The Art of Skilled Facilitation Session at Yangon

The Art of Skilled Facilitation Training in Yangon, Myanmar

The Art of Skilled Facilitation training was held in Yangon from 5th – 15th March, 2019. It was conducted by Paula Sgherza from Australia. Seventeen Good Shepherd Sisters participated in the training: four from Vietnam, three from Thailand and ten from Myanmar. This training is a part of the implementation of the strategic plans of all three sectors in East Asia Province particularly in the area of capacity building. The main purpose is to train more facilitators in order to strengthen leadership skills and human resources in the Province.
Paula conducted the training making use of many creative ways without using any PowerPoint presentations. A resource book was given to each participant for the reference. Emphasis throughout this workshop was the practical application of adult learning theory to group facilitations. The participants were encouraged to actually lead the group facilitation by using creative objects/materials during the training. The trainer also highlighted the importance of considering the different learning styles of each audience in designing a group facilitation.
After having learned the methodologies and the design of the facilitation projects, the participants were asked to choose a topic and work in pairs. Enough time was given to prepare the project chosen. It was a time for self-learning and co-learning as well. The trainer provided the coaching to each pair in order to make the project better. Each presentation was so unique and interesting.
The participants fully grasped the opportunity of engaging in learning where they spent time together in a useful way. Small group sharing and big group sharing also enriched the knowledge and deepened understanding of the participants. The workshop ended with a short thanksgiving program to the trainer. The skills acquired from this session will definitely be helpful to the Sisters in East Asia Province.