and consists of a combination of short lecture and group activities giving participants resources that they will be able to use in their own communities.  From methods for self-care to exercises that strengthen connection, empathy, and resilience, this valuable workshop offers strategies for building positive visions for a flourishing planetary future. Participants gain the knowledge, inspiration, and skills, in addition to all course materials, to become change agents in their communities. 

Facing Climate Change

In these times of daunting challenges where we are bombarded with negative news and scales of problems that can overwhelm our psyches, it is important to develop tools that empower us and help us engage in solutions.  The 4-hour Facing Climate Change workshop identifies the psychological barriers that inhibit our sense of efficacy, such as fear, time, and self-limiting frames of actions and outcomes, and offers tools to overcome adversity, develop communication skills, and build our resilience. This train-the-trainer workshop will use lessons from ecopsychology to help you build your own reserves of personal resilience so that you can face what you know and read about climate change with clear eyes, not sink into despair, and learn practices that will be psychologically supportive and empowering, including suggestions for how you can take action in your own communities. Through this lens, climate change becomes our ally to help us to move forward. Participants gain the knowledge, inspiration, and skills, in addition to all course materials, to become change agents in their communities. 

Empowering Students for Environmental Justice

Learning about environmental, social, and economic sustainability issues can be overwhelming, especially when considering how to create solutions to pressing problems. “Empowering Students for Environmental Justice” is a “train-the-trainer” model that gives students the opportunity to deconstruct environmental justice issues, gain resources and leadership skills to address these issues, and receive tools to engage in their communities to scale up their impact. We are committed to helping students develop attitudes and behaviors that build empathy and empower participants to address challenging issues and advocate for change within and beyond their communities.

Contact Kim Smith if you are interested in offering a workshop in your community.