Wondering how to get started with facilitating activities from the Social Innovation Unlocked toolkit? Review these commonly asked questions!
A physical workshop space should be somewhere that allows your group to comfortably sit in a circle and all see one another. For groups larger than 40 this is not always possible and breakout rooms will be needed for smaller groups to sit in circles to have a discussion. The best spaces have movable tables and chairs that can be adjusted for each activity: creating breakout groups, forming a circle of chairs, and pushed to the side for an activity with movement.
In addition to setting up the physical space, take time to establish an optimal learning environment. Do introductions and icebreakers to support participants in building relationships. Run Group Agreements or a similar activity to establish how your group will work together respectfully and effectively.
Check out our detailed guide on preparing an agenda using the activities in this curriculum: Online Facilitation Guide.
Each resource and activity is rated Easy, Medium, or Difficult. Activities were categorized based on the level of knowledge and facilitation skills needed for the activity to be most effective. Activities that include difficult conversations and therefore require group agreements to be established ahead of time are also rated higher on this scale to demonstrate the importance of setting up a respectful learning environment.
Skill Level | Description |
Easy | This activity is open to participants of all knowledge and skill levels. Team building and creating a group code of conduct is advised before leading the activity to facilitate respectful discussion. |
Medium | This activity requires participants to have some pre-existing knowledge and/or skills to be effective. Team building and creating a group code of conduct is advised before leading the activity to facilitate respectful discussion. |
Difficult | This activity requires participants to have in-depth pre-existing knowledge and/or skills to be effective. Team building and creating a group code of conduct is required before leading the activity to facilitate respectful discussion. |
Positionality is your relationship to the people in your group as influenced by your level of privilege. As a facilitator it’s important to spend time reflecting on your personal level of privilege in society and biases you may hold. Consider completing the Power Flower activity individually before facilitating to understand the intersectional nature of your privilege.
A facilitator is in a position of power with their participants by nature of the role. This power will intersect with the other power you have in society, dependent on your privilege. It will impact how the group views you, how comfortable they feel sharing with you, and how strong of a weight your words and ideas have over the group.
Be ready to acknowledge your privilege when needed in front of your group. Educate yourself on social justice issues and be ready to provide information on these issues without relying on people who may be impacted by this issue to explain to the wider group. Step in and stop comments or actions that are discriminatory or harmful in nature.
Check out our detailed guide on preparing an agenda using the activities in this curriculum: Agenda Writing Tips
This toolkit was created through crowdsourcing and collaboration, and we are excited to continue expanding the curriculum. Please submit your activity in the Contribution Form.
- Mind Tool’s The Role of a Facilitator
- Hyper Island’s How To Guide
- The 519’s Creating Authentic Spaces Toolkit
- UBC’s Accessible and Inclusive Event Planning Guide
- ReFresh Communication’s Intercultural Debriefing Guide
