Every fall, just when the leaves just start turning, we get a new group of moderators to join the Peak to Peak Leadership ranks. In addition, we welcome our partners who run current and future programs at CU and other local organizations. This year’s session took place in August in the quiet and pristine surroundings of Stapp Lakes Ranch. The one hour drive from Boulder was just enough to disconnect from our daily responsibilities and truly bond with nature and one another. It provided a perfect venue for us to practice what our program promises to achieve with our participants.
Our sessions were moderated by Todd Bryfogle and Allyson Sudborough. They led us through text- and painting-based discussions as we dove deep into the issues that matter in our lives. Todd and Allyson provided a space where we could explore how we wanted to give back to others and support future generations in finding their own way along the value-based path. The day was a gift we gave ourselves as a pay-it-forward for the students with whom we will be working this academic year and into the future.
The session was split into three building blocks: 1. On Conversation, 2. On Creating Space, and 3. On Questions. We used Chekhov’s short story, Gooseberries, to explore the attributes of a facilitated conversation. We then moved onto the Sufi Tale, Tale of Fire, and Gandhi’s, On Education, to talk about building the physical and intellectual environment conducive to safe and engaging discussion. Finally, we split into groups and tackled Plato, Ring of Gyges, and Adichie, Danger of a Single Story, to practice the art of asking good questions.
For some of us, this was the first training session. For others, it was a refresher from the years’ prior. We all walked away ready to work with our students putting our newly practiced skills to work. The veterans in the room shared stories of how much they were getting out of the seminar experience. Moderating is rewarding work. There is always some wonderful surprise. A session may not land where it has before, or students may see the text in a different light, or they may be willing to share an experience that has had a deep effect on them. Most importantly, through these seminars they create strong bridges with one another and gain insights about what is important to them.
If you would like to be considered for our next training session (likely to be in August of 2020) either because you would like to moderate seminars or you are interested in working with Peak to Peak Leadership, please reach out to us at info@peaktopeakleadership.org.
