The Project on Civic Reflection held a workshop on the art of text-based facilitation at the Talbott Hotel in Chicago on February 28-29. Nineteen participants from ten states attended the workshop, which included hands-on facilitation practice in small groups in addition to plenary sessions on planning a civic reflection conversation, leading the conversation, and selecting appropriate readings. The workshop was led by PCR senior research associate Adam Davis, who also coordinates civic reflection programs for the Illinois Humanities Council; Deva Woodly, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Chicago and a Meaning of Service facilitator with the Illinois Humanities Council; and Tim Reed, also a Meaning of Service facilitator and a Master's candidate at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Among the readings discussed were poems by Bertolt Brecht and Anna Swir, Toni Cade Bambara's short story "The Lesson", and an excerpt from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance".

In evaluating the workshop, participants rated the opportunity to practice facilitating and receive feedback especially highly: "Having to facilitate was a great way of getting us involved. The group size was ideal, and so was the diversity of participants. Really great job—and I'm usually a nay-sayer so it means a lot!" Of the plenary sessions, another wrote, "I appreciated how all questions were addressed—so often that doesn't happen. The mix of people in attendance was great, and the Project staff were all very impressive. I found the experience to be very inspiring overall."

If you are interested in attending a Project on Civic Reflection facilitation training, please contact us at (219) 464-6767 or at civic.reflection@valpo.edu.