Trails to Literacy: TOOLKIT

Action Tools - Facilitator

THE TRAILS FACILITATOR

As the group’s facilitator you are the key to the success of this collaborative, participatory project. It is up to you to allow the participants to build their competence to manage their own activities and learning. You work side by side with them, encouraging their growth, building their confidence and promoting self- reliance.

Your job as facilitator includes three basic roles:

• As Group Advisor to:
  • Encourage group planning, decision-making & problem-solving
  • Stimulate leadership skills throughout the group
  • Ensure fair treatment and equality of all individuals
  • Promote consensus building and cooperation, in contrast to competition
  • Assist with conflict resolution
  • Facilitate the group’s development of ‘participatory’ evaluation and assessment tools
• As ‘Participatory’ Trainer to:
  • Assist the group and individual participants to improve basic literacy, numeracy and self-direction/self-management skills
  • Encourage learners to set individual goals and training plans
  • Help each participant to gain self-assessment skills
• Link Person
  • Remind the group of the original vision and goals of the project
  • Facilitate communication between the group and:
    • Your literacy agency
    • Other Trails partners (Ontario Works, special interest groups, local government, etc.)
    • Outside trainers/resource people
  • Provide accountability for finances to your agency and ultimately to funders