New Directions Collaborative provided a one-day training and strategic planning session for the staff of EPA New England’s Office of Assistance & Pollution Prevention on how to catalyze networks. The training was designed to build on the strengths of their previous work by viewing it through a network lens. We shared an overview of network theory and offered case studies that illustrated leading examples of network strategies. Tools to visualize and map networks were reviewed. A World Café dialogue provided opportunities for many conversations in small groups that generated specific ideas for how they could use network approaches to leverage EPA’s influence and results. Following the workshop, our client reported "I received very positive feedback from folks in the office  - even our toughest customers - about how great the day was.  I will be taking the lessons learned and conveying them to others in the region."

When the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund and its partners were ready to launch the Vermont Farm to Plate (F2P) Network, they recognized that they needed to build the understanding of network approaches among people in the food system who would be leaders in implementing a network. New Directions Collaborative, in partnership with the Interaction Institute for Social Change, facilitated an interactive one-day training session for about 30 key food system leaders to enhance their understanding of networks, through a mix of theory (e.g., types of networks, criteria of network health,) case examples from context’s similar to Farm to Plate, and tools and hands-on exercises to apply these concepts. The session also provided valuable input for planning the first “F2P Network Gathering” and network training about a month after the workshop.

New Directions Collaborative hosted a two-day retreat for women working in the sustainability field at the Pinetree Farm retreat center in Eliot, Maine. The format included a mix of strategic conversations about working for change, sharing of stories of successes and challenges, and exploration of personal sustainability and how to avoid burnout. The structured time was mixed with time to informally network with other women working in various aspects of sustainability. Highlights of the retreat reported by participants included: the balance of engagement and time to reflect, the caliber of the women, finding a circle of support, connections with a diverse group of women with similar values, and strategic frameworks and concrete examples they could apply in their work. 100% of the participants said they would recommend this retreat to others. These testimonials provide a flavor of the experience: