The Situation

The Journey

The journey took place over a 6-month period. Along the way the following factors were at play:

1. This training was paid for by a foundation. All participants were part of the same ecosystem providing training and technical assistance throughout California. California Health Care Foundation was a full participant in the training which communicated their full endorsement and commitment to learning-centered design.

2. Some of the learners were competitors. This was tricky and sensitive. We made three decisions to help ensure everyone felt safe and respected:
   1. Check-ins. More than usual, GLP checked in with individuals throughout the training to see how they were feeling about the conversations, people in the room, and the process overall. Adjustments were made as needed.
   2. Intentional small group work. We ensured organizations brought at least 2 participants so they could work in small teams in service of their specific projects.
   3. Naming common goals. Highlighting that these organizations share a priority of advancing equitable care for under-resourced communities facilitated the establishment of a shared purpose and helped minimize the feeling of competition.

3. They had not been at an in-person event for a very long time. The thought of being in the room with colleagues for multiple days was exciting and a big draw for many – for others it was anxiety filled. To help ensure safety and respect for all, we did the following:
   1. Designed numerous embodied activities. We tended to their physical energy needs with movement. The Move ‘n Talk technique was a favorite.
   2. Emphasized the importance of self-care. In addition to offering safety products, we created color-coded name tags to communicate participants’ comfort with contact (RED = please maintain a respectful distance, GREEN = open to closer connections).

4. They were hungry to network. To help participants get the most out of their time together we:
   1. Offered multiple ways to connect and work together. Teams were given choices throughout the training for thought-partners and project alignment among all the organizations.
   2. Hosted an evening social event. With only 2 days together, we took advantage of the evening on Day 1 to gather for dinner. We made reservations at three restaurants and asked participants to sign up during the day.

5. Two days would not be enough to ensure learning and impact. We offered mentoring to everyone after the live sessions. As they worked to finish the learning designs and readied themselves for implementation, GLP was available as a thought-partner.

The Impact

As a result of this learning program, the participants and organizations now:

• Have a shared language and approach to designing and facilitating learning events
• Feel more confident to develop and facilitate training and other learning events
• Work more intentionally in planning, designing, and facilitating learning events and other gatherings
• Have increased their support and encouragement of each other in this area, across networks
• Work more intentionally to be learning-centered and are clearer about what this means

In addition, 17 organizations now know more about who does what in service of advancing equity, improving access, and strengthening the workforce to provide health care to under-resourced communities in California – they know they are not alone and are more likely to partner in the future! This was of high value for stakeholders and the individuals who attended this event.

Without exaggeration I think that was the best training I’ve ever been to in my career. Really good trainers and incredibly useful content. All the grantees seemed to find it incredibly helpful, and were very engaged. … I have been wanting to do a training on adult learning for five years and have not seen a course I really liked and there was always something more pressing. This is really a game changer for how we think in Learning and Impact (LI).

–Stephanie Teleki, Director of LI, California Health Care Foundation