What it is
Workshops are typically curated meetings aimed to provide an understanding of topics related to racial equity and anti-racism, in a short time frame. GamblinConsults customizes all workshops to meet client needs, audience knowledge, and the intended goals of the client and their context. Workshops last between one to two hours and can take place online via a webinar or video conference, or can take place in person.
The selection of a workshop is generally a good fit if planning for a conference or retreat, or simply hosting a short meeting and wanting to use the time effectively for team members to learn about race and racism. Given the short time, one of the goals of someone interested in selecting a workshop might be: (1) to provide a sneak peak of what racial equity work can offer; (2) to get people interested in this topic to lay the groundwork for deeper work in the future; or (3) to reach larger audiences outside of your network who otherwise would not be exposed to this content and use this time to encourage them to prioritize racial equity and anti-racism in their work.
The selection of a workshop is generally a good fit if planning for a conference or retreat, or simply hosting a short meeting and wanting to use the time effectively for team members to learn about race and racism. Given the short time, one of the goals of someone interested in selecting a workshop might be: (1) to provide a sneak peak of what racial equity work can offer; (2) to get people interested in this topic to lay the groundwork for deeper work in the future; or (3) to reach larger audiences outside of your network who otherwise would not be exposed to this content and use this time to encourage them to prioritize racial equity and anti-racism in their work.
Why it's important
It is probably safe to say that a lot of people have attended workshops of some sort. It is also probably safe to say that not all of these workshops have been an effective use of time. And when it comes to ending racism, time is something we have to make good use of.
The workshops that GamblinConsults offer are goal oriented, driven by what the client is trying to achieve, both from the workshop but also from their longer-term mission as an organization, agency or network. Too often, many workshops are not goal orientated, which negatively impacts attendees because where there is no vision people are often left confused. GamblinConsults recognizes this and designs workshops based on short-term and long-term goals of the client. Content is also curated to reflect what the organization, network, or agency has already done, what their staff or members already understand, and where the gaps in knowledge are. No need to repeat what attendees already know. We want our workshops to provide support with what they need for the current season they are in and what they need to prepare them for the season they are about to enter. Perhaps what makes our workshops the most effective is that there is always a clear action step, or set of multiple action steps, for attendees that are rooted in their context, for what they can do now. Not the abstract, but tangible ways of moving forward that same day.
This attention to detail, process, and design is what makes our workshops effective and compels our attendees to report how grateful they are that they spent an hour or two of their day with us. Again, when it comes to ending racism, time is something we have to make good use of.
The workshops that GamblinConsults offer are goal oriented, driven by what the client is trying to achieve, both from the workshop but also from their longer-term mission as an organization, agency or network. Too often, many workshops are not goal orientated, which negatively impacts attendees because where there is no vision people are often left confused. GamblinConsults recognizes this and designs workshops based on short-term and long-term goals of the client. Content is also curated to reflect what the organization, network, or agency has already done, what their staff or members already understand, and where the gaps in knowledge are. No need to repeat what attendees already know. We want our workshops to provide support with what they need for the current season they are in and what they need to prepare them for the season they are about to enter. Perhaps what makes our workshops the most effective is that there is always a clear action step, or set of multiple action steps, for attendees that are rooted in their context, for what they can do now. Not the abstract, but tangible ways of moving forward that same day.
This attention to detail, process, and design is what makes our workshops effective and compels our attendees to report how grateful they are that they spent an hour or two of their day with us. Again, when it comes to ending racism, time is something we have to make good use of.
What to expect
Some things to expect from our workshops include:
- A Discovery Call to understand goals, a brief history of how the client got to where they are on their journey to address racism, and background about who the audience is and what their current understanding of these issues are.
- One to two Co-Planning Sessions to actively collaborate together to finalize the goals and objectives, and then creatively plan and brainstorm the agenda based on the client's context and goals.
- Anti-racist facilitated meetings during our Co-Planning Session(s).
- Attention to ensuring workshop presents information in alignment with different learning styles.
- Attention to attendee demographics, as it relates to race and other intersecting identities, and making space for that within the way that the workshop is shared and presented.
- Interactive workshop that lays out the objectives to attendees and provides opportunities for them to actively participate, individually reflect, and share with the group.
- Clear action steps of what attendees can do now, that are aligned with the client's short-term and long-term goals and current context.