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BUILDING-RESILIENT-NEIGHBOURHOODS-LOGOBuilding Resilient Neighbourhoods. Beside the text there is bright green house with orange shutters and a purple door with a red heart coming out of the chimney. In front of the house there is a stick figure on a bike.
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Connect & Prepare

Opportunity: Connect & Prepare facilitators’ training

ByBuilding Resilient Neighbourhoods May 2, 2024July 11, 2025

Learn how to support your community in building neighbour-to-neighbour resilience and emergency preparedness! Join us for a Connect & Prepare Facilitators’ Training.

When: One-day in-person training on Monday, May 27th 2024
One half-day virtual training (date TBD)
Time: 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Where: SFU Harbour Centre, Vancouver B.C

British Columbians are vulnerable to many hazards, including earthquakes, wildfires, flooding, and extreme heat, but also chronic stresses such as declining health and financial instability. A critical factor underlies all of these challenges: The more socially isolated we are, the more vulnerable we are. That’s why Building Resilient Neighbourhoods created Connect & Prepare, a program that fosters preparedness and resilience by strengthening social connections between neighbours.

About Connect & Prepare

Connect & Prepare increases resident capacity and protective “social infrastructure” by engaging groups of neighbours in multi-unit buildings and city blocks.

The program is adaptable to fit different social contexts, but generally follows three steps:

  • Gather & Connect – Neighbours identify assets, strengths, and vulnerabilities to help foster resilience.
  • Assess & Strategize – Neighbours learn about potential activities and think creatively about how to minimize their vulnerabilities and enhance their shared resilience.
  • Take Action – Neighbours develop feasible and impactful project ideas and take action!
Learn more about Connect & Prepare Read our latest Connect & Prepare Learning Report

Who is this training for?

This Facilitators’ Training is especially for staff and volunteers of community-based organizations who regularly engage with residents, and share our goals of strengthening resident connections and preparedness and resilience. Organizations should be interested in offering Connect & Prepare or wish to integrate neighbour-to-neighbour approach to resilience into your existing programming. Ideally, you have experience in facilitation and working with groups of neighbours.

What you will learn:

  • Become equipped to facilitate Connect and Prepare conversations and activities with residents that foster connection, preparedness and resilience. In particular, you will:
  • Understand the relationship of neighbour-to-neighbour connection, preparedness and mutual support in contributing to community resilience.
  • Integrate resident capacity-building approaches your community engagement, services and programming.
  • Use tools and activities to support residents to plan and implement actions together.
  • Learn practical facilitation strategies including: hosting, adapting activities to meet people where they are, managing group dynamics,  and facilitating dialogue-to-action.  

What you will receive:

Connect & Prepare has been tested in a variety of contexts since 2012 and offers a successful model for building community resilience. In order to make this approach available and accessible to more people and more communities, we are sharing our resources and providing training to more organizations who share our vision and priorities.

This training is valued at $3500, but this year we are offering one-time full scholarships for interested organizations that are aligned with our goals and approaches.

In addition to this one-day in-person workshop, participants will receive an additional half-day training and coaching around customizing the program to your context, resident engagement and support for resident action groups. By completing this training, you will be recognized as a Connect & Prepare Affiliate Facilitator, and receive the following:

  • Credentials and permission to deliver and adapt Connect & Prepare in your community
  • Connect & Prepare Curriculum materials, including fully-designed and adaptable workshops, worksheets, guides, and other resources
  • Facilitation strategies for hosting discussions and workshop activities among groups of neighbours
  • Participation in a network of Facilitators and a community of practice
  • Support to customize Connect & Prepare and ongoing access to new materials as they are developed

How to apply:

If you are interested and want to discuss attending the workshop, please complete our simple application form by May 15th. If you have any questions or would like to learn more our work, please contact Ana Mendez : ana [at] resilientneighbourhoods [dot] ca.

Apply for Facilitators’ Training

About BRN

 Building Resilient Neighbourhoods Society (BRN) is a nonprofit organization based in British Columbia, Canada. We build community resilience by engaging cross-sectoral partnerships to help strengthen social connections and collaborative action among neighbours.

Learn more about BRN
Molly writing on a Connect & Prepare poster at a workshop
Close up of Connect & Prepare poster
Workshop participant looking at Connect & Prepare poster
Neighbours participating in Connect & Prepare workshop
Neighbours sitting around a table completing a workshop activity for Connect & Prepare.
Two people stand at the front of the room at a Connect and Prepare event!

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