Programs & Retreats for Life & Work
There is in us an instinct for newness, for renewal, for a liberation of creative power. We seek to awaken in ourselves a force that changes our lives from within. And the same instinct tells us that this change is a recovery of that which is deepest, most original, most personal in ourselves. – Thomas Merton
Courage & Renewal programs are designed to sustain you in your life and work, to build your capacity for resilience, to help develop clarity and discernment around your life direction and choices, and to renew your commitment to living an authentic life. At any stage in your life and career, these programs help you “connect who you are with what you do”.
All programs offered are grounded in the Circle of Trust® approach which was created by Parker J. Palmer and the Center for Courage & Renewal. A Circle of Trust is distinguished by principles and practices designed to create a process of shared exploration, where people can find safe space to nurture personal and professional integrity and the courage to act on it. In the hands of a knowledgeable and skilled facilitator, this approach has the power to transform individuals, families, workplaces and communities.
Signature programs are:
All programs offered are grounded in the Circle of Trust® approach which was created by Parker J. Palmer and the Center for Courage & Renewal. A Circle of Trust is distinguished by principles and practices designed to create a process of shared exploration, where people can find safe space to nurture personal and professional integrity and the courage to act on it. In the hands of a knowledgeable and skilled facilitator, this approach has the power to transform individuals, families, workplaces and communities.
Signature programs are:
The Courage Way: Leading & Living with Integrity
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To be nobody-but-yourself
- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle that any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. - e.e. cummings |
This series of five one-day retreats is based on the book written by Shelly L. Francis and the Center for Courage & Renewal. The retreats are based on the transformative components of courageous and authentic leadership, and encapsulate the principles and practices of the Courage & Renewal approach. The retreats can be offered individually, or as a series.
1. The Courage Way: How to live & lead with integrity
It takes courage to show up in your life and work as your authentic self, to keep your values in sight regardless of the pressures around you, and to lead a meaningful life of integrity. This is what Parker Palmer calls living an undivided life. What would you do with more courage?
2. The Courage Way: How to create trustworthy space
Courage requires trust - in ourselves and each other, and trust in the overall balance of life. At the heart of trust is our own self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Trust is one of the keys to well-being. In this retreat we delve into the Circle of Trust principles and practices that help create and sustain trustworthy space.
3. The Courage Way: How to listen deeply & question well
"When we learn how to listen more deeply to others, we can listen more deeply to ourselves." - Parker J. Palmer
Mindful listening lays the foundation for authentic leadership and building trustworthy relationships. To listen deeply to another is one of the greatest gifts we can give them. And deeper listening comes from asking deeper questions. In this retreat we develop our capacity to ask honest, open questions, and to listen deeply to one another.
4. The Courage Way: How to embrace paradox & transform conflict
This retreat explores the idea of paradoxical truth and holding the tension of opposites. When we grow our capacity to hold complexity and uncertainty, while remaining open to possibility, we are better able to negotiate and find creative solutions to life's complex and challenging situations.
5. The Courage Way: Reflective practice in community
Reflective practice helps us develop our self-awareness and feeds our capacity for personal and professional growth. True reflective practice is more than taking time to think about process, learnings and data. It includes paying attention to our inner lives - our goals and dreams, our fears, our intuition and our imagination - and is enriched by the mirroring of trustworthy companions who help us see ourselves more clearly.
Courage to Lead®
"True leadership comes not from the sound of a commanding voice but from the nudging of an inner voice ...." - Madeleine K. Albright
For individuals from all walks of life who care deeply about their work in the world, to help them develop the courage to live and lead with integrity. At the heart of authentic leadership is the courage to be fully human, to take risks, to care deeply, and to take action even in the midst of change and uncertainty.
Check out the Event Calendar for the date of the next Courage to Lead.
Check out the Event Calendar for the date of the next Courage to Lead.
Courage to Teach®
“Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher.” - Parker J. Palmer
Courage to Teach focuses on renewing the inner lives of professionals in education, providing educators from all sectors the opportunity for personal and professional insight and growth. Inspired by Parker J. Palmer’s ground-breaking book, The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life, this program is rooted in the belief that competent, caring and committed teachers are the vital ingredient in successful learning outcomes.
Check out the Event Calendar for the date of the next Courage to Teach.
Check out the Event Calendar for the date of the next Courage to Teach.
Leading Together: Strengthening Relational Trust in Schools
Leading Together was developed at the request of many educators who had experienced personal and professional transformation through the Courage to Teach program, and who were looking for ways they might translate their experience for the benefit of their school communities.
Leading Together is an evidence-based program that supports whole school change by strengthening shared leadership, personal development and relational trust in the adult community.
It is designed to help school leadership teams build the capacity to facilitate positive, trusting relationships among the adults in their school community, to enable them to work together more collaboratively to improve student outcomes.
Leading Together focuses on shifting school culture by:
Check out the Leading Together page for further details of the program.
Other programs offered to the Education sector include:
It is designed to help school leadership teams build the capacity to facilitate positive, trusting relationships among the adults in their school community, to enable them to work together more collaboratively to improve student outcomes.
Leading Together focuses on shifting school culture by:
- cultivating self-awareness and internal accountability
- improving communication
- building connection and community
- fostering collaboration
- strengthening listening and reflecting
- sharpening focus and attention
- addressing conflict constructively
Check out the Leading Together page for further details of the program.
Other programs offered to the Education sector include:
The Heart of the Teacher
A one-day workshop introducing educators to approaches for personal and professional renewal and to practical applications that bring reflection and mindfulness into classrooms and support the building of relational trust in the adult school community.
Professional Development Collaborations
For whole school faculties, to renew school cultures, improve professional relationships and communication, to grow and challenge existing and aspiring leaders, and develop a shared school vision. Programmes can be tailored to the needs of your particular situation.
Sampler Sessions
Custom-designed workshop sessions, that offer a brief introduction to Circle of Trust reflective practice, can be provided as part of a wider professional development or conference program.
Other Circle of Trust® Programs and Retreats
From time to time other programs for personal renewal will be offered.
Check out the Event Calendar for dates.
Check out the Event Calendar for dates.