The Northern Marianas Humanities Council will host a 3-day, in-person training to help individuals strengthen their skills in planning and leading reflective conversations within organizations or in the greater CNMI community. Oregon Humanities trainers will give participants tools to get people talking about vital issues and ideas by using prompts such as poems, images, articles, and videos. The training will allow participants to practice new skills and techniques; and listen to beliefs, backgrounds or experiences different than their own. Participants will leave the training feeling more confident and equipped to hold space for challenging conversations; craft questions and activities that allow people to learn more about themselves and other people in the room; and design conversations that are responsive to different kinds of community dynamics.
SECURE YOUR SEAT!
Interested participants must submit a registration form to participate. Only 20 participants will be selected for this training round. Community members from Rota and Tinian selected for participation will have full travel expenses covered.
Meet the Facilitators
Adam Davis
Adam Davis has been the executive director of Oregon Humanities since 2013. Prior to joining Oregon Humanities, Davis directed the Center for Civic Reflection and edited Taking Action, Hearing the Call across Traditions, and The Civically Engaged Reader. Davis has led hundreds of community conversations and trained thousands of discussion leaders across the country in partnership with social service, educational, nonprofit, and medical organizations. He has taught philosophy and literature for many years in the Clemente Course in the Humanities, a college program for adults living on low incomes. He earned his PhD from the University of Chicago and used to lead wilderness trail crews in the Pacific Northwest.
Jennifer Alkezweeny
Jennifer Alkezweeny has been Oregon Humanities’ program director since 2020. She supports the team of folks making Oregon Humanities programs happen, provides leadership for the organization’s vision, and connects with organizations and communities to explore new initiatives. She is focused on connecting people to their communities and pursuing their goals while centering social justice. She has created learning spaces around the country and globe and loves that moment when the people in a room begin to harmonize. Jennifer is a deep believer in experiential learning, harnessing the knowledge in a room, finding your learning edge, and the power of silence. She’s a longtime volunteer facilitator with the Dougy Center for Grieving Children and Families. In her free time she can be found experimenting in the kitchen, looking at the world from behind a macro lens, or floating around in her kayak.
