Capacity Building & Facilitation   

All of our capacity building and facilitation services are provided using an equity-lens and grounded in a racial equity and anti-oppression approach.

LVA helps people and organization build the knowledge, skills and abilities to achieve their personal and organizational vision and mission.

LVA's approach to capacity building is guided by three pillars:
1. The Popular Education Methodology which is defined as "a participatory learning process that believes everyone has something to contribute". In practice, this means that we design sessions to build on and utilize each learners' own skills and experience.
2. Learning By Doing which is the practical application of concepts learned during capacity sessions to help participants incorporate  new knowledge and skills.
3.  Adult Learning Styles which integrate visual, kinesthetic, and auditory practices.

Our services include designing and supporting learning communities, training and workshops, in both English and Spanish. LVA's training catalog, which can be customized for each client, includes:

• Facilitating engaging in-person and virtual meetings
• Doodling and visual facilitation to help groups do their best thinking
• Leadership Development for Emerging Leaders
• Public Speaking 101 for Community Leaders
• Introduction to Advocacy
• Communication and Conflict Resolution
• Expressive Arts and Coaching 101
• Basic technology training for Spanish speakers

As trained and experienced facilitators, we partner with clients to co-design learning communities focused on achieving increased capacity, continuous improvement, and greater alignment between practitioners and their sponsoring organizations. Our unique approach incorporates visual templates, popular education, and adult learning principles to help participants build deeper relationships so they can truly learn from one another as they work together to achieve their desired goals and outcomes.

As adults, gaining new knowledge and skills requires repetition and follow-up support. To that end, LVA's capacity building support includes individual and/or group coaching to help new knowledge, skills and practices "stick". 

Meetings do not have to be boring! As the saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words" and we intentionally design fun, engaging, and highly participatory meetings to help each client achieve their unique vision and goals. As a bilingual (English-Spanish) facilitator, Laura tailors each results-focused agenda and facilitation guide by blending and integrating a range of  facilitation approaches and techniques, including

• Appreciative Inquiry
• Participatory Decision-making
• The Art of Transformational Consulting
• Virtual tools such as Miro, Mural, and Mentimeter
  
• Visual facilitation techniques including Drawify, studio work or real-time illustrations, to help maximize client engagement, capture insights, and develop ideas.
  

​In addition, we integrate expressive art practices to help individuals and groups tap into more creative, non-verbal, non-linear concepts that enable groups to truly think outside the box.

The benefits of our unique capacity building & facilitation approach include:
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Increased Collaboration and Authentic Engagement

Racial, Cultural and Linguistic Equity

Improved Understanding, Alignment, and Retention

Increased Buy-in

Finally, as a Spanish-speaking facilitator, Laura can expertly support Latinx non-English speaking communities with conversations on the impact of colonialism and racism in order to achieve equity and justice.