Facilitation Training
The best meeting your team ever has
might be the one
they run themselves.
Learn the methods behind meetings that actually work — and build that capacity across your whole team. These are the courses. ToP® is the credential behind them.
Who This Is For
Two paths. Same methods.
👤
Individual practitioners
Consultants, nonprofit leaders, health educators, planners, coaches — anyone who regularly facilitates groups and wants to do it better.
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→Open enrollment — register individually
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→Small cohorts, real practice
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→Skills you'll use the following Monday
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→CE credits: CHES, AICP, ICF, PDU
View Upcoming Courses
🏢
Organizational teams
You don't need your staff to become professional facilitators — you need them to run meetings that produce something real.
Under 15? Send them to a public course — cross-sector learning adds value.
15 or more? Private in-house cohort — your team, your real work.
20? Full cohort. Ideal learning conditions.
Explore In-House Training
The Courses
What you'll learn.
Course One · ToP®
Facilitation Methods
Master the foundational tools of participatory facilitation — the focused conversation and the consensus workshop.
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●The Focused Conversation Method (ORID)
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●The Consensus Workshop Method
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●Designing & leading each method with confidence
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●CTF certification pathway preparation
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●Open enrollment + private cohorts available
Who: Teams, leaders, practitioners, nonprofit staff · Prerequisites: None
View upcoming dates →
Course Two · ToP®
Strategic Planning
Facilitate a full organizational strategic planning process — from practical vision to mission to actionable implementation.
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●Practical vision & mission facilitation
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●Underlying contradictions analysis
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●Strategic directions & action planning
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●Facilitation with real client organizations
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●CTF certification pathway preparation
Who: Leaders, consultants, planners, facilitators · Prerequisites: ToP® Facilitation Methods recommended
View upcoming dates →
Course Three · ToP®
Approaches to Environmental Scanning
See what's shaping your future before you plan for it — a participatory look at the forces affecting your organization.
⏱ 2 Days
🎓 CE Credits
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●Social, technological, economic & political scanning
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●Participatory methods that involve the whole team
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●Creating shared context before strategic planning
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●Connecting external forces to internal decisions
Who: Planners, strategists, organizational leaders · Prerequisites: None
View upcoming dates →
Course Four · ToP®
Secrets of Implementation
Because a plan nobody follows through on is just a document. Turn strategic directions into real action.
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●Moving from directions to concrete action plans
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●Assigning clear ownership without top-down mandates
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●Building accountability that sticks
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●Keeping implementation momentum alive over time
Who: Leaders, project managers, consultants · Prerequisites: ToP® Strategic Planning recommended
View upcoming dates →
Authorized ToP® Trainer
Certified ToP® Facilitator (CTF)
ToP® Mentor Trainer
Institute of Cultural Affairs
Ready to register?
View all public course dates or bring training to your team.
Upcoming Dates
April 2026
20 - 21
Apr
Monday, Polk County River Place
May 2026
19 - 20
May
Tuesday, Nebraska
August 2026
11 - 12
Aug
Tuesday, 4701 W Research Dr
September 2026
09 - 10
Sep
Wednesday, Kearney
No event found!
Professional Credits
Your hours count toward credential renewal.
All courses qualify for continuing education credits across multiple certifying bodies.
| Credential |
Body |
Hours |
| CHES / MCHES |
NCHEC |
13.5 |
| AICP |
American Planning Association |
14.5 |
| ICF |
International Coaching Federation |
Contact us |
| PDU |
Project Management Institute |
14 |
Private & In-House
Bring the training to your team.
When you have 15 or more people who all need the same skills, a private in-house cohort is often the smarter investment. Your team learns together on your real work and leaves with shared language and methods.
Your location
Or delivered virtually
Your real work
Customized scenarios
TFM available
As in-house course
TSP available
As in-house course
Talk to Me About a Private Cohort
For Practitioners
The path to Certified ToP® Facilitator.
ToP® Facilitation Methods and ToP® Strategic Planning are the two core courses on the path to the Certified ToP® Facilitator (CTF) credential — the professional standard for ToP® practitioners worldwide. Certification is earned through ICA — the Institute of Cultural Affairs.
Ask About the CTF Pathway
Ready to change how your team meets?
Whether you're registering for an open course or exploring in-house training — let's talk.