Learning to make a difference
Face-to-face and online workshops & events at the social learning labDates for face-to-face events in 2021 are provisional.
They will be postponed if it’s not safe to travel.
Public events
Our workshops are open to anyone who enables, sponsors, facilitates, researches, or evaluates social learning in communities of practice, social learning spaces, networks, or peer-to-peer initiatives.
See below for the range of events we offer – face-to-face or online.
Face-to-face: four days in spectacular surroundings
Online: four weeks in a beautifully designed online space
Both face-to face and online are convivial, creative, intense, and fun
BEtreats
Our signature workshops – small and intensive gatherings where we create a social learning space—learning to lead social learning while working on your challenges and opportunities…
State-of-the-art
Theoretical and practical foundations of social learning, exploring their relevance to your context.
Online state-of-the art BEtreats:
June 29 – July 23, 2021
Face-to-face state-of-the art BEtreats:
In Portugal: May 18 – 21, 2021
In USA: August 3 – 6, 2021
Dates may be moved to the fall if travel is not yet safe
I’m ready to sign up:
Go directly to prices/payment page
Cutting-edge
Working together to push the theory and practice through our respective challenges; mostly for repeat BEtreaters.
Online cutting-edge BEtreat:
January 11 – February 5, 2021
Note that this online BEtreat is both for people who are joining us for the first time (state-of-the-art) and for people who are coming back to experience BEtreat online (cutting-edge)
Face-to-face cutting-edge BEtreat:
In Portugal: May 25-28. 2021
I’m ready to sign up:
Go directly to prices/payment page
Research
With enough demand, we host a BEtreat with a more academic bent for researchers, evaluators, and students working on their Masters or PhD thesis.
Upcoming online BEtreat suitable for researchers:
January 11 – February 5, 2021
Note that this online BEtreat as well as the face-to-face on below are hybrids that mix practice and research.
Face-to-face hybrid BEtreat,
USA: August 10 – 13, 2021 | Exact dates to be confirmed.
I’m ready to sign up:
Go directly to prices/payment page
You as a leader
Focus on yourself as a social learning leader and what it means to embody that in your day-to-day activities and strategic intent …
Systems convening
For people convening social learning across boundaries in a complex landscape of practice. Meet others in different sectors struggling with similar issues and work with them taking a social learning approach.
This workshop is now happening fully online:
September 7 – October 1, 2021
(You can register on that page.)
BEing
How do we embody “being” in a social learning space? How is our identity and life trajectory involved, affected, and effective? What about the body, mind, and emotions? What about the dance of the collective and the individual? In this new, experimental BEtreat, we “be” and reflect on the “being” through the lens of personal experience and development.
Upcoming workshop – postponed:
(This first experimental workshop is by invitation for now. If you are interested, read more.
Self-care for leaders
Most social learning leaders invest themselves emotionally and physically into enabling the learning of others. A lot of their work is often unrecognized. Many burn out. This workshop is a time to replenish and rejuvenate with other social learning leaders. It includes yoga (Bev is a certified yoga instructor), walking, great food experiences, and journaling.
Upcoming workshop – postponed
To be scheduled in 2021 – more information coming soon.
Getting things done
Killing two birds with one stone! Reading, writing, or designing while leveraging the wisdom and experience of one another …
Reading our latest book
Volume I of our series on Learning to make a difference—value creation in social learning spaces—is now published. This is a rich book, both theoretically and practically. In response to requests, we are hosting another group reading and discussion in November.
This reading workshop is fully online:
November 2 – 27, 2021
(you can register on that page)
More about our new book:
Check the preview of our book
Writing retreat
Upcoming online writing retreat:
March 1 – 26, 2021
(you can register on that page)
Liberating structures
This workshop is about using Liberating Structures for developing communities and social learning spaces. Designing activities is a key competence for social learning leaders and Liberating Structures is one way to do it. Join us in Portugal or online.
This upcoming workshop has been postponed until travel is possible.
More information about the workshop:
Social learning and liberating structures for social learning
Custom events
Customized to your needs and informed by our social learning perspective.
Online: At any time, but especially during a time of restrictions on travel, all these events can be held fully online.
Face-to-face: When travel reopens, our social learning lab in Sesimbra, Portugal, is a splendid location that accommodates events with up to 24 people. For convenient lodging and larger events, we have an agreement with the Four Points by Sheraton next door.
Custom BEtreats
Small and intensive workshops, in a retreat-like setting, customized to work on your challenges and opportunities …
At our lab
We can host a custom BEtreat for your employees and select invitees in our social learning lab.
At your place
We can also host a custom BEtreat for your employees and select invitees at your location.
Private retreat
We offer private BEtreats for one person or a couple. It may be to work on a project that would benefit from a social learning perspective or because you are at a crossroads in your life. The BEtreat is dedicated time to focus on your project or yourself—with some light-touch input from us. Stay with us in your own beautiful room with a view, work in the morning and take time to write, reflect or relax in the afternoon. We even have an extra room for kids if you want to make it a family vacation.
Facilitated meetings
Custom meetings facilitated with our unique, action-oriented blend of strategic and social learning focus …
Offsites and retreats
Is your organization at a turning point? Is it time to step back and clarify or reframe where you are going? Do you need a refined strategy or a new vision? Or is it just time for a focused moment of collective reflection? We can host and facilitate these offsites, bringing our social learning perspective to the mix.
Summits
Are you addressing a complex challenge that involves a variety of disparate stakeholders? Is it time to bring them together to gain a shared view of what’s at stake and reach some consensus on where to go? Our social learning perspective is ideal to work together in a facilitated flow of various social configurations.
Conflict resolution
Is your team at an impasse? Are your stakeholders pulled apart by serious conflicts? Let us facilitate a session to work on that. Our social learning perspective does not ignore conflicts. On the contrary, it faces conflicts head-on and takes them as learning challenges.
Contact us to discuss your plans for a conflict-resolution session