Transition Training
With the exponential growth in Transition Initiatives around the country, and now increasingly the world, the need has rapidly arisen for training in the basics of Transition for new communities coming on board, and other skills necessary to successfully set up and run a Transition Initiative.
Training for Transition, founded by Sophy Banks and Naresh Giangrande, has responded to this need by continuing to deliver high quality practical and inspiring training, in the UK and beyond...
We've now established and/or are developing three training courses that cover the following areas:
- Training for Transition for core groups within transition initiatives
- Training the trainers to build a team of people who can deliver the 2-day Transition Training course
- Giving talks on Transition to raise awareness
Training for Transition - for new Transition projects
Training for Transition is a 2-day "fundamentals" course for those wishing to know how to set up, run, and maintain a successful transition initiative. It is packed with imaginative and inspiring ways to delve into both the theory and practice of Transition - check out the full details regarding content.
The first Training for Transition was held on 19/20-Oct-07 in Totnes, and there have now been dozens of further trainings in the UK and internationally. There are now training pools in Canada, the USA, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan who are now offering Training for Transition in those countries. In addition we have run trainings in Italy, Hungary, Ireland, and China- with further trainings planned for Holland, Spain, Brazil, Portugal, and Germany.
This two day workshop is both a practical and informative introduction to Transition and a powerful personal journey to greater personal resilience. It weaves together practice and theory, information and experiential, our inner Transition with our outer Transition, and personal and community Transition. The feedback from participants indicates that this two day journey holds for many key insights, understanding, and awarenesses to help them to contribute to the most important journey of our times; the journey to a peaceful and resilient world.
Our intention in offering this training is to inspire, encourage, and inform people who wish to undertake Transition. There is plenty of glowing feedback- see below, and now increasing evidence that those initiatives who attend the training find setting up and successfully creating a Transition Town an easier, faster, and more convivial process. By learning the nuts and bolts of what has worked in other Transition Initiatives, it empowers you to creatively apply Transition in your town, city, hamlet, or island.
Some of our trainings are now residential, see below for details. These venues offer something special; a posibility to deepen for participants as they offer the chance to live for the two days in a more sustainable physical environment. See below for dates and contact details.
| Location | Dates | Booking |
| Up and coming confirmed Training For Transition dates | ||
| Totnes, Devon, UK | 27/28 June, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book |
| Forres, Scotland | 4/5th July, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book |
| London, UK | 11/12th July, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book |
| Norwich, Norfolk, UK | 25/26th July, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book |
| Totnes, Devon, UK | 5/6th September, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book |
| Cambridge, UK | 5/6th September, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book |
| Farnham, Surrey, UK | 19/20th September, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book |
| Somerset, UK | 26/27th September, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book. |
| London, UK | 3/4th October, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book |
| Totnes, Devon, UK | 24/25th October, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book |
| London, UK | 21/22 November, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book |
| Totnes, Devon, UK | 12/13th December, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book |
| Up and coming provisional training dates | ||
| Monteveglio, Italy | October, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book |
| Brazil | August/September, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book |
Wanna set up a course near you?
If you would like to organise a training for groups near you please email us at Transition Training to discuss how this might happen.
Who can attend
- we want to keep this as open as possible, while recognising that existing official transition groups are able to take this learning back and put it to immediate use in their current active projects
- we recommend that two individuals from each community attends - that way the knowledge is shared and there isn't just one person with "the knowledge". Not that we think there are any megalomaniacs out there, but, y'know, just in case...
How to register for courses
Click on the links in the table above to register your interest in a specific course and don't forget to include the names of the individuals likely to attend.
- we are now offering enough courses so it's "first come first served" - and we hope to balance out the mix of people, based on size of town/city, geography, how long you've been going, official/unofficial Transition Initiatives
- If there are still places on the course you want to attend, reserve your place by sending in a deposit of £40
- payable to "Transition Network"
- send to: Transition Network, 43 Fore St, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5HN, UK for the courses in Totnes or organised by Transition Network.
- For other courses please contact the organiser who will instruct you on who to pay and where to send your deposit.
- we'll follow up with full course details and joining instructions when we have received your deposit
Training for Transition - Content
The course is designed to give a detailed introduction to the most important skills necessary to successfully set up, develop, and run a Transition project in your locality. It is designed for people who are already in a group working to achieve this, or are thinking of creating such a group.
At the end of the course participants will:
- have a clear understanding of the context for transition towns, the current global situation and the transformational possibilities that arise from climate change and peak oil and gas
- know what the TT model is – Including an in depth look at the key 12 steps from inspiration, setting up the initiating group, all the way to having active and effective working groups
- have experienced a joint visioning process
- understand how to organise effective meetings such as public talks, open space days and small theme working groups
- understand the purpose and principles of an Energy Descent Plan
- have the outline of an effective and inspiring talk on Transition Towns
- have formed useful contacts with other Transition initiatives, and met some of those involved in the Totnes project and Transition Network
- have a plan of action for themselves and their locality
This training will follow the transition model in paying attention to both the outer work and the inner work necessary for a successful transition process. This will be a participatory process, with delegates invited to share their own experience and learn from the many different transition initiatives represented at each course.
We also have a more in depth explanation of the training content for this course.
Costs
We're aiming for £100-£110 for the two days. If you can't afford this, then perhaps others in your Transition group can make up the shortfall. Bursaries are available, but we don't just give them away. Well, actually, we do, but I'm sure you know what I mean.
Trainers
The trainers are Naresh Giangrande and Sophy Banks, both long-term contributors to Transition Town Totnes initiative; and from September a new group of trainers who will be facilitating this inspiring and informative training.
- Naresh: Focaliser of the TTT Energy Group and co- founder of Transition Town Totnes, Naresh has been involved in designing, running and evolving many of the events and groups that have been at the heart of the enormously successful TTT initiative. He has lived and worked in an eco community and was Managing Director of his own company and has taught meditation.
- Sophy: Sophy set up the “Heart and Soul” group in Totnes that focuses on the psychology of change, as well as coordinating the TTT central office and systems. A trainer for over 20 years she has worked as an engineer, information systems consultant and psychotherapist and has considerable experience of voluntary sector and community projects.
Become a Trainer for Transition
In October 2007 the Transition Network training team launched a two-day course aimed at helping new transition initiatives to create dynamic and effective projects. This course has proved popular around the country and beyond, and we need to expand the team of people able to deliver this training.
The course originators are therefore offering a four-day in depth training for those who would like to join this team.
Course content
- An in depth examination of the main underlying principles of transition including systems approach, vision, resilience, why transition is both inner and outer – and viral, and the importance of inclusion and awareness raising.
- The early transition process in depth - from initiation to working groups
- Structuring a Training for Transition course including facilitation styles, aims and outcomes
- Background material: peak oil, climate change, organisational structure, change models
- Joining the Network pool of trainers - structure, agreements, support and so on.
Participants will be encouraged to share their own ideas and experience both in training methodology and in their Transition or other projects. We expect that the “Training for Transition” course will itself evolve further during this event.
Becoming a Transition Network Trainer
If you want to join the Transition Network team that are developing and delivering training for transition you also need to show that you have considerable experience of:
- Creating and delivering training to high standards to a range of audiences
- Working in a transition project
- Understanding and commitment to the principles and practice of transition
Dates and details
| Up and coming "Train the Trainers" course dates | |||
| Location | Dates | Booking | Costs |
| To be announced | November, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to express interest | To be announced |
Learn how to give Transition Talks
Transition talk training – this is a one day course in how to give an effective talk on Transition, aimed for people in a Transition Initiative to help them raise awareness and draw other groups into the process.
It'll cover Peak Oil, Climate Change and the mechanics of Transition, along with the subtler subject of the inner transition we all need to go through if we're going to reestablish an harmonious relationship with the planet.
By the end of the training day, you'll be armed with a solid presentation that you can adopt to your own style, a set of facts and figures to underpin your talk, an understanding of some of the deeper aspects of transition, and a new level of confidence to deliver the presentation with flair, authority and maybe a bit of humour too. We delivered the first instance of it in Totnes on 12-Jan-08, and it was extremely well received.
| Where | Dates | Booking | Costs |
| Somerset, UK | 20th October, 2009 | OPEN FOR BOOKINGS - email us to book. Attach:see Δ flier for more details |
We'll be announcing other instances of this course later, but in the meantime, if you want to request to have this training in your part of the country please email Naresh - "georgegiangrande [AT] yahoo [DOT] co [DOT] uk" at Transition Training to discuss how this might happen.
We can't promise to kit you out with the charisma (or hairstyle) of a true legend, but there's a latent performer in all of us, and if we can harness that passion, we all have the capacity to get an audience fired up and wanting to take action.
