From its beginnings in 2006, the leaders of Facilitation Wellington Dufferin (FWD) have been on an intentional learning journey. As a grass roots organization committed to supporting people with developmental disabilities to build meaningful lives in community, FWD has worked tirelessly to build a culture of learning. Facilitators, families, people with disabilities, and the wider community work together to share information, build capacity, and constantly learn and grow.

The FWD Board recognized that preparing someone to provide high quality facilitation requires not just formal training but experience and mentoring as well. In addition to our own internal training for facilitators, formal training can include training by the Facilitation Leadership Group, MAPS and PATH, and other training events and retreats hosted by leaders in independent facilitation. Learning through experience and mentoring can include “inside-out learning,” where facilitators are encouraged and supported to learn about themselves as they learn about the craft of Independent Facilitation, as well as being guided by questions and participating in monthly Network meetings where facilitators are teaching and learning from each other on various topics related to the work of facilitation.

For more information on the culture of learning at FWD, see the article FWD Story on Culture of Learning.