November 21, 2011

Project Dialogue Supports Community Activists With Networking and Training

Project Dialogue connects the Graduate School mission with local grassroots organizations in order to foster and support dialogues for understanding and wisdom.

Founded in 2009, Project Dialogue connects the Graduate School mission with local grassroots organizations in order to foster and support dialogues for understanding and wisdom. Through trainings, networking, and support, we help individuals and groups design and facilitate productive dialogues for social transformation.

Project Dialogue is coordinated by Tod Sloan, professor of counseling psychology and housed in the Center for Community Engagement. Over the past year, the Project has created and hosted six monthly session of PDX Facilitators Roundtable, a gathering for non-professional facilitators to common challenges encountered in grassroots organizing; organized a series of workshops, Will Work for Change: an Activism and Leadership Training Forum, for those who want to be more effective community leaders and advocates; and led graduate level courses in dialogue theories and practices.

The Project is also partnering with local social justice and environmental groups to study how small gatherings of activists and community organizers can be designed to support them in personal self-care, improved group process, and clarity of vision and strategy. Dr. Sloan was a participant in one of these weekly ‘circle groups’ for three years and is now hoping to train others to organize and facilitate similar groups throughout Portland.

Learn more about Project Dialogue and how its work connects with the community in this video with Dr. Sloan.