Workshops
There’s an old saying: “We don’t know what we don’t know.” That’s where Bridges Out of Poverty sessions come in, helping you see things differently.
Bridges explores economic environments and social cognitive learning theories to analyze how we all think, behave, prioritize, and make decisions. Once you have your own internal ‘aha’ moments, there’s no turning back. The possibilities for your organization and your community become endless.
Bridges Out of Poverty guides communities and professionals who work with people experiencing poverty by offering innovative yet practical, human and community-centered solutions.
I became a certified Bridges out of Poverty community trainer in 2015. Then in 2018, I became an international consultant with aha! Process. To date, aha! Process has helped create more than 220 Bridges communities across the USA, Canada, Australia and Slovakia and the interest worldwide continues to grow. In my role as an international consultant, I offer the following Bridges out of Poverty workshops to organizations and communities:
- Individual lens to improve relationships
- Institutional lens to improve outcomes
- Community/Policy Lens to improve collaboration and systems
- Bridges to Health and Health Care
These virtual or in-person group workshops I facilitate can be arranged through aha! Process for your team, organization, or community. Please reach out to chat!
The Bridges Model is a movement of action toward community well-being and quality of life for all. How can you go wrong with exploring that?
For more information, check out this Bridges Out of Poverty Coaching Opportunities video on YouTube.
Interested in attending a public online workshop?
I also facilitate public online workshops for aha! Process. The links below will take you to the aha! Process event page to find the next available online option.
Bridges Out of Poverty: Individual Lens
This workshop offers a thorough understanding of poverty through the lens of economic class. Bridges Out of Poverty uses practical tools and strategies to comprehend, address, and reduce poverty.
Participants will:
- Explore essential resources for stability
- Identify the complexity and causes of poverty
- Develop and analyze a mental model for economic environments
- Learn the unspoken rules of different economic classes
- Evaluate how language and narratives negotiate our environments
- Discuss family stability and the importance of building Social Capital
- Gain new tools and strategies for improving relationships and outcomes
This training is beneficial for community organizations, social services, employers, and individuals looking for insights and strategies to build greater rapport and create stability for everyone.
Bridges Out of Poverty: Institutional Lens
Bridges Out of Poverty uses economic class perspectives to offer practical tools and strategies for communities to understand, address, and alleviate poverty.
This workshop guides organizations in applying Bridges Concepts more broadly for enhanced outcomes and systems improvement.
It’s recommended that participants have already completed training in the individual lens material for optimal results. It’s also beneficial for all levels of the organization to attend together.
Participants will:
- Explore their Organizational Customer Life Cycle
- Define their Organizational Theory of Change
- Evaluate the benefits of a Motivational Approach
- Assess programs, services, policies, and procedures through the Bridges Lens
- Learn to integrate the Bridges Lens into future organizational strategies
This training supports community organizations, boards, funders, leaders, and staff in creating stability and improving outcomes for all.
Prerequisite: Bridges Out of Poverty: Individual Lens workshop.
Bridges Out of Poverty: Community & Policy Lens
Explore how to become a Bridges community, work across all economic sectors and classes, and establish a steering committee. This workshop builds on the individual and institutional insights from previous Bridges sessions, focusing on creating sustainable community initiatives. We’ll discuss the types of leaders essential for this effort and learn how to advocate for policy changes at local, provincial, and federal levels.
Key topics include:
- Starting with clear goals
- Engaging the community effectively
- Understanding the Getting Ahead series and methodology
- Sustaining progress with ongoing programs
- Identifying key partners and organizations
- Establishing a Bridges steering committee
- The joy of working across class lines
- Addressing issues like rankism and fostering genuine relationships
- Criteria for forming a successful Bridges community
- Strategies for influencing political and policy changes
- Overcoming obstacles in policy advocacy
Training Prerequisites: Bridges Out of Poverty: Individual Lens workshop
Bridges to Health and Healthcare
Many people in our communities face challenges in maintaining good health. Bridges to Health and Healthcare helps healthcare professionals better understand these challenges and provides strategies and resources to improve health outcomes.
Our main goals are to reduce hospital readmissions and lower healthcare costs for patients with fewer resources. Our holistic approach considers all aspects of individuals’ lives within their community.
What you’ll gain from this workshop:
- A comprehensive approach to improving the health of people living in poverty, focusing on both individual patient care and community health
- Evidence-based insights linking health with economic stability, education, housing affordability, and food security
- Interactive sessions, including learning tasks, videos, and group discussions to enhance your learning experience
Our Bridges to Health and Healthcare workshop is grounded in research on health disparities and integrates seamlessly with Bridges Out of Poverty concepts, offering practical tools and ideas.
If you’d like to find out how Bridges can support your organization in improving relationships, outcomes, and systems, please reach out! I’d love to chat.
If you’ve already hosted a Bridges workshop, you might be interested in strategic planning where I can support you and your team in building a Bridges implementation work plan!
For more info about aha! Process and/or to bring the Bridges Model to your organization or community, please visit www.ahaprocess.com.
Or contact:
I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to Dr. Ruby Payne, CEO of aha! Process, and Phil Devol and Terri Dreussi-Smith, the co-authors and creators of Bridges out of Poverty and my mentors in many ways throughout my 12-year Bridges journey.
Without their belief in me, I would not be living out my career dreams of sharing such a powerful framework at an international level. Their work, which continues to impact hundreds of communities, is a testament to their dedication, and I feel blessed to be a part of the aha! Process team and this powerful movement.
– Suzie