Canopy Workshops
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.
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.
Sustaining Commitment with Community Partners
This strategy-focused course is for anyone working collaboratively with community members, coalitions, nonprofits, public agencies, or cross-sector partners. Designed for both new and long-standing collaboratives, the course addresses a common challenge: how to keep people engaged, participating, and moving forward together over time—especially when the work is complex and voluntary.
You’ll explore five core strategies for maintaining momentum, including setting clear time boundaries, strengthening relationships across the group, balancing dialogue with action, redefining what “action” looks like, and shifting the stories we tell about commitment. Grounded in the Civic Canopy’s Community Learning Model, the course blends research, real-world examples, and facilitation tools to help groups create the conditions for trust, shared ownership, and sustained collaboration—even when energy dips or conflict arises.
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.
