Upcoming Events

See our current Member Update e-newsletter for registration   and a full description of our events.

• This calendar will be continually updated with descriptions and logistics. For more general information, contact Events .

Peer Coaching Program

Click here for the Peer Coaching Brochure & application.

Remember the last time you had to make a tough decision and you felt like there was no one you could bounce your thoughts off of? Well, if you had been in a peer coaching group you would have 6-8 of your peers to bring your question to.

 

Executive Alliance’s Peer Coaching Program is designed especially for CEO/Executive Directors, Chief Financial Officers and Development Directors.

 

Peer Coaching circles are highly focused groups of peers who meet regularly to assist each other with problem solving and expanding perspectives / alternatives.  These facilitated groups are composed of six to eight members who are able to commit to active participation, meeting once a month over eight months. 

 

Confidentiality is a strong expectation. Meetings will be 3 hours with logistics managed by Executive Alliance. We will be forming Circles in late August to begin meeting in October. An orientation meeting will be held in early September.  In order for the model to be successful, members are expected to attend regularly. 

 

How they work?

• Each group member brings their own issues to the group and gets an equal time slot each session

 

• Members choose their own issues to explore and resolve, then take a complete look at the situation, explore alternatives, set realistic goals, take actions

• Coaching involves a variety of approaches and skills, including attentive listening, probing questions, brainstorming, supportive challenges, occasionally sharing materials and personal experiences

Email Yalonda Gill Masundirè or call her at 206-328-3836 to get more information.

 

Why face your organization’s challenges alone, when you can get the support and encouragement from your peers.

2008-2009 Seasonal Retreat Series

We welcome you to join a retreat series designed to sustain the courage, commitment, and integrity of those who serve children, families, and our community.

Are you someone who:
• Works with children, families, or your community?
• Is committed to aligning your personal values with your actions?
• Wants to make a bigger positive difference in the world?
• Would like to rekindle a spark for a beloved vocation or find a new one?
• Is interested in stepping into a leadership role or strengthening your current leadership?
If any of these questions are alive for you, Washington Courage & Renewal invites you to join us in a retreat
series designed to revitalize the hearts and spirits of those who serve children and families.
What is Courage & Renewal work?
Our work is inspired and guided by Dr. Parker J. Palmer, author of Let Your Life Speak, A Hidden
Wholeness, and Courage to Teach. Since 1996 we have brought together over 1100 service professionals
(mainly educators in our first 10 years) for quarterly retreats to help rejuvenate their heart and spirit – personally and professionally.
In each season, groups of about 25 participants gather at a beautiful retreat center. Each retreat consists of carefully designed individual and collegial activities around seasonal themes, using the power of a diverse range of poetry and teaching stories, journaling, art, nature, and dialogue. We spend time in reflection, - alone and with others - exploring the interconnections between our personal and professional lives and identities. All retreats include time to rest, play, exercise, and explore the natural world.

NEW! 3 Options for 2008-2009
including “Courage Continues” for Alums

• Courage & Renewal Cross-Professional Series – begins Nov. 2008
- 4 weekend retreats, one in each season, held in the beautiful Skagit River valley.
- Open to anyone who works with or for children, leads or works in education, human services, early
learning, childcare, philanthropy, non-profits, community service, clergy, healthcare or related fields.
• Courage Continues – For Alums of C&R who want more - begins Oct. 2008
- 3 weekend retreats for those who have completed a year-long retreat series.
- Designed to help you take the work to an even deeper level and explore how to apply your
learning to professional, personal and family life. You will experience a familiar combination of
quiet reflection, time in nature, dialogue with colleagues, poetry and stories, clearness committees,
good food, rest, relaxation, and more – all using new poetry, activities and questions.
- To be held near Leavenworth, Wash.

• Courage & Renewal for School Leaders – begins Feb. 2009
- 3 weekend retreats in the Puget Sound area.
- Open to all principals, assistant principals, and central office administrators in pre-K -12 settings, as
well as teacher/ principal/ superintendent educators at the University level.
See reverse for details.
What are the benefits of a Courage & Renewal retreat series?
WC&R retreat series help individuals strengthen connections between who they are and the work they do.
Experience and research continue to show that men and women of all races, ethnicities, and belief systems each
have a unique retreat experience based on their own questions. Powerful learning arises from the safety and trust
that develop among cohort members throughout the year. Every year, participants report:
• A renewed passion for and commitment to their
work or vocation
• Improved relationships at work and home
• Greater commitment to health and life balance
• Increased interest in personal and professional
reflection, and
• A (re) vitalization of themselves as leaders.

Retreat Details

• Courage & Renewal Cross-Professional Series – 2008A (Open to all)
4 weekend retreats at Cedar Springs Renewal Center near Sedro Wooley, Wash.

When:

Fall: Nov 7-9, 2008
Winter: Feb 6-8, 2009
Spring: May 1-3, 2009
Summer: July 30–Aug 2, 2009

Applications due: Oct. 15, 2008
($100 discount for apps received by Sept. 5, 2008)

Leaders:

Jeanne Strong, Karen Harding

Cost:

$1875 – for 4 retreat weekends. Covers
all meals, lodging, materials, and facilitation.
Clock hours and Social Work CEUs available.
• Courage & Renewal for School Leaders – 2009SL Open to all school leaders
3 weekend retreats in the Puget Sound area of Wash. & a local gathering or coaching between retreats.

When:

Winter: Feb 6-8, 2009
Spring: May 1-3, 2009
Fall: Oct 16-18, 2009

Applications due: Jan. 15, 2009
($100 discount for apps received by Dec. 1, 2008)

Leaders:

Yarrow Durbin, John Morefield

Cost:

$1500 – for 3 retreat weekends + local
gatherings or coaching (TBD). Covers all
meals, lodging, materials, and facilitation.
Clock hours available.

• Courage Continues – 2008CC Open to all past participants of a C&R retreat series
3 weekend retreats at Grunewald Guild, near Leavenworth, WA

When: Fall: Oct 31–Nov 2, 2008
Winter: Jan 30-Feb 1, 2009
Spring: Apr 24-26, 2009

Applications due: Oct. 10, 2008
($100 discount for apps received by Sept. 1, 2008)

Leaders:

Yarrow Durbin, Anita Morales

Cost:

$1350 for 3 retreat weekends. Covers
all meals, lodging, materials, and facilitation.
Clock hours and Social Work CEUs available.
**Because cohort learning is an essential element of this process, participants must commit to all retreats in their series, so please check all dates before applying.

Encourage a friend or colleague to attend a retreat series and receive a $50 discount for each “Friend” who signs up for a retreat series.

Your application fee will be adjusted when their application is accepted.
We encourage everyone interested to apply regardless of ability to pay.  We are happy to discuss quarterly payment schedules, credit card payment, scholarships, and other arrangements to ensure access for all who want to attend.
Please let us know if, due to financial hardship, you need additional assistance.  Some scholarship funding is available.

For registration materials, see attached form or our website www.wacouragerenewal.org or contact us at: info@ wacouragerenewal.org or 206-633-2888.

2008-09 Courage & Renewal Retreat Series

Please check the retreat series you are applying for:

Courage & Renewal Cross-Professional Series – 2008 A Open to all

4 weekend retreats at Cedar Springs Renewal Center near Sedro Wooley, Wash.

When:

Fall: Nov 7-9, 2008
Winter: Feb 6-8, 2009
Spring: May 1-3, 2009
Summer: July 30 – Aug 2, 2009

Applications due: October 15, 2008

Leaders:

Jeanne Strong, Karen Harding

Cost:

$1875 – for 4 weekend retreats. Covers all meals,
lodging, materials, and facilitation. Clock hours and
Social Work CEUs available.

($100 early bird discount for apps received by 9/5/08)

Courage & Renewal for School Leaders – 2009 SL Open to all school leaders

3 weekend retreats in the Puget Sound area of Washington, plus a local gathering or coaching between retreats.

When:

Winter: Feb 6-8, 2009
Spring: May 1-3, 2009
Fall: Oct 16-18, 2009

Applications due: Jan. 15, 2009

Leaders:

Yarrow Durbin, John Morefield

Cost:

$1500 – for 3 weekend retreats + local gatherings or coaching (TBD). Covers all meals, lodging, materials, and facilitation. Clock hours available.

($100 early bird discount for apps received by 12/1/08)

Courage Continues for Alums– 2008CC Open to all past participants of a C&R retreat series.

3 weekend retreats at Grunewald Guild, near Leavenworth,Wash.

When:

Fall: Oct 31-Nov 2, 2008
Winter: Jan 30-Feb 1, 2009
Spring: Apr 24-26, 2009

Applications due: Oct 10, 2008

Leaders:

Yarrow Durbin, Anita Morales

Cost:

$1350 - for 3 retreat weekends. Covers all meals,
lodging, materials, and facilitation. Clock hours and Social
Work CEU’s available.

($100 early bird discount for apps received by 9/1/08)

Final acceptance to the program requires a commitment to attend all retreats in your series, so carefully check all dates before applying.

Encourage a friend or colleague to attend a retreat series and receive a $50 discount for each “Friend” who signs up for a retreat series.

Your application fee will be adjusted when their application is accepted.

Scholarship Information:

We encourage everyone interested to apply regardless of ability to pay. We are happy to discuss quarterly payments, credit card payments, scholarships, and other arrangements to ensure access for all who want to attend.

? I will need scholarship assistance. Please send me a scholarship application.

MAIL OR FAX APPLICATIONS AND PERSONAL STATEMENTS TO:

Washington Courage & Renewal
801 23rd Avenue S Suite 205
Seattle, WA 98144
Ph: 206-633-2888, Fax: 206-328-7689; email: info@wacouragerenewal.org
www.wacouragerenewal.org

Keep a copy of your application and personal statement for your records. We will acknowledge receipt of your application by email within a week. Feel free to contact us to confirm receipt or discuss any questions.

The Journey Toward an Undivided Life:
A Circle of Trust Retreat Based on the Work of Parker Palmer
July 18-20, 2008
Tierra Learning Center, Leavenworth, WA

"Self care is never a selfish act - it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I
was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen to true self, and give it the care it
requires, we do so not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch"
--Parker J. Palmer

Those of us committed to serving others, leading organizations, and promoting social change know that long-term success depends on sustaining ourselves for a lifetime of commitment. The more passionate we are about our work, the more vital it is that we take time to renew our own spirits. To slow down and reconnect with the sources of energy that fuel our fires is an act of faith in ourselves and our vision for a better future.

What happens at retreats? Skilled facilitators create a quiet, focused, and disciplined space—a circle of trust—in which noise inside and outside us subsides and we begin to hear our own inner voice. In large group, small group, and solitary settings, we explore the intersection of our personal and professional lives, making use of stories from our own journeys, reflection on professional practice, and insights from poets, storytellers, and various traditions.

Washington Courage & Renewal (WC&R) invites you to join us for a retreat designed to revitalize the hearts and spirits of those who work in fields serving children and families, such as, education, human services, early learning, childcare, philanthropy, non-profits, community service, clergy, healthcare, or parenting. Based on the work of author and educator Dr. Parker J. Palmer, WC&R has led Courage & Renewal retreats for over 3000 educators, leaders and others over the past eleven years.

RETREAT DETAILS:

When:

12 pm Friday, July 18 to 12:00 pm Sunday, July 20, 2008

Where:

Tierra Learning Center, Leavenworth, WA

Cost:

$550 per person, includes room and meal costs from Friday lunch through
Sunday breakfast. Rates are based on double occupancy.
Clock hours & Social Work CEUs will be available.

RETREAT LEADERSHIP:

This Circle of Trust retreat will be led by nationally trained Courage & Renewal facilitators,
Anita Morales and Jeanne Strong.

Registration deadline is July 3, 2008. To assure participation, please register early.
Please do not let limited finances keep you from applying. We do our best to include a diverse
group and make scholarship funds available to those who need them.

CodeBlueNow! Health Care Town Hall

When:  September 18, 2008

Time:  7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Health care reform is one of the most political issues facing our nation.  Past solutions have been partisan or ideological, and most have failed because no one has asked the general public what they want and would support in health care reform.  Till now.  CodeBlueNow! has surveyed over 6,000 people across the country, and in addition, has statistically valid results that show consensus on basic health care reform.

Please join us at our Health Care Town Hall as we launch our Voters’ Health Care Platform.  This platform will be taken to the candidates and the Democratic and  Republican leadership in Congress as elections loom.  Featured keynote speakers include former Governors Arne Carlson, R, MN and Richard Lamm, D, CO, both active in health care reform.

Your voice counts.  For more information, to take the survey, or to sign the Declaration for Health Care Reform, please go to www.codebluenow.org.  CodeBlueNow! is a national, nonpartisan 501(c)3 organization.

Co-presenters include:  US Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Faithful Reform in Health Care, CityClub, Executive Alliance, Leadership Tomorrow, SW Youth and Family Services, Seattle Human Services Coalition

Past Member Updates

January 2008

March 2008

April, 2008

May 2008

July, 2008

Past Events