When I heard those voices yesterday and thought about what the writers have been through, I felt the real impact of what we are doing in WCC. It’s humbling to have a small part in this incredible healing process.
WCC Facilitator, Mustard Seed
WCC Volunteer Facilitators Touch Lives
Writers Collective of Canada (WCC) volunteer facilitators support WCC’s vision and mission by providing free community writing workshops.
WCC facilitators are the primary contacts for participants in our workshops and we equip them with training and support. They provide workshops in various settings, including:
- Community centres and social service agencies, such as those providing supports for underhoused, addiction, mental illness, youth, women, elders, adult learners, and Indigenous, immigrant, refugee and 2SLGBTQQIA communities, veterans and more
- Virtually via Zoom or on-site
About Facilitator Training
Training sessions are offered several times a year. Each session runs from a Friday evening through Saturday and Sunday. Check the Training Calendar below for upcoming dates and read on to learn more about what is involved
Who Makes a Good Facilitator
WCC Facilitators come from many backgrounds and bring a variety of skills and lived experience. Consider becoming a Facilitator if any one of these sounds like you:
- You believe strongly in the WCC’s work and methodology
- You work directly with a community that can benefit from arts-health and writing-for-wellbeing
- You wish to advocate for traditionally underheard and underserved voices
- You facilitate in other contexts already, and love doing it
- You are a writer with a passion to share the power of writing in community
- You are a WCC workshop participant who is excited to share the experience with others
What Happens Before, During, and After Training
The weekend of training is inspiring, challenging, and experiential. Volunteers gain a deep and practical understanding of WCC’s philosophy and values, learn tools and strategies for successful facilitation, and practice by modeling workshop sessions in a supportive environment.
Prior to training, volunteers are required to:
- Attend WCC workshop(s)
- Read Writing Alone and with Others by Pat Schneider, founder of the Amherst Writers and Artists Method. Order online or at your local bookstore.
- Complete the Facilitator Application, which can be downloaded below.
After training, volunteers will join a partner organization or initiate a workshop series. Each workshop will be co-led by two volunteers; facilitators are partnered up for flexibility and support. We have morning, afternoon, evening, and weekend workshop slots available.
- Facilitators must commit to volunteering for a minimum of one 10-week session — this means one 90 to 120-minute workshop per week for a minimum of 10 weeks. The 10 weeks need not necessarily be consecutive.
- We provide ongoing support and supervision to ensure that the workshop experience is meaningful and rewarding for all of our writers, facilitators and agency partners.
For more information, please contact contact@wcc-cec.org.