Learn to Work Together

To create change in our communities, we need to work together. Like the saying goes, “To go fast, go alone. To go far, go together.”
This is easier said than done. Collaboration can be tricky, but there are tried and true practices that can help ensure its success. Our research-based Community Learning Model (CLM) sorts these practices into six easy categories.


Community Learning Model

The courses available on Canopy Learning Online dive into key skills and tools for each area of the CLM. Courses can be used by the person gathering a group who may be playing the role of host, organizer, facilitator, or backbone. They can also be shared with members of a collaborative to help create a shared understanding of the different stages of collaboration.



Circle logo with results at the center, surrounded be a larger circle with include, dialogue, act, and learn, encircle by a final circle that says culture of collaboration.

Featured Courses

Introduction to Systems Change

Discover how to see the world in a whole new way. Introduction to Systems Thinking is an energizing, eye-opening course that helps you make sense of the complex systems shaping our communities, workplaces, and everyday lives. Through relatable examples, interactive reflections, and practical tools, you’ll learn how to move beyond surface-level problems and uncover the deeper patterns, structures, and mindsets that drive real change. You’ll explore powerful frameworks like the Iceberg Model, the FSG systems change triangle, and the Community Learning Model—giving you a powerful start to think more strategically, collaborate more effectively, and make a meaningful impact. Whether you’re working in nonprofits, government, education, or community-based initiatives, this course will help you become a more insightful leader and a catalyst for change.

Kale McMonagle

Kale McMonagle

FREE

Community Engagement Spectrum

This introductory course helps you understand how and why to engage communities in ways that build trust, equity, and lasting impact. Grounded in the Community Learning Model, the course explores how inclusive engagement leads to better decisions, stronger buy-in, and more effective outcomes—especially when working on complex social issues. You’ll learn how to choose the right level of engagement using the IAP2 Spectrum, explore different tools for involving community members, and navigate collaboration challenges with other organizations. Through real-world examples and accessible frameworks, this course equips you to design engagement processes that are honest, appropriate to your goals, and meaningful for the people most affected by the decisions you’re making.

Kale McMonagle

Kale McMonagle

$49

Emergent Learning in Complex Systems

Unlock the power of collective learning to drive meaningful change in complex systems. This workshop shows you how groups, organizations, and communities can move beyond rigid planning, pause to reflect, and adapt together to achieve shared goals. Through real-world examples and interactive exercises, you’ll see how small, intentional actions can add up to big, lasting impact. You’ll leave with practical tools to make thinking visible, balance competing priorities, and connect everyday efforts to larger outcomes. Learn how to foster a culture of experimentation, equity, and collaboration—so your team or community can navigate complexity, solve tough challenges, and create the kind of change you want to see in the world.

Morgan Schmehl

Morgan Schmehl

$49

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Purchase an annual subscription and you'll receive anytime access to 8+ courses for the price of 4. When new courses get added, they'll get added to your subscription.


Our Experience

For over twenty years, the Civic Canopy has transformed the way we solve society’s big, sticky issues. We do this by engaging and connecting diverse groups of people seeking change in their community and equipping them with the tools to create meaningful and lasting impact. Project by project, we aim to create a new culture across Colorado that centers around elevating often unheard and underrepresented voices, designing spaces that foster understanding and trust, and mobilizing towards collective action that results in systemic change.

"I was very impressed with how knowledgeable and thorough The Civic Canopy was. To me, people that are role models are people that don't waste their experiences and I think that The Civic Canopy was really able to put themselves in situations where they could be helpful and supportive and use their prior knowledge."

-Former Program Mentee