Beyond the Buzzwords–Living What We Believe
July 23, 2025 – November 12, 2025
Live Sessions on Wednesdays
4–6pm PT | 5–7pm MT | 6–8pm CT | 7–9pm ET
This is a mix of virtual classes, coaching sessions, and team work time.
Ready to jump in?
Questions about the course?
So many of us are holding the weight of trying to live our values inside systems that often ask us to compromise them.
“Beyond the Buzzwords” is a space for reflection, honest dialogue, and practical learning. Together, we’ll explore what it really looks like to align our actions with our values—in how we lead, make decisions, communicate, and set priorities. This course helps participants examine how everyday choices shape organizational culture, and offers tools to build more thoughtful, responsive, and people-centered practices. Whether you're navigating team dynamics, setting strategy, or trying to create a healthier work environment, this is a place to step back, think deeply, and move forward with clarity and purpose.
The course consists of readings, reflective assignments, paired conversations with fellow classmates, guest presentations, one on one coaching sessions with course facilitators and twelve 2-hour virtual sessions over a sixteen week period. “Beyond the Buzzwords” offers a deeper dive than participants may have experienced in any past courses because it invites analytical practices, personal awareness and reflection on all the content. Additionally, course participants will be asked to focus on one way that they can begin moving from a place of learning and conversation into a place of action.
Over sixteen weeks, we will:
Build deep, authentic relationships with one another
Learn and practice with new tools and frameworks for community engagement, strategic planning, decision making and more
Practice humility, critical inquiry, and compassionate accountability
Embrace complexity rather than rushing toward resolution/solutions
Engage multiple ways of knowing, doing, and being
Whether you're a practitioner, educator, organizer, or systems leader, Beyond the Buzzwords will offer a space for personal reflection, critical thinking, and grounded experimentation. This is not a surface-level training. It is a space for rigorous inquiry and radical practice—an invitation to go deeper, together.
YOU’LL BE WORKING WITH:
shadiin garcia
Shadiin Garcia is Chicana and Laguna Pueblo and has worked for over 20 years as a teacher, as a public school administrator, researcher, a policy analyst, Indigenous education leader, and as a consultant. She has a Bachelor's Degree from Yale University in English with a specialization in education; a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership and a PhD in Critical and Sociocultural Studies in Education from the University of Oregon. Shadiin has a huge extended family including college and elementary aged children, 59 first cousins, and 29 aunts and uncles.
Ashley Stapleton
Ashley Stapleton, MBA, (she/her) leads strategic communication and organizational strategy and innovation projects for nonprofits, foundations and organizations. She works to interrupt dominant narratives and centers relationships throughout all of her work. Her experience is largely in the philanthropic sector and has a decade of experience working with national funders on their strategic communication strengths and needs. She has a strong attention to detail while continuously holding space for the larger strategy and overarching project or organizational goal.
Jonah Canner
Jonah Canner is an ambassador from the world we have not yet built. He believes in people, community, and the sacred obligation we have to make positive change in the world around us. Jonah’s primary areas of focus include racial equity, restorative justice, experiential education, and working through conflict. He has worked as a classroom teacher, a summer camp director, and a consultant offering mentoring, training, and support for individuals and organizations. Jonah has a Masters in Education from the New School University and is currently on the faculty of the Avodah institute for Social Change, the Institute for Democratic Education in America, and the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Cornerstone Fellowship. He is also the Education Fellow in the Religion and Public Life program at the Harvard Divinity School. In his free time Jonah is writing a collection of memoir essays that explore questions of grief, identity, ancestry, and place. Jonah was born in New York City, raised in New Jersey, and currently lives between New York, California, and New Mexico.
LEARN MORE:
when is the course?
July 23 – November 12, 2025
Live Zoom Sessions: Wednesdays from 4–6pm PT | 5–7pm MT | 6–8pm CT | 7–9pm ET
This is a mix of virtual classes, coaching sessions, and team work time.
HOW DO I APPLY?
Fill out this application form by July 2, 2025.
Questions? We are offering a free one-hour webinar on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at 4pm PT/7 pm ET to learn more and ask questions. Sign up here!
WHAT DOES IT COST FOR ME TO ATTEND?
The course has a sliding scale from $750 to $2000. In order to make this course as accessible as possible, we encourage you to pay a fee that is in line with what you are able.
Option 1: Pay the full amount ($2000) and, if able, contribute extra to support another participant
Option 2: Pay the full amount ($2000) in monthly installments
Option 3: Pay what you can within the sliding scale ($750–$2000)
Option 4: Request a scholarship
In order to make this course as accessible as possible, we encourage you to pay a fee that is in line with what you are able. We do not want financial barriers to prevent anyone from participating and at the same time we ask those of you who can afford the full cost to please do so. If your place of work might be willing to pay for this course from professional development funds, reach out to us and we can provide you with any information they may require. Workplaces are encouraged to pay the full course fee.
Review our payment policy.
If you have any questions about the course or application process please reach out to us using the contact form OR sign up here for a free one-hour webinar on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at 4pm PT/7 pm ET.
COMPLETE COURSE APPLICATION
After submitting the form in step one, please wait for a formal selection email from the team in order to pay. We will confirm participation and course payment via email.
