
2023 Schedule
Seattle, WA In-Person:
December 6-7, 2023
The PacMed Tower
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PST (1-hour lunch)
2024 Schedule
Seattle, WA In-Person:
March 21-22, 2024
Tukwila Community Center
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PST (1-hour lunch)
May 2-3, 2024
The PacMed Tower
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PST (1-hour lunch)
Portland, OR In-Person
May 30-31, 2024
Venue TBD
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PDT (1-hour lunch)
Online
April 22, 24, 26, 2024
7:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PDT
Course Objectives
ToP facilitation methods help groups to think, talk and work together. Learn to facilitate a conversation that leads from ideas to understanding, resulting in action. Learn and practice the core methods in this 2-day in-person or 4-part online series.
Prerequisites
None.
Who is this training for?
ToP provides facilitators with structured methods to guide groups, recognize and honor individual contributions, sort through mounds of data and find consensus – while minimizing conflict. ToP training is for anyone who works with groups that need high-level participation to be effective, including:
- Managers and supervisors
- Executive directors and board members
- Facilitators, trainers and consultants
- Educators and health practitioners
- Active citizens and community workers
Watch this video for a highlight of this amazing course!
Download our flyer here!
What You’ll Learn
Learn three proven ways to activate group participation. Hands-on practice helps you discover practical uses in your life and work. Participants work individually and in small groups to see the ToP Methods in action, and then have the opportunity to practice facilitating in class.
FOCUSED CONVERSATION METHOD
Learn the foundational approach that leads naturally to a meaningful exchange of ideas.
- Conduct purposeful discussions
- Capture a group’s best thinking easily
- Surface new ideas and solutions
- Stimulate candid feedback
CONSENSUS WORKSHOP METHOD
Practice the engaging, structured process that energizes people to reach consensus.
- Tap rational and intuitive thought processes
- Integrate diverse ideas
- Generate practical and creative solutions
- Develop group consensus
ACTION PLANNING PROCESS
Walk through practical steps that help groups plan, organize resources, and build commitment.
- Visualize a successful result
- Analyze the current reality
- Create a practical plan
- Maximize group involvement

What are the benefits learning facilitation methods?
- Unproductive conflict disappears
- Groups create their own motivation
- Personal commitment becomes the norm
- Visible results appear more quickly
- Increased productivity saves time and money
Continuing Education Credits


Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) and Masters Certified Education Specialists (MCHES) earn 13,5 Continuing Education Contact Hours (CECH) for ToP Facilitation Methods recognized by the National Commission on Health Education Certification (NCHEC).
American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) members earn Certification Maintenance (CM) credits for ToP Facilitation Methods (14.5 CM).
Pricing
SLIDING-SCALE FEES
- Corporate/for-profit, $1250
- Public/government, $1050
- Individual Professional $950
- Nonprofit
- large institutions (budget > $5 million), $1250
- mid-sized (budget $1-5 million), $950
- small/community-based (budget <$1 million), $650
- Student, $650
Note: You will be redirected to the Institute of Cultural Affairs for your registration.
Or Click Here to Find Dates & Locations Near You
Looking for In-House Training for Your Group?
You provide the space (long walls or a whiteboard to place sticky walls with painter’s tape; movable tables and chairs), the participants and the refreshments. We supply everything else! Please contact us if you wish to schedule a ToP course inside your organization.
