Become a Facilitator

Aboriginal Women for Tomorrow (AWFT)

July 2007

CESO would like to contact Aboriginal women who might be interested in helping Aboriginal women develop more personal capabilities through a series of workshops called Aboriginal Women for Tomorrow? These women would become "Facilitators," for CESO, leading a one- or two-day workshop on one or two of the subjects listed below.

CESO, the Canadian Executive Service Organization, is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that has been providing Volunteer Advisers since 1967 who use their talents and experience for assignments internationally and in Canadian Aboriginal communities. CESO is funded in part by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) and by donations from individuals and corporations.

The objective of Aboriginal Women for Tomorrow is to help participants develop practical knowledge for their own success and skills which will permit them to take leadership in committees, boards or businesses. It is a series of workshops, presented over a total of eight days, during which the following five subjects are presented:

• Building Personal Skills
• Communication
• Starting your own Business
• Governance - Skills Development for Boards and Councils
• Budgeting and Financial Management

The job of Facilitator is not burdensome. There are usually three Facilitators for each workshop, each dealing with one or two subjects.  The complete program, of five subjects might be provided in one- or two-day pieces over a period of weeks or months. The courses and instruction manuals have all been developed through pilot programs by CESO and training would be provided to you by having you attend a presentation of the workshop or through a Train the Trainer course. It is likely that the participants, i.e. students, in the various courses would have had little or no experience in the five subjects. Therefore, basic knowledge on your part, along with the material provided, would raise the participants’ knowledge considerably. The participants, six to fifteen Aboriginal women per workshop, are chosen by the local Aboriginal Organizations and the workshops are presented near their home, often in northern Ontario.

The Facilitator volunteers her time, but CESO pays for all travel, meals and out of pocket expenses. Facilitators are, first, CESO Volunteers and go through an admitting process into CESO which then allows the volunteer to be an AWFT Facilitator and, also, to participate in other CESO assignments if they wish.

Would you consider being a Facilitator for Aboriginal Women for Tomorrow? Also, could you recommend anyone else who might be interested?  We look forward to hearing from you.

Walter K. Wells
Canadian Executive Service Organization
Suite 700, Box 328
700 Bay St., Toronto ON M5G 1Z6
wwells@ceso-saco.com
Phone: 416-961-2376, Ext’n: 280