One Human Race

Client: One Human Race
Made with: PowerPoint, Articulate Storyline, Adobe Creative Cloud
Time in Development: 60 hours
Collaborators: Daniel Villarreal (ID/Designer/Developer), Teresa Chang (SME)

Background:

The One Human Race Initiative (OHR) is a ministry of the Union of Black Episcopalians, Myra McDaniel Chapter. They create a safe, open, and productive environment for everyone to learn and share about race. OHR conducts workshops based on the PBS series “Race: The Power of an Illusion.” The workshop is designed to be a safe and welcoming place to learn about the origins of systemic racism in the United States and to explore pathways to personal and institutional change.

Currently, new volunteer training has to take place in person, and only one person can conduct the training. There is a great need for volunteers to facilitate the workshop and group leaders to manage the small group breakout sessions. Some of the main elements of the training include how to manage group interactions using the techniques of “mutual invitation,” redirection of the discussion, and time management.

Solution Developed:

Using the service learning approach, I was able to identify which techniques would need to be taught, and I determined the best approach would be through scenario-based training. Interactive videos allowed us to model the correct methods in realistic scenarios. The videos also served as interactive assessments for the students.

Results:

The training begins with a video introduction from two experienced facilitators, followed by instructional material for facilitators and group leaders. Then the course uses interactive videos with realistic scenarios to train the techniques and assess the students’ understanding. The result is a 45-minute interactive eLearning program that teaches the volunteers new strategies for managing groups.

Challenges:

One of the challenges I faced in the development of the training, was misidentifying the need. I initially thought the need was to train the facilitators on how to present the information in the workshop, going slide-by-slide through their presentation. I spent a good deal of time developing the first outline only to find that the real training was for facilitation and specific group management techniques.