THE SEED: ONLINE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
COHORT 2: SEPTEMBER 2024

GROWING CULTURES DEEPLY ROOTED IN BELONGING

Designed with love by

JOIN US FOR COHORT 2: SEPTEMBER 2024

From exploring notions of identity and privilege, to understanding biases to reimagining power – each module holistically unpacks the role we individually play in the upkeep or dismantling of systems of oppression, and the intentionality it takes to move from surface level inclusion, to cultivating practices and cultures deeply rooted in belonging.

A 5-week learning experience for individuals and teams actively committed to social change.

Journey with other folks who are invested in social change.

Designed for individuals, teams, and Leaders looking to deepen their understanding of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Social Impact (IDEAS), this program draws the inherent ties between the self, community, and systemic changes we believe to be fundamental for both organizational and social transformation.

I AM A PEOPLE MANAGER

I have diverse individuals reporting directly to me, and want to be the type of Leader that welcomes their lived experiences, and cultivates an inclusive, creative culture.

I AM AN EDI/DEIB COMMITTEE MEMBER

I’ve been volunteering on the EDI committee, and could use some support on how to launch impactful initiatives internally.

I AM A BUSINESS OWNER

I’m a small business owner ready to grow my team more intentionally, and committed to doing so in an intentional way.

I AM A CORPORATE OR NON-PROFIT PROFESSIONAL

My workplace is either new to these concepts, or encourages us to familiarize ourselves with them. I know that this learning experience will support my professional growth.

THE SEED CAN ALSO BE OFFERED TO TEAMS AND COMPANIES PRIVATELY.

I AM A STUDENT OF LIFE

I’m forever wanting to learn more about how to improve myself, my knowledge, my skills.

WE ARE PLANTING SEEDS OF CHANGE

WE ARE PLANTING SEEDS OF CHANGE

THE PROGRAM LEARNING OBJECTIVES

DIVE INTO AN ACCESSIBLE INTRODUCTION TO IDEAS CONCEPTS, THEORIES & FRAMEWORKS

BETTER UNDERSTAND AND PLAN FOR HOW PERSONAL ACTIONS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO COMMUNITY AND SYSTEMIC CHANGE

CONNECT WITH AND FIND SUPPORT FROM FOLKS WHO ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN SOCIAL CHANGE

GROW TRUST IN YOUR ABILITY TO ENGAGE IN IDEAS CONVERSATIONS MORE CONFIDENTLY

DEEPEN SELF-AWARENESS WHILE DEVELOPING ABILITY TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS CENTERED IN CARE

GROW THE SKILLS NEEDED TO LEAD INSPIRED CHANGE IN WORKPLACES AND BEYOND

Designed with love by New Room

DANIÈLE-JOCELYNE OTOU & ERIN WILLETT

New Room is an agile team of impact and innovation designers focused on human-centered learning and development. New Room was born out of a creative realization and conscious acknowledgment that a better way is possible. A better way to learn; a better way to work; a better way to do business; but more importantly, a better way to connect to one another. Combining Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access & Social Impact (IDEAS) practices with Innovation and Strategy frameworks, New Room designs programs and experiences that allow individuals and teams to transform personally, professionally and holistically. Our programming and activations invite the people we work with to adapt to the issues we are collectively faced with while creatively collaborating towards finding mission-driven solutions.

Facilitated with

MAYA TOUSSAINT

Maya is easy to spot and hear in a crowd with her colourful hair and hearty laugh. She has over 15 years of recruitment, HR and facilitation experience. Maya brings humour and real world context to often-labelled "uncomfortable" conversations.

A self described nerdy-extrovert, Maya has been working in the tech space for most of her career and is currently leveraging her experience to accelerate positive social impact in the legal tech industry.

DREW BATHORY

Drew is a multidisciplinary creator, facilitator and community builder living and working in Tiohti:áke (Montreal).  Their practice is informed by over 20 years of research and experience in both expressive and inquiry based arts with a current focus on the relationship between self-inquiry and self-expression (voice, dance, music/sound design and creative writing).

A proud graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts and Alumni of Berklee College of Music and Concordia University, Drew's practice is rooted in curiosities that centre exchange, collaboration, and the capacity for healing through shared human experiences designed with deep listening, connection and care. 

LAUREN RUSS-CONSTANT

Growing up as the only brown kid in Black and white families, Lauren has been navigating the liminality of Identity from as early as she can remember. Learning how to find peace in the ambiguity and power in the grey. 

Her career started in Brand Strategy. Working with clients across the world, she spent her time supporting them in understanding who they are, who they’re for, and how to authentically bridge the two. After a decade in the industry, she left her role as Director of Brand and Culture at an award-winning Toronto agency to found SELFHOOD; a learning organization opening up how we think, talk about and experience who we are.

Rooted in neuroscience, psychology, and lived experience, Laurens’s work takes a unique approach. She holds several recognized qualifications that include Coaching, Hypnotherapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Group Facilitation. She also leans heavily on the academic and theoretical understandings of Identity, graduating from Harvard University’s Self and Identity course in 2021.

Answers to some of your Qs.

Dani-Jo and Erin answer all your questions about Cohort 1 of The Seed. Check out the YouTube video description for timestamps.

  • You will be joining a community of individuals, teams and leaders all invested in social and organizational change at some capacity. Other attendees may include Students of Life (the ever-evolving, curious folks who like to keep themselves informed), People Managers, Business Owners, EDI/DEIB Committee Members, and Corporate or Non-Profit Professionals. We’ve intentionally kept the learner profile for The Seed broad as we wholeheartedly believe in the impact of engaging and co-creating with folks outside of our immediate circles. As a learner, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn from other attendees. We trust that this will enrich your learning experience.

  • We’ve designed The Seed using an approach we’ve coined as INTROSECTION. This means the program introduces concepts in accessible ways, takes into account intersectional identities and lived experiences, and guides participants to explore further through deep introspection.

    We’ve found that the combination of these three allows us to meet you where you are, while prompting you to engage in content in more profound ways based on where you find yourself along your IDEAS journey.

    While certain concepts may appear to be introductory, self-reflective exercises and peer-to-peer facilitation allows learners to dive deeper into broadening their understanding in more nuanced ways.

    For learners who are more advanced, we have an extensive list of resources we call Fertilizers which can be used to expand your knowledge further.

  • We want individuals who join The Seed to see themselves not as members of a team, but as an individual learner. If you are joining as a team, we will be mixing up your group in order to enable safer, more vulnerable exchange, as well as the opportunity to meet folks outside of your team and learn from people in different sectors/industries.

  • We encourage learners to fully immerse themselves in the program, and engage with their peers throughout the cohort. Participants will be given six different ways to learn (read, unpack, exchange, watch, engage and reflect). You can choose to learn through all of these from module to module, or only in the ways that feel right for you at any given moment. To learn more about these types of learning, we encourage you to check out The Course Overview (there’s a download button up above!).

  • The weekly commitment is approximately 2.5 hours, divided into self-paced work and facilitated sessions.

  • In an effort to make this program as accessible as possible, we offer three price points depending on whether you are a self-funded individual, a community worker or a corporate professional. However, money should never be a barrier to participation. If your current situation does not allow you to contribute financially, please reach out to us at hello@newroom.group.

  • We do, and they vary depending on the size of your team. For more information on our group rates, please contact us at hello@newroom.group.

  • We will! Sign-up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to be the first to know about upcoming cohorts.

Interested in The Seed for you, your team or your company? Plant seeds with us.