Over 180 people from 143 organizations in 43 states and several other countries participated in the National Issues Forums Institute’s workshop on moderating deliberative discussions in communities, on campuses, and in classrooms—in both in-person and online settings.  The workshop served as an introduction for new moderators and as a refresher and deeper dive for those who are experienced.  In addition to overviewing what has been learned about effective moderator practices, a wide range of materials were shared that can be adapted for use in locally-organized workshops.

Participants explored insights gathered from practitioners throughout the National Issues Forums network in a format designed to increase learning from each other’s work.  Experienced moderators from the NIF network led small group breakout discussions to provide time for reflections, discussion, and deeper exploration. NIFI is following up with the 350+ workshop registrants with a range of future workshops and with resources to support their local work.

The online workshop can be viewed here, and slides and materials for local use can be downloaded here.  

Future online workshops – What areas would you like to explore with others in the network?
If you would like to participate in future online learning opportunities, please complete this brief (2-minute) survey to indicate areas of greatest interest.