About

Convening in Complexity is a facilitator training program designed to help participants build practical skills in designing, hosting and facilitating impactful conversations that bring people together, inspire collective action, and address increasingly complex issues in community.

What you'll gain

Through hands-on activities, coaching, peer learning, and guided conversations, participants will develop their facilitation skills and techniques for managing group dynamics, facilitating inclusive processes, and creating meaningful and actionable outcomes.

By the end of the program, participants will be familiar with a range of tools for engaging diverse audiences and learn how to identify, apply, and adapt these tools in practice.

What to expect

A 3-day, immersive, and hands-on learning experience designed to help you practice and refine your facilitation skills in a creative and supportive learning environment.
Curriculum that builds upon well established facilitation practices as well as unique approaches to facilitating in the face of complexity.
Introduction to systems thinking and complexity theory with facilitation tools and techniques that are grounded in collaborative practice.
Opportunities to apply what you’ve learned in real scenarios through role-playing exercises and reflective practice.

Who should attend

This training is for leaders and facilitators in the non-profit, social and public sectors who are interested in building their skills in effective facilitation and hosting impactful conversations. The program is most relevant to those who are in roles that require designing, convening and facilitating group processes with audiences from diverse backgrounds, sectors and lived experience.

To participate, organizations must:

Organizations are encouraged to bring multiple people, ideally including those in leadership positions and those who host and/or facilitate conversations. Bringing multiple people is recommended, but not required.
Commit to attending all 3 days of the training

Program details

Dates, Time & Location

Program Dates: February 3, 4, 5, 2027

Location: Trico Changemakers Studio at Mount Royal University (Google Maps)

Session Times: The sessions will be run from 9AM to 4PM

Registration

Early Bird Rate: $600 per registrant when you register by December 31, 2026

Regular Registration: $900 per registrant

Bursaries: To help make the program more accessible and reduce financial barriers, a limited number of partial bursaries are available for individuals and organizations. For more information, please contact Lori De Luca at ldeluca@mtroyal.ca.

Registration closes January 27, 2027

Your registration includes:

Coffee, tea, snacks, refreshments and lunch during training days
Paid parking at Mount Royal University
A copy of the Convening in Complexity Facilitator Toolbox
One-on-one coaching following the program
Access to a supportive network of fellow facilitators

“ You all did an incredible job of making the space feel safe and for everyone to engage. I really valued so much of this session both to reinforce current practices, re-invigorate practices that have been lost and to learn new ways of doing things.

Program Participant

“ Really grateful for this learning experience. It reframed facilitation from something I do at work to a lifelong practice I can engage in.

Program Participant

“ I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn from your incredible team! I learned and practiced more in these three days about facilitating groups and systems change than I did in my university degree.

Program Participant

Meet the Convening in Complexity Team

Latasha Calf Robe, Facilitator

Lena Soots-Haley, Facilitator

Lori DeLuca, Learning Hub Manager

Latasha Calf Robe

Oki, my name is Maatomikamotsakii. I come from the Kainaiwa First Nation and am a proud mother of three Blackfoot children. I love to bring people together and create spaces that inspire great conversations. I spend my summers on the pow wow trail and the winter months in an ice rink watching and playing hockey.

Lena Soots-Haley

Oki, Hello. I am a mother, wife, daughter, sister and auntie of white settler origin and Estonian ancestry. I live with my husband, two children and rescue dog at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, in Moh’kinstsis, colonially known as Calgary. It is my privilege and honour to work as the Executive Director of the Institute for Community Prosperity, leading an incredible team of inspiring changemakers, and weaving meaningful connections between campus and community.

Lori DeLuca

Born in Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Cree word meaning Edmonton) to Calabrian Italian immigrants, my greatest joy comes from bringing people together and filling my home with friends and family.

My career in Moh’kinsstis’ non-profit sector began 20 years ago as a youth worker at Ghost River Rediscovery after graduating from the University of Calgary with a degree in Development Studies. Since then, I've worked across a range of organizations, coordinating people, processes, and systems to advance meaningful, equity-centred outcomes.

I’m especially passionate about strengthening the capacity of the non-profit sector to create lasting impact. As manager of the Institute for Community Prosperity’s Professional Learning Hub, I help our professional development programs run smoothly by keeping people and information organized, creating the conditions for collaboration and impact.

Questions?

Contact Lori De Luca at ldeluca@mtroyal.ca

Thanks to the Calgary Foundation for their generous support!