Our partner, Braver Angels, will be hosting a free online "Depolarizing Within" workshop Sunday, September 17, 2023 from 1 - 4 PM PST. This workshop reflects their "Rise for America" campaign and includes these elements:

• How to be aware of your own "inner polarizer."

• How to be critical without demonizing, dismissing, or stereotyping large swaths of the population.

• How to constructively intervene in polarizing social conversations with like-minded people.

If you haven't had a chance to attend one of our past in-person depolarizing within workshops (which people rate very positively) or you'd like re-visit some of the skills already learned, this workshop may be for you. You can register here.

If you have any questions, or if you attend the event and want to let us know how it went, feel free to send a message to Kristina.

Facilitators from Braver Angels will conduct this workshop for residents of El Dorado County at the Cameron Park Community Center on Saturday, May 20, 2023.

Learn More about this workshop.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Ken Futernick.

The first portion of this online workshop included a brief description of Bridging Divides-El Dorado (for those who are unacquainted with this project) and an update on current and future activities. Facilitators from Braver Angels spoke about their organization before shifting the the main focus of the workshop -  an interactive discussion of skills to help depolarize and bridge divides in our workplaces, our homes, and in our personal relationships. A video recording can be found here.

Leaders from El Dorado County key sectors met again to discuss implementation plans.

The first meeting for sector leads took place at the El Dorado County Office of Education (EDCOE) on November 14, 2022 (5:00 - 6:30 pm). The next meeting for this group is scheduled for February 6, 2023 and will be held at EDCOE from 5:00 - 6:30 pm. For more information about this event, please contact Ken Futernick.

Ken Futernick made a presentation to the county's school superintendents at their fall retreat. He provided an update on Bridging Divides, discussed the costs depolarization in school settings, and offered a few strategies that could be implemented to bridge common divides. Ken will meet again with this group in early January.

The Kickoff Convening for Bridging Divides - El Dorado took place on September 29, 2022 at the Cameron park Community Center.

Key sectors of the community that were represented (plus the number attending):

Non-profit (12), Healthcare (6), Education (19), Government (9), Business (7), Faith-based (9), Public Safety (3), Youth (10), Staff/Facilitators (27)

Goals:

1. Participants will come away with a clearer sense of the personal and organizational impacts of polarization.

2. Participants will learn about and briefly experience the benefits of a few de-polarization strategies (e.g., conversation agreements, finding common ground, using conversation agreements, deep listening, choosing empathy and curiosity over confrontation).

3. Groups will leave with action plans that name people who will (initially) lead the change, identify the challenges faced, the goals they hope to achieve, the resources they might tap, and additional people that will be involved after the convening.