Co-Creating a Facilitation Training Curriculum: A Formative Evaluation
OPRE Report Number 2022-150
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Associated Project
Strengthening Relationship Education and Marriage Services (STREAMS) Evaluation
Prepared for:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation
Clients
Key Findings
- Facilitation skills training is limited or nonexistent among most providers of HMRE programming for youth.
- Staff from the two programs in this study felt that facilitators could especially benefit from training in (1) how to manage and reset energy in the classroom, (2) how to deepen learning through debriefing, and (3) how to build trust and safety while challenging students’ comfort zones.
- Staff from both programs found value in the trainings delivered by the study team and provided useful feedback for improvements.
- Facilitators said that after completing the trainings, they felt better prepared to deepen connections with their students, manage and reset energy in the classroom, and work towards building an environment of trust for youth.
- Facilitators indicated that intentional planning and integrating concrete strategies and tools helped them feel more confident in the classroom and increased their engagement with youth.
This report describes the design of the formative evaluation, as well as the process the study team used for identifying the facilitation training needs and developing the training curriculum. The report also describes the process of implementing and refining each training topic, and key findings and lessons learned through the process of using a formative evaluation to improve programming. Mathematica and Public Strategies conducted the evaluation as part of the broader Strengthening Relationship Education and Marriage Services (STREAMS) evaluation for ACF.
Related documents include:
Strengthening Facilitation Skills Curriculum Overview
Strengthening Facilitation Skills Training Slides
Supplementary Materials: Tips and Tools for Using the Curriculum
Strengthening Facilitation Skills Trainer’s Guide
Tip sheets:
Strategies for Managing Energy in the Classroom
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