adult facilitator training - evaluation & feedback

We work hard to ensure that our workshops and training materials are useful to the communities we serve.

Before a workshop is scheduled, we listen to get a sense of where you are already at, and hear the specific goals of the organizer. Additionally, our pre-workshop questionnaire gives each of the potential participants a chance to ask questions and request more information on a specific topic BEFORE the details of your local workshop are planned.

This results in a lively and worthwhile workshop.

(I was most inspired by) the activities you did with students as young as Gr. 4 and the awesome response and engagement you had with this demographic that people usually consider to be too young.

Ottawa participant

Sample feedback responses follow - from the Mon. Oct. 18th 2010 Toronto workshop for Metrolinx.

6. What are the 2 most interesting things you learned in this workshop?

student engagement is a process and it takes time
utilizing both group & individual work to compliment learning strategies
examples of ongoing ripple effect - interesting to hear how students have gone on to other projects or inspired others
specific ideas to engage youth
including specific tools - Great! Hands on.
don’t go in with too many pre-conceived notions
can implement a day activity quickly and have an effect
younger youth (Gr. 4) can be leaders
change is a process!
etc.

7. What 2 ideas/activities will you most easily introduce in your work?

make it fun and break down tasks
use of toy props to stimulate the sharing of ideas, etc
thinking about motivation from a variety of perspectives
group building exercises and activities with props for transportation
using props, working with students who are interested
etc.

8. If the session continued for a bit longer, what would you want to learn more about?

selling the idea to school principals & school boards
strategies for gaining access to schools, Boards, etc.
engaging school boards, public health
research/thesis work
etc.

9. What might the presenter(s) have done to enhance your learning in this workshop?

it was great
the presenter was great and very engaging!
provide information (resources) ahead of time
shown some video clips of student engagement projects
continue everything ...a very interactive workshop
etc

10. Do you believe that this workshop should be made available to other colleagues? 20 x yes, 1 x no

yes, change is a process! and youth engagement is: ethical, effective, pragmatic, energizing
yes, offered innovative ideas to overcome barriers that exist in many different types of work (beyond active transportation)
yes, many colleagues who work on high school projects were interested in hearing Arthur speak
yes, offers practical ways of brainstorming/thinking outside the box and in executing programs
yes, get people collaborating + out of their comfort zones more, break down “barriers”
yes, we will have other public health nurses working in schools supporting STP
etc.

11. What inspired you most about today?

the facilitator’s energy and enthusiasm
the stories that you shared
the stories of others and their struggle with the same issues
examples of successes
the energy involved
the toy box and deeper thought/meaning in objects
facilitator has real experience working with youth. Great.
etc

12. Who inspired you most? (what was inspiring about them)

the teachers who attended - glad they are interested
Arthur - was great - easy to follow
people doing this for a while
to hear one person’s story of who they have reached at many levels (this was the story of a youth) with their enthusiasm + creativity
etc

13. What part of the day was most worthwhile? (besides the free lunch)