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Mid-Atlantic Facilitators Network

Events & Learning Opportunities

MAFN offers a wide range of learning opportunities to develop new skills and master new techniques and approaches. For almost 20 years, MAFN has been the leader in professional development opportunities in facilitation across the Mid-Atlantic region. Catering to all levels of facilitation experience, MAFN's workshops receive rave reviews from participants!

MAFN workshops feature a variety of topics related to deepening and broadening the skills of facilitators. Our workshops are designed to be interactive and provide experiential learning for all participants as they learn from the expertise of others. 

Each month MAFN hosts two workshops: a 90 minute workshop and a three hour workshop.

Our 90 minute workshops offer grounding and resources on the focus topic and are included in MAFN membership.  Our three hour workshops offer more time for discussion and practice during the session.

Both types of workshops will begin at 12:00pm Eastern and are being offered online through June of 2022. 

Occasionally MAFN will also host special events or speakers. See details below for upcoming events. 

Upcoming events

  • MAFN's April 29th Online Workshop: How to Effectively Use AI in Facilitation

    • 04/29/2024
    • 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
    • Online using Zoom
    Register

    Duration: 3 Hour workshop

    About the workshop: 

    NOTE: This workshop is on a MONDAY, not our typical Friday.

    What is generative artificial intelligence (AI)? How will it change the field of facilitation? How can it help my business, my clients, and save me time? How can I get started and feel confident with AI tools? How can using these various AI tools increase my AI expertise as a facilitator?  

    Join us for a practical, hands-on workshop that delves into the essential questions of generative AI (like ChatGPT) and its potentially transformative impact on facilitation. We’ll explore a range of popular, easy-to-use AI tools including ChatGPT and Google Bard -- as well as some plug-ins to those services and some more facilitator-specific AI tools like Stormz. Through real demonstrations, do-it-yourself activities, and small group interactions, you'll come away with a strong foundation on AI as it relates to facilitation. You'll have actionable ways to improve your work, impress clients, and save hours of your own time.

    Learning Objectives 

    In this session, participants will:

    • Explore easy-to-use AI tools, including ChatGPT and Google Bard

    • Gain hands-on experience using the tools in a safe and supported space

    • Experience actionable ways you can save hours of your time before and after the workshop

    NOTE: This workshop will be recorded for distribution to all who register (breakout rooms will not be recorded).

    This is a 3-hour workshop. It will take place starting at 12:00pm EDT

    Speakers:

    Lee Gimpel runs Better Meetings, a meeting facilitation, training and strategy firm. The company works with associations, government agencies, and companies to improve their meetings and events. Lee’s meeting methodology is built on collaboration, engagement, and human-centered design. Much of the firm’s work leverages networking and connection-building, be that at cross-silo strategy sessions, team-building retreats, or large-scale industry conferences. He is the creator of the Conference Organizers Summit and leads a DC-area community of practice for facilitators. Often quoted about group engagement in such publications as The Guardian, USA Today, and HuffPost, he is also the contributing expert on meetings and facilitation for Forbes.

    Erin Nicole Gordon is a certified professional facilitator, integral coach and seasoned strategy consultant with specialties in strategic planning, visualization and creative leadership. As founding facilitator of WAYFIND, she and teaming partners provide professional facilitation, consulting, training and coaching services that leverage creative techniques and visual methods to map futures, navigate uncertainty and chart new ways of working. Learn more about Erin.

    ONLINE WORKSHOP REMINDERS

    • No refunds or credits for registration cancellations.
    • Registration closes at midnight the day before the workshop.
    • Registered participants will receive instructions for joining the live session and any additional details 1 day in advance and the morning of the event. Please be sure to look for the link in your email.
    • Workshops begin promptly at 12:00PM Eastern.  Please log on at least 15 minutes in advance to ensure your internet connections, audio and other settings are functioning properly.
    • MAFN Members have access to all online workshop recordings via the MAFN website.
    • For registration or membership questions contact info@mafn.org.
    Show details

  • MAFN Racial Justice CoP: Preparing Yourself to Facilitate around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (Members Only)

    • 05/06/2024
    • 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
    • Online using Zoom
    Register
    What work do facilitators need to do themselves around DEI, before leading DEI-related conversations? This MAFN Racial Justice Community of Practice session will focus on what kinds of education, certification, and other preparations facilitators should consider in order to be effective at facilitating conversations around diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, belonging, and/or justice (DEIA/B/J).  Join us for a conversation with Sukari Pinnock Fitts, MSOD, PCC, drawing upon her years of experience as a consultant, and the designer of and former Program Director for Georgetown’s Executive Certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (part of the Georgetown Institute for Transformational Leadership).

    PLEASE NOTE: MAFN Communities of Practice are only open to MAFN members.

    About the Speaker:

    Sukari is a seasoned Organization Development (OD) Consultant and Leadership Coach (PCC), specializing in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility; Leadership and executive Development; Organization Transitions; Polarity Management; and Team Building. She is the owner and CEO of Shiftwork Consulting.  Her Master’s degree in Organization Development is from the American University. Her undergraduate degree, in Labor Studies, is from the National Labor College.  She holds a Coaching Certificate from the Georgetown Leadership Coaching Program, a Diversity Practitioner’s Certificate from the NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science, a Certificate in Gestalt OD and Leadership Development from the iGOLD Center, and is certified by andiron as a Polarities Navigator Practitioner.

    ONLINE CoP Discussion REMINDERS

    • If you register and cannot attend, please cancel to allow someone else to come. 

    • Registered participants will receive instructions for joining the live session in the confirmation email and any additional details 1 day in advance. Please be sure to look for the link in your email.

    • MAFN CoP discussions will not be recorded in order to support space for learning.

    • For registration or membership questions contact info@mafn.org.

    Show details

  • MAFN's May 17th Online Workshop: The Polarized Workplace: Managing a Growing Threat

    • 05/17/2024
    • 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
    • Online using Zoom
    Register

    Duration: 2-hour workshop

    About the workshop: 

    As interpersonal trust has plummeted and Americans have lost the ability to talk to each other across ideological divides, the effects have been seeping into our workplaces. Learn about the trends that are exacerbating the issue and how you can help organizations respond. We’ll discuss skills that are specifically designed to address these sorts of rifts, as well as the longer-term work that builds a culture where ideas flow freely and many perspectives are welcomed.

    Learning Objectives 

    In this session, participants will:

    • Learn how ideological polarization impacts organizations and their cultures, and squashes diversity of thought

    • Explore the principles behind bridging ideological divides at work and learn to incorporate these ideas within their work

    • Discover norms and practices for cultures that value diverse perspectives and stave off the threat of organizational monoculture   

    NOTE: This workshop will be recorded for distribution to all who register (breakout rooms will not be recorded).

    This is a 2-hour workshop. It will take place starting at 12:00pm EDT.

    Speakers:

    Randy Lioz helps organizations of all types develop healthy cultures that foster a sense of belonging for a wide variety of members and employees. He has worked with organizations from a range of sectors to address internal cultural challenges, including businesses, nonprofits, religious organizations and educational institutions.

    At the leading national depolarization group Braver Angels he led the effort to migrate events to the online environment during the pandemic, and has regularly led workshops for regional and national audiences, in addition to spreading the depolarization message through interviews, speeches, writing, and podcast appearances.

    LinkedIn

    ONLINE WORKSHOP REMINDERS

    • No refunds or credits for registration cancellations.
    • Registration closes at midnight the day before the workshop.
    • Registered participants will receive instructions for joining the live session and any additional details 1 day in advance and the morning of the event. Please be sure to look for the link in your email.
    • Workshops begin promptly at 12:00PM Eastern.  Please log on at least 15 minutes in advance to ensure your internet connections, audio and other settings are functioning properly.
    • MAFN Members have access to all online workshop recordings via the MAFN website.
    • For registration or membership questions contact info@mafn.org.
    Show details

  • MAFN Coaching Community of Practice (CoP) (Members Only)

    • 05/21/2024
    • 10/15/2024
    • 6 sessions
    • Online using Zoom
    • 34
    Register

    Duration: 60-minutes

    About the CoP

    MAFN is pleased to announce and launch its first Coaching CoP to support the many coaches of MAFN. Its leaders, Holly Martinson and Dawn McAvoy, seek to build a community that is based on safety, collaboration, learning, and feedback. We will meet on the third Tuesday of each month 12:00 – 1:00 pm EDT. Our first meeting is Tuesday, May 21st, at 12:00 pm EDT.  

    NOTE: This workshop will NOT BE recorded.

    This is a monthly Community of Practice workshop. It will take place starting at 12:00pm EDT the third Tuesday of each month.

    Speakers: Holly Martinson with Patient Minds and Dawn McAvoy with McAvoy Consulting

    Holly Martinson, M.Ed., is an Integrative Executive Function Coach supporting neurodivergent individuals. She has 20+ years of experience in the field of coaching, education and curriculum development. She combines coaching for Executive Functioning skills with tools for wellbeing from a holistic perspective. In addition to coaching clients, she presents and teaches on topics related to coaching, neurodiversity, stress management, mindfulness, and wellbeing.

    Because Holly is passionate about wellbeing, she is also a Registered Yoga Instructor (E-RYT-200) with several hours of mindfulness training. Her experience has included working as an adjunct faculty teaching yoga through the Department of Health and Human Performance at Marymount University and serving on the faculty of a yoga teacher training program through a studio in Northern Virginia.

    Holly earned her M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction and her bachelor's in psychology. While working in the public school system, she participated in extensive coaching and facilitation training. Holly is currently pursuing her ACC coach credential through ICF and is a member of MAFN and ICF.

    Holly is on the Board of Directors for the non-profit organization, The Heart Leaf Center, which provides mental health services for underserved children and families.

    Dawn McAvoy has over 25 years of professional experience (nonprofits, corporations, small businesses, higher education, and early education). In her coaching practice, she brings empathy, curiosity, and support to each client experience. While building a collaborative partnership, and incorporating action planning and accountability measures, she sets her clients up for sustainable success.

    Dawn earned her master’s degree in organizational leadership and a bachelor’s degree in English. Her professional certifications are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, EQ-i 2.0/360, and Certified Professional Career Coach (with PARWCC). As a certified FranklinCovey facilitator, she has facilitated leadership development courses, including The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Project Management Essentials, and The 6 Critical Practices for Leading Teams, in the Federal government.

    She is a member of the Project Management Institute and Mid-Atlantic Facilitator’s Network, where she currently serves on the Board. She is also especially passionate about supporting organizations that elevate women and girls, the environment, and education.

    ONLINE CoP Discussion REMINDERS

    • If you register and cannot attend, please cancel to allow someone else to come. 

    • Registered participants will receive instructions for joining the live session and any additional details 1 day in advance and the morning of the event. Please be sure to look for the link in your email.

    • MAFN CoP discussions will not be recorded in order to support space for learning.

    For registration or membership questions contact info@mafn.org.For registration or membership questions contact info@mafn.org.
    Show details

  • MAFN's May 31st In-Person Workshop: Play Like A Pro! Introduction to PLAYMOBIL Pro.Play

    • 05/31/2024
    • 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • COPT Training Room, Suite 850 at 1753 Pinnacle Drive, McLean, VA
    Register

    Duration: 3-Hour In-Person Workshop

    About the workshop: 

    Play dynamics radically transform how we behave individually and in groups. When playing, people dedicate more and better resources (time, energy, attention) to solving their challenges. In addition to having a series of emotional benefits, PLAYMOBIL Pro.Play allows you to work on complex situations in a simple way. By “observing” the situation in the third person, participants discover ideas, alternatives, and solutions in a much easier way than when immersed in them.

    Engaging adults in professional play is not only enjoyable but also highly effective for learning, skill development, and personal growth. Play creates a positive and conducive environment for exploring new ideas, fostering creativity, and building stronger professional relationships. Playmobil Pro.Play allows both individuals and groups to tackle complex problems by "observing" the situation from a third-person perspective. Inspired by the principles of play and experiential learning, it promotes creativity, communication, collaboration, and engagement while reducing stress. Its versatility and inclusivity make it a powerful addition to your facilitation toolkit, ensuring that it can cater to diverse audiences and learning styles.

    About Playmobil Pro.Play:

    Playmobil Pro.Play is a specialized product line within the Playmobil brand designed for educational and professional purposes. Playmobil Pro.Play is a versatile and effective tool for educators, trainers, and therapists looking to create engaging and interactive learning experiences that promote skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and social-emotional development. It is a valuable resource for hands-on, experiential learning in a wide range of educational and professional settings.

    Learn more: https://www.proplaymethod.com/

    Learning Objectives 

    • Participants will learn about the Playmobil Pro.Play Method while engaging in role-playing to model various challenges, emotions, and solutions.

    • Participants will learn how to use visual and kinesthetic methods to convey ideas and enhance communication and collaboration skills.

    • Participants will explore how engaging in playful activities can reduce stress and anxiety while increasing engagement and motivation in professional settings.

    This is a 3-hour in-person workshop. It will take place starting at 9:00am EDT.

    Speaker: 

    Althea Simpson is the founder of ATS Facilitation & Consulting, a facilitation and consulting business that uses creativity to foster connectivity among individuals and groups in the workplace.  She is a highly skilled professional who expertly guides individuals, groups, and organizations toward achieving their goals. With a robust educational background that includes a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, a Master of Business Administration in Marketing, and a Master of Social Work with dual expertise in both organizational leadership and development, as well as clinical social work, Althea draws on her extensive experience as a licensed clinical social worker and business psychology consultant to confidently apply creative and innovative strategies to conquer workplace obstacles related to teams, leadership, workplace mental health, and organizational change.

    Location:

    COPT Training Room, Suite 850 at 1753 Pinnacle Drive, McLean, VA (Tysons Corner)

     – 10 minute walk to Greensboro Metro Station

    – Parking is free in the building

    Show details

  • MAFN Technology COP: MasterClass: Learn How SessionLab Supports Agenda Design (Members Only)

    • 06/03/2024
    • 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
    • Online using Zoom
    • 12
    Register

    SessionLab helps facilitators, consultants and team leaders to design and deliver effective workshops with an easy-to-use workshop agenda planner tool and the biggest online library of facilitation resources.

    Come and join a  90-minute masterclass, where you can explore the tool for yourself! This is an interactive session, where you can ask questions, and make headway with your workshop agenda. You’ll have the opportunity to explore SessionLab yourself, and to find out how this great resource can help you to plan and run effective workshops.

    Have you got a question about planning a workshop in SessionLab? On June 3rd at 12PM ET, Carrin and Andy from SessionLab will answer your questions live! Please bring any questions or challenges with you, and they’ll be happy to show you how SessionLab can help.

    Please note that this is for MAFN members only and there is limited space, so please register early.

    Our guiding principles are:

    • Come open to learning (growth mindset)

    • Not expert led - will be hosted by peers with space to learn from all

    • Bring your questions, share your expertise

    ONLINE CoP Discussion REMINDERS

    • If you register and cannot attend, please cancel to allow someone else to come. 

    • Registered participants will receive instructions for joining the live session and any additional details in the confirmation email and 1 day in advance. Please be sure to look for the link in your email.

    • MAFN CoP discussions will not be recorded in order to support space for learning.

    • For registration or membership questions contact info@mafn.org.

    Andy Pearson

    Carrin Robertson

    For registration or membership questions contact info@mafn.org.For registration or membership questions contact info@mafn.org.
    Show details

  • MAFN's June 7th Online Workshop: Leading Engaging Meetings

    • 06/07/2024
    • 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
    • Online using Zoom
    Register

    Duration: 90-minute workshop

    About the workshop: 

    Participants will identify elements of an effective meeting and learn how to choose appropriate meeting facilitation formats and consensus building processes (brainstorming, prioritizing, etc.) to lead meetings effectively. They will learn how to identify problem participants and tactics to redirect tangents and derailers. The facilitation skills gained in this session will translate into an increased willingness to take risks, more productive meetings, faster decision-making, and more co-creation.

    Learning Objectives 

    In this session, participants will:

    • Identify elements of an effective meeting

    • Learn how to choose appropriate meeting facilitation formats and consensus building processes

    • Explore how to identify problem participants and tactics to redirect tangents and derailers

    NOTE: This workshop will be recorded for distribution to all who register (breakout rooms will not be recorded).

    This is a 90-min workshop. It will take place starting at 12:00pm EDT.

    NOTE: All MAFN members are invited to stay for the MAFN Annual meeting which will be held immediately following the workshop on the same Zoom link.  Please let us know you will attend by registering for the annual meeting here: 

    REGISTER FOR ANNUAL MEETING 

    Speaker:

    Since 2016, Tricia Homer has been coaching executives and teaching at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. In this role she offers workshops, one-on-one sessions and group coaching that address communication skill gaps. Most recently, she was a Senior Program Officer at the US Institute of Peace. In this role, she was a senior expert in training. She led training and supported curriculum design for projects across the U.S., as well as in Rwanda, Oman, Iraq, Egypt, and Uzbekistan.


    ONLINE WORKSHOP REMINDERS

    • No refunds or credits for registration cancellations.
    • Registered participants will receive instructions for joining the live session and any additional details 1 day in advance and the morning of the event. Please be sure to look for the link in your email.
    • Workshops begin promptly at 12:00PM Eastern.  Please log on at least 15 minutes in advance to ensure your internet connections, audio and other settings are functioning properly.
    • MAFN Members have access to all online workshop recordings via the MAFN website.
    • For registration or membership questions contact info@mafn.org.
    Show details

  • MAFN ANNUAL MEETING

    • 06/07/2024
    • 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
    • Online using Zoom
    Register

    Come join your fellow MAFN members for our Annual Meeting. We will have networking, a MAFN Trivia game, a review of our FY24 accomplishments, along with FY25 goals, and a raffle. We look forward to seeing you there!

    NOTE: This meeting will NOT be recorded, so please join us!

    Please note that this is for MAFN members only.

    For registration or membership questions contact info@mafn.org

    Show details

  • MAFN Technology COP: Hands-on experiential use of Mentimeter (facilitated by Brian Tarallo) (Members Only)

    • 06/26/2024
    • 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
    • Online using Zoom
    • 35
    Register

    Many of us have used Mentimeter before, as a participant or as a facilitator of a session, but often not beyond the simple poll or colorful word cloud. In this Tech COP Brian Tarallo will show us many different ways of using this online polling tool, that turns your participant's devices into an audience response tool during a virtual, in-person, or hybrid event.

    Bring your questions and use cases. How might you want to use online polling?

    Please note that this is for MAFN members only and there is limited space, so please register early.

    Our guiding principles are:

    • Come open to learning (growth mindset)
    • Not expert led - will be hosted by peers with space to learn from all
    • Bring your questions, share your expertise

    ONLINE CoP Discussion REMINDERS

    • If you register and cannot attend, please cancel to allow someone else to come. 

    • Registered participants will receive instructions for joining the live session and any additional details in the confirmation email and 1 day in advance. Please be sure to look for the link in your email.

    • MAFN CoP discussions will not be recorded in order to support space for learning.

    For registration or membership questions contact info@mafn.org.
    Show details

CANCELLATION POLICY

For our online workshops, there are no refunds or credits for registration cancellations. Unless specified, the online workshops are recorded and the recording will be sent to those registered.

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