We believe that a team is a family, and we love ours
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Make an impact while learning how to facilitate group experiences
We are not the only ones who care about education, youth and social innovation. Since the organization's inception, more than 300 people have supported UpstartED's mission as speakers, coaches, mentors and program facilitators. Our facilitator community is as diverse as the young people we serve and united by a common goal: to empower the next generation of social innovators. If you want to learn how to facilitate transformative learning journeys while making an impact in the world, join us!
About our growing
facilitator community
Our facilitator community is as diverse as the young people whom we serve yet it is united by a common goal: to empower the next generation of social innovators.
What are their backgrounds?
About 60% of our facilitators work full time, 30% are full-time students, and 10% are both working and studying at the same time.
What do they do?
Do they have any specialized skills or knowledge?
Our facilitators work and study in a variety of industries ranging from finance to IT. This community has welcomed product managers, freelance educators, designers, researchers, artists, developers and more. This is because having great facilitation skills is incredibly valuable regardless of one's industry and profession.
You do not need an advanced degree or a specific professional background to become a facilitator! At UpstartED, we believe that any skill can be learned, given the right mindset. We are a community of learners, and we are here to empower one another.
100+
workshops
delivered
facilitators trained
200+
...and
backgrounds
Of all
ages...
Become a certified facilitator for remote experiences
We have been training individuals to facilitate in-person experiences since our first youth entrepreneurship bootcamp in 2016. With the arrival of a pandemic that closed schools and offices across the globe in 2020, our team at UpstartED decided to embrace blended learning and hybrid learning experiences that enable remote workshops. This is when our remote facilitator training program was also born! Over 30 facilitators have been trained and certified to lead remote workshops since the fall of 2020 as part of our You(th) Explore program. Here is why you should join us:
A diverse and inclusive community of lifelong learners
Surround yourself with people who want to learn new mindsets and skills while making a social impact and contributing to their community.
Hands-on learning applied in a real-world context
The training consist of 25 hours of learning over 11 weeks. Participants learn new concepts and practice new skills as a group before applying their learnings in the context of a student-facing workshop.
Remote facilitation skills and tools
Facilitators get the opportunity to acquire the remote facilitation skills and tools that enable studying and working during and after COVID-19.
Certification and access to a new network
Upon completing the training program, facilitators get formally certified by UpstartED and gain access to more facilitation opportunities within the organization and beyond.
Hi! I'm...
Abigail
Michel
A humanist and advocate for mental health and well-being, personal development and social justice
"My fellow facilitators were amazingly supportive and understanding and subtly pushed me to be better due to their effort and the work they do. Because of the You(th) Explore program, I was able to apply the activities to my life, which helped re-orient myself. I also got to experience being a facilitator...and found a job in my field because of this volunteering opportunity!"
My experience with UpstartED...
Here are some questions we get asked frequently...
Q: Is there a cost?
A: No, the facilitator training program is free for members of the general public! We want to empower more individuals to lead meaningful learning experiences.
Q: How advanced is this program?
A: This program is designed to give participants foundational skills and mindsets in facilitating hands-on workshops. You do not need prior experience as a facilitator.
Q: When does the program start?
A: The next cohort will start in October 2021. If you are interested in participating, make sure to join the waitlist!
Q: How many hours per week do I need
to dedicate towards this program?
A: The program is 25 hours over 11 weeks. 15 hours will be spent in training (i.e. learning facilitation skills), 5 hours will be spent in workshop delivery (i.e. applying what you learned), and the rest will be spent on self-paced learning.
Q: Is there an age requirement?
A: No, there is no minimum age requirement and definitely no maximum cut-off! We believe learning can - and should - happen at any age.
Q: If I am already teaching, is this for me?
A: Maybe! If you are an educator who is looking to transition away from lecturing in order to become a guide-on-the-side, then we encourage you to apply.
Q: Do I need to be located in Canada?
A: Nope, we also accept international participants. That being said, keep in mind that our training and workshop hours are in the Eastern Standard Time zone.
Q: Can I balance this with a full-tme job?
A: Yes! In every cohort, we have between 30% to 50% of facilitators working full time. The training is delivered in the evenings and facilitators get to assist in workshops that align with their schedule.
Do you want to join our community?
Our next cohort starts September 30th, 2021. We have 50 spots to fill, and they go quickly! You can apply now: