Building Capacity for Community Engagement Through Facilitated Dialogue Training

FAIN: TA-296304-24

Castine Scientific Society (Castine, ME 04421-0196)
Julia Gray (Project Director: June 2023 to present)

Facilitated dialogue training for staff and volunteers of local museums and development of a public program module exploring regional Indigenous history. 

The Wilson Museum, in collaboration with Castine History Partners and other community groups and individuals, will build the capacity of the museum and the wider community to engage with complex topics in the humanities by providing training in facilitated dialogue. Through a two to three day workshop in facilitated dialog, participants will gain an understanding of the dialogic approach to group learning, develop their skills in facilitating dialogue, and begin the process of creating dialogic programs around Indigenous history and current issues, climate change and community resilience, the American Revolution, and other topics important to participants. The project will give Wilson Museum staff and volunteers, and staff and volunteers from other local historical organizations, enhanced capacity to interpret our collections, exhibits, and cultural landscapes.