JANUARY 5 • FRIDAY

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm (P) Welcome and Gathering Kick-off - Magnolia Ballroom

Welcome and Gathering Kick-off Join together as we officially open the 2018 Gathering with a fun activity, introductions and an overview of the schedule.

 

2:00 pm – 4:30 pm (P) Local Showcase - Magnolia Ballroom

Meet local organizations whose work has been impacted by ToP. You'll have an opportunity to go from station to station, hearing their insightful presentations and talking with them.

 

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm (M) Snack Break

A time to refuel, refresh yourself, and network.

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4:30 pm – 5:30 pm (P) (Re) Connections - Magnolia Ballroom

You'll be introduced to the ToP Network Action Teams. Hear a brief overview of their work and visit table stations. Those new to the ToP Network and Gathering can meet at the ToP 101 table.

 

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm (M) Reception

Start the evening gathering together over refreshments. A cash bar will be provided at the reception.

 

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm (M) Dinner - Magnolia Ballroom

Meet in the Magnolia Ballroom for dinner. Enjoy an Omaha-themed meal while networking with your colleagues. Magnolia Ballroom

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JANUARY 6 • SATURDAY

7:00 am – 8:15 am (M) Breakfast - Magnolia Ballroom

Start your day with a buffet breakfast found in the Lavendar Ballroom, adjoining the Magnolia Ballroom. Bring your plate to the Magnolia Ballroom where the Plenary begins at 8:00 AM.

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8:00 am – 8:30 am (P) Plenary - Magnolia Ballroom

Gather together to launch the day. Meet more of your colleagues and hear about the schedule and logistics for Saturday.

 

8:30 am – 10:00 am (W) Civic Engagement - Columbine

Speaker: Alisa Olyer

 

8:30 am – 10:00 am (W) ToP Methods and Cultural Change - Bluebonnet

Speakers: Seva Gandhi

Come learn about the ways ToP Methods are currently being applied in both short and long term social change efforts. Explore the way ToP  methods are currently being used in 1.) Program Creation 2.) Curriculum Development 3.) Grassroots Coalition & Network Building and  4.) Community Development Efforts.  You will also learn little bit about the Institute of Cultural Affairs, how it is linked to ToP, and the large global network ToP Practitioners that ICA is connected to.

 

8:30 am – 10:00 am (W) Methods for Millennials: Creating Connection in an Era of Disconnect - Magnolia Ballroom

Speakers: Lindsay Gross, Aaron Wolowiec

Millennials often struggle to remain engaged in traditional learning/facilitation processes. They have been raised in a multimedia era, are multitaskers by nature, and desire immediate gratification. ToP Methods are created to tap into the unique technology within oneself and to create a collective vision utilizing that inner wisdom. Cutting through the barrier of traditional technology (PowerPoint, video, social media) and getting millennials truly engaged is something we as facilitators must contend with every day. In this session we will discuss: The difference between millennial learners and other generations of learners; How to stay relevant and attract millennials to training sessions and; How to remove barriers to millennial engagement and maximize their participation in the methods.

 

8:30 am – 10:00 am (W) ToP 101 - Lotus

Speakers: Mary Flanagan, Nancy Jackson

If you want a crash course in everything ToP, here is the place to go. You will learn about the ToP ‘system’ – the players, the partnerships, ToP history and values, and the journey to deepen your learning. We’ll share where facilitation resources are tucked away and opportunities to dive in where you have the energy, interest and expertise to share. Any ToP questions you have will be answered!

 

10:00 am – 10:30 am (M) Snack Break

A time to refuel, refresh yourself, and network.

 

10:30 am – 12:00 pm (W) Creating a Strong Sense of Belonging - Gamifying the Consensus Workshop - Columbine

Speakers: Greta Leach, Anders Olson

A strong sense of belonging is one of the greatest factors in a community’s future economic growth and quality life. Experience for yourself Nebraska Community Foundation’s “Building Blocks of Belonging” game which helps rural community leaders think outside the box about how their existing assets can be used to create welcoming and inclusive communities. The game incorporates elements of the ToP Consensus Workshop, asset-based community development and rural development philanthropy. Gain inspiration and share your own ideas on how ToP methods can be gamified to engage people in creating the communities they dream of.

 

10:30 am – 12:00 pm (W) Birds of a Feather - Lotus

Gather some colleagues and use this time to discuss any topics that may be of interest to you! 

 

10:30 am – 12:00 pm (W) Innovation by Design and ToP Methods - Magnolia Ballroom

Speaker: Amy Schrempp

Innovation by Design is a creative problem-solving approach based in human-centered design and design-thinking principles. It starts with the people we're serving and ends with a service that is specifically tested and designed for them. Innovation by Design is guided by the mindsets of empathy, optimism and experiment. This workshop will guide participants through an Innovation by Design process with a hands-on activity that will demonstrate the effectiveness of the tools. Participants will know how to infuse ToP methods into a design thinking process and leave with session plans for their own design thinking activity.

 

10:30 am – 12:00 pm (W) Neighborhood Transformation at the Four Corners of Death: A Case Story about ToP and the Market Creek Experience - Bluebonnet

Speaker: Jennifer Vanica

The case story of the “Market Creek Experience” will take participants on a journey covering the 20-year unfolding of a community-building effort involving over 3,000 residents, working across nine major cultures, who owned the planning, the implementation, and through a pioneering IPO, ultimately the asset created — Market Creek Plaza. As the CEO of a place-based foundation concerned about how Urban Renewal had torn apart low-income communities and caused large-scale displacement, Jennifer Vanica knew that community planning needed to start with residents as the central decision-makers. But this idea flipped a century of philanthropic/community relations on its ear by no longer assuming charitable foundations should be at arm’s length or set the agenda. To move toward shared power, we decided to forge a community partnership based on the idea that deep connections, powerful relationships, and teamwork might stand a better chance to change things than the philanthropic model being used at that time.

 

The discovery of ToP — thanks to John and Marilyn Oyler — placed in our hands the primary tool for turning up the volume on resident voice, achieving understanding across race, class, age, gender, and sector, unblocking historic barriers, and moving from “resident engagement” to “resident ownership.” Culture might eat strategy for lunch, but in the story of the Market Creek Experience — citizen teams working to transform an abandoned and toxic industrial site into a vibrant center of culture and commerce — participation fed ownership and ownership fed endurance, reinvigorating our belief in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Along with the presentation of the case story, this session includes a participatory workshop on our case for ToP as a critical tool for dealing with power dynamics in community change and strengthening our democracy.

 

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm (M) Lunch

Enjoy a delicious plated lunch while you engage in conversation with your colleagues.

 

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm (W) Collective Impact + ToP Methods - Columbine 

Speaker: Terri Phillips

What’s all the buzz about the Collective Impact Framework that you’ve been hearing about? This session will provide you a foundation of what the Collective Impact framework is, share tools and resources that you can use in your work, and begin the conversation about how to embed ToP methods into this framework.  Terri Phillips, a consultant from Wisconsin, is excited to share her experiences utilizing this framework and the fabulous connections she has made in the Collective Impact World.  This session is also an opportunity to hear from others engaging in the Collective Impact framework and examine how the ToP Network can harness this energy to solve complex social issues.

 

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm (W) Connecting to College Students: Use of ToP Facilitation to Create Meaningful Dialogue in Higher Education - Bluebonnet

Speaker: Jen Schanen

Higher education institutions have a unique role in facilitating conversations about important and often divisive issues of politics, social systems, and culture. Faculty members also have a responsibility to help students process course material in ways that inspire full integration while also supporting critical analysis. Jen Schanen utilizes ToP Methods in her social work classrooms, preparing students for a variety of community practice settings including child welfare agencies, nursing homes, shelters, after school programs, nonprofit organizations, and more. Effective strategies for integrating ToP into the classroom will be shared, and participants will be invited to continue in a conversation about how ToP Methods might be used to create brave spaces in which college students can be more fully engaged.

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm (W) Augmenting ToP with Tactile Building Exercises that Promote Creative Thinking - Magnolia Ballroom 

Speaker: Lisa Maurer

This is an exploration of tactile building exercises that can be combined with ToP to augment the largely cerebral experience of ToP card-based methods and allow for greater capacity to tap into tacit knowledge. These building exercises are an antidote to the “semantic sludge” that can happen when participants who are less adept at verbal processing get fatigued by the text-based brainstorming, sorting, naming and reflection cycles in ToP. Considerations for the use of materials like die-cuts, 3-D building sets and the process of LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) will be discussed and explored.

 

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm (W) Intersections: Implementation Science & ToP Planning - Magnolia Ballroom

Speaker: Mary Overlie

In Mary Overlie's experience as an educational leader, she's learned that schools are some of the last frontiers for embracing participatory leadership. While business and other sectors of society seek to move toward more democratic, people-powered thinking in their leadership functions, the schools she's worked in tend to still operate in very hierarchal, political schemas. She's found that when she marries the language of Implementation Science to the language of ToP, it’s easier to create an openness for leaders and teachers to embrace a more participatory, intentional style of decision making on behalf of the kids they serve. Examples of school improvement planning (K-12) and master academic planning (higher ed) with ToP planning and Implementation Science resources will be highlighted.

 

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm (W) Fitting ToP with SPF: Using the Methods with SAMHSA's Strategic Prevention Framework - Bluebonnet

Speaker: Angie Asa-Lovstad

Science-based models for making community level change happen are plentiful and similar, however, often they do not have the tools to take stakeholders through the process in a collective way. Many times the paid staff gets to do the heavy lifting and the stakeholders are not engaged. This scenario leaves little or no buy-in for sustaining the efforts. In this session, the ToP methods will be explored on how they align with SAMHSA (Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration) SPF (Strategic Prevention Framework) model. Jointly participants will look at each of the steps and the tools we have as ToP Facilitators to get stakeholders engaged and community members supporting the process which will ultimately lead to sustainability.

 

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm (W) How Implicit Bias and Privilege Impact the Design and Implementation of Facilitation - Columbine

Speakers: Lindsay Gross, Krista Rowe

In this session we will explore how the existence of implicit bias and privilege can influence real world behavior, and in turn, our work. We will discuss and provide resources and materials for rethinking the way we approach facilitation and its design.

 

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm (W) Intersection of LEGO Serious Play and ToP Methods - Lotus

Speaker: Rachel Walch

LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) is a participatory facilitation method in which participants build models with LEGO® bricks representing their experiences and perspectives on shared topics. Just like ToP methods, LSP requires full participation and honors everyone’s input by providing a platform to share their perspective through describing their model. Combined with ToP methods, LSP forces participants into a creative mindset and expands a group’s problem solving ability.

 

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm (W) Youth as Facilitative Leaders - Communicating with Youth - Magnolia Ballroom

Speaker: Courtney Lonergan

In this session we will share components of the Youth as Facilitative Leaders that are distinct from the TFM and share approaches that work around the CYD and PYD movements. We will gather wisdom from the group and request initial interest around an ongoing Youth as Facilitative Leaders work group; so we can update the YFL manual, training materials, and train the trainer curriculum.

 

3:30pm – 4:00pm (M) Snack Break

A time to refuel, refresh yourself, and network.

 

4:00pm – 5:00pm (C) Team Time

ToP Network Action Teams can meet during this time.

Self-select to meet in any of the following rooms: Magnolia, Bluebonnet, Columbine, Lotus.

 

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm (M) Dinner on Your Own - Omaha Restaurants

Get together with your colleagues for an evening on the town or dining at the hotel restaurant. Join a ToP DineAround group hosted by one of Omaha's locals. See sign ups at the Registration table.

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JANUARY 7 • SUNDAY

7:00 am – 8:15 am (M) Breakfast

Start your day with a buffet breakfast found in the Lavendar Ballroom, adjoining the Magnolia Ballroom. Bring your plate to the Magnolia Ballroom where the Plenary begins at 8:00 AM.

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7:30 - 8:00 am - Mindfulness Meditation - Lotus 

Daniel Lawse, an environmental sustainability consultant and practitioner with Omaha's Mindfulness Outreach Initiative will lead a reflective meditation on the theme of cultivation.

 

8:00 am – 8:30 am (P) Plenary - Magnolia Ballroom

Gather together with your colleagues to launch the day. More introductions and fun activities.

 

8:30 am – 9:00 am (P) ToP Network Annual Business Meeting - Magnolia Ballroom

Every member of the ToP Network is invited and encouraged to attend the Annual Business meeting. While this isn't the most exciting meeting it is the quickest!

Our agenda: Minutes

Financial report

Election of board and nominating committee members

Join us to fulfill our bylaw obligation to hold an annual meeting.

Refill your coffee cup and we promise to make it fun!

 

9:00 am – 12:00 pm (P) ToP Network Planning - Cultivating a Renewed Identity - Magnolia Ballroom

 

10:00 am – 10:30 am (M) Snack Break

A time to refuel, refresh yourself, and network.

 

12:00 pm – 12:30 pm (M) Lunch 

Select your box lunch for a working lunch. We'll be breaking into Action Teams at 12:30. Those who aren't meeting with an Action Team will debrief the ToP Network planning session.

 

12:30 pm – 2:00 pm (C) Team Time

We'll break into Action Teams following the ToP Network planning session. Meet with your colleagues to work on your plans.

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2:00 pm – 3:30 pm (W) Certification: Is It for Me? - Columbine

Speaker: Lynda Baker

CTF? CPF? What do these initials mean and do you need or want them after your name? This session will help you explore those questions. Gain insight into the similarities and differences between the certification processes of both the Institute of Cultural Affairs and the International Association of Facilitators in this interactive workshop.  You will hear the perspective of a colleague who has served as an assessor for both of these certification programs. Bring your questions and leave this session ready to take the next steps on your professional certification journey! 

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2:00 pm – 3:30 pm (W) Network Mapping - The Art and Science of Connection and Community - Magnolia Ballroom

 Speaker: Hugh Weber

Human beings have a fundamental need to belong, to be social as part of community and to commit to something bigger than themselves. Social isolation is seen as a state of human deprivation contributing to many forms of disease, depression, addiction, shortened life expectancy and lessened professional options. By examining our own networks in this hands-on session, we can begin to identify opportunities to improve equity, diversity and inclusion in our work in and through community. What type of networks are we building personally and among practitioners of ToP? How might we extend impact by focusing intentionally on diverse, thriving networks?

 

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm (W) Sustaining the Investment in ToP - Bluebonnet

Speakers: Heidi Kolbe, Nileen Verbeten

This program will focus on ways to support sustainability with ToP methods, especially with recent grads. Last year, the ToP Network called upon California trainers to sustain and strengthen ToP use for the 170 recent grads from public health departments and others involved in nutrition education. We will share the results of our six-month virtual mentoring and our 1-1 coaching programs, discuss challenges with ToP sustainability and determine innovative ways to increase our impact.

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2:00 pm – 3:30 pm (W) ToP Methods in Ukraine - Columbine

Speaker: Oleh Shapovalov

I will present information on the following topics: Using ToP methods in the largest Ukrainian energy company DTEK Creating a strategy for the Ministry of Internal Affairs ToP methods for reforming the Ukrainian Educational system We will discover together how to improve customer services by using modified ToP methods and "take a test" for ToP facilitators.

 

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm (M) Snack Break

A time to refuel, refresh yourself, and network.

 

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm (W) Focus Conversations on the Fly - Lotus

Speaker: Stephanie Ahles

Have you ever been asked to facilitate a conversation with little to no prep time? In this interactive session you will practice creating and facilitating focus conversations in the moment. Come practice your skills, build your confidence, learn from each other and have some fun.

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4:00 pm – 5:00 pm (W) Exploring Best Practice Frameworks for Working Collaboratively - Columbine

Speakers: Irina Fursman, Emily Porter

All across the globe, communities, organizations and industries are undergoing major disruptions stemming from new technologies and generational shifts. In this session, we explore some of the resulting new business models that are based on collaboration and sharing -- and see how they apply to our lives and work. Participants will reinforce their knowledge of evolving business frameworks and discuss how to model and use different approaches.

 

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm (W) ORID as a Meta Method - Lotus

Speaker: Jo Nelson

In this session, you will explore the underlying thinking process that is the secret to the success of the Focused Conversation Method and all ToP methods (indeed most methods that work!). This will be an interactive presentation that builds on the understandings presented in the new book Getting to the Bottom of ToP and a session from the ICA Associates course "Art and Science of Participation". You will have an opportunity to explore how the underlying thinking process applies to your favourite facilitation methods.

 

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm (W) Social Media 101 for Trainers - Bluebonnet

Speaker: Aaron Wolowiec

You’ve set up profiles on Facebook, Twitter and/or LinkedIn, but you’re unsure what to say, when to post and how to maximize exposure. During this session, explore how social media can support your training practice before, during and after scheduled ToP training courses, and walk away with a game plan you can immediately implement for the balance of 2018 to drive both attendance and engagement.

 

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm (C) ToP Network Board Member Meeting and Orientation - Lotus

 

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm (M) Dinner on Your Own - Omaha Restaurants

Get together with your colleagues for an evening on the town or dining at the hotel restaurant.

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JANUARY 8 • MONDAY

7:15 - 8:15 am Gentle Morning Yoga - Lotus

Mandee Richardson, a teacher with Omaha's Pranam Yoga Shala will lead a gentle yoga session around the theme of cultivation.

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7:30 am – 8:45 am (M) Breakfast Snack

Start your day with a light breakfast snack found in the Lavendar room. Bring your plate to the Magnolia Ballroom. You'll proceed to workshops at 8:30 AM.

Today we will hold a Closing Celebration Brunch at 10:00 AM.

 

8:30 am – 9:30 am (W) Re-tooling Conciliation for the U.S. Market: A Course Reboot Workshop - Magnolia Ballroom

Speakers: Irina Fursman, Sherry Johnson, Brigid Riley

While our network has a robust framework in the ToP Conciliation model, the course has been difficult to market, despite our clients’ increased demand for generative, practical ways to engage with conflict in group settings. How might we harness the power of this framework to re-imagine a course that attracts and sustains an increasingly sophisticated participant? Join us as we share a draft of our thinking, and offer your feedback to support the creation of this next generation training.

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8:30 am – 9:30 am (W) Speed Mentoring - Columbine

Explore curiosities and un-answered questions with those who have ‘been there and done that.’ We will use planned topics and pillar responses. These will be 10-15 minute rounds.

 

8:30 am – 9:30 am (W) Taking the Pain Out of Naming Underlying Contradictions - Bluebonnet

Speaker: Heidi Kolbe

Do you have a deep respect for the Underlying Contradictions workshop’s capacity to create transformational change while at the same time wondering why it can be so difficult? Come to this workshop and learn about ways to take the pain out of naming underlying contradictions. Also, learn a method to compare the data to determine the best focus for strategies.

 

9:30 am – 10:00 am (N) Networking Break

A time to network.

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10:00 am – 12:00 pm (M) Celebration Brunch and Gathering Closing - Magnolia Ballroom

 

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1:00 pm – 5:00 pm (C) ToP Trainer Convening - Magnolia Ballroom

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