CEIO’s Seeding Conscious Co-Creation (SCC) program supports both the forming of new and the development of existing communities of practice that seek to center conscious use of power (conscious co-creation), well-being, and liberation as individuals, and within the larger community.
SCC's prevailing intention is to widen the awareness, practice, and use of conscious co-creation. Through Seeding Conscious Co-Creation, CEIO is using its power to cultivate a field where more seeds of change and liberation can be nurtured, watered, and supported so they can take root and sprout.
Are you a facilitator of an existing group of people or want to form a group who meets around a common interest to learn from one another/build relationships?
Is your group’s area of interest invested in principles of equity, healing and liberation?
Are you interested in practicing conscious co-creation/conscious use of power within your group?
Learn more below
SCC provides participants with the opportunity to...
Practice conscious use of power in a community of like-minded people
SCC practitioners, staff, and Support Guides will operate as its own community of practice centered around the learning and practicing of conscious co-creation.
Gain training, mentorship and/or coaching from skilled and thoughtful Support Guides and CEIO staff
SCC practitioner or team of practitioners will be paired with a Support Guide who will inspire, assist and witness your process. Support Guides and SCC staff will be available to support the various needs of each community of practice.
Attend additional CEIO and related programs
Invitations to attend and/or be sponsored to attend CEIO Core Development programs including CEIO Community of Practice Learning Days, the Community Leadership Program, Beyond Diversity 101, and Story Week.
Receive up to 1 year of financial sponsorship for eligible expenses
Eligible expenses include:
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Honorariums and contracts for practitioners, facilitators, and other subcontractors
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Local transportation costs
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Food & Accommodations
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Supplies and expenses directly related to running your community of practice circle
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Fees for use of physical and virtual spaces for gathering
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Additional training and development opportunities
Retreat for diving deep
The SCC Diving Deep Retreat provides an inspiring and nurturing environment to come together, be inspired, learn, and collectively hold the dreams and intentions of the emerging communities of practice. This overnight retreat will offer learning opportunities, radical hospitality with accommodations, healthy, nourishing foods, and wellness/body care activities. The intentions of this retreat are to activate a generative community of practice for the SCC cohort and to ensure the practitioners feel supported and inspired as they begin the cultivation of their projects.
An alternate virtual experience will be held if COVID-19 restrictions are mandated by the state.
What is a Community of Practice?
“Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact over time. Communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared category of human endeavor.”
– Situated Learning, Lave & Wenger, (1991)
Communities of practice can develop around a variety of different areas of interest to support the transformation of people, groups, and the larger community. They can come together around issues involving environmental protection/conservation, the education system, medicine, the arts, issues of access and equity to healing spaces, community organizing, science, law and policy making, or the food system. This list is limitless.
What is conscious co-creation?
Conscious co-creation is synonymous with “conscious use of power,” and is the core technology of CEIO. The practice of conscious co-creation reminds us that we all have power - both internal and external power - and invites us to be aware of our individual and collective power as well as how larger systems have historically used power. When we acknowledge the truth about how power is and has been used there is inevitably more space for justice, equity, inclusion, and belonging to take root.
Conscious co-creation encourages us to tune in to our whole selves (body, mind, heart and spirit) and to ask the questions:
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“What has been my role - and what do I want it to be - in creating what is?”
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“How do I want to be my authentic self and use my power as I am in relationship to my community and society?”
Exercising Conscious Co-Creation in Communities of Practice
Seeding Conscious Co-Creation is about exercising the conscious use of power as individuals and groups in the form of communities of practice. We believe the practice of conscious co-creation is the fuel and communities of practice are the vehicle as we move towards a more equitable, just, liberated, and connected community and world.
2022-23 Program Outline
CEIO is accepting applications until Tuesday, September 6, 2022. Eligible applicants will go through an interview process to further determine readiness and right alignment with SCC after which the selection committee will announce the 2022-23 SCC Cohort by Tuesday, September 27, 2022.
SCC Programming will take place over 9 months beginning on Saturday, October 22, 2022 with a Welcome and Orientation Day and run through June 2023.
The Opening Retreat will be held Thursday - Saturday, November 10-12, 2022.
The cohort will meet for 4 hours on each of the following dates throughout the program:
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Friday, January 20, 2023 in the morning
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Thursday, February 16, 2023 in the evening
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Friday, March 17, 2023 in the morning
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Thursday, April 6, 2023 in the evening
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Thursday, May 11, 2023 in the evening
In June 2023 (date to be determined) we will have an event to celebrate and amplify the amazing work the cohort has done.
Throughout the cohort participants will meet regularly with Support Guides, attend CEIO Communities of Practice circles, and attend CEIO Deeper Change Forums.
What does a Seeding Conscious Co-Creation Community of Practice look like?
Below are two examples from the SCC Pilot Cohort.
Aspiring Abolitionists
Aspiring Abolitionists is a community of practice for white educators committed to deepening their consciousness of power dynamics in schools. Over 9 months, they met monthly, allowing for different educators to run each session. As a community of practice they sought to strengthen their ability to shift power to their students, as well as consciously use their power to interrupt racial violence and fight for education, for liberation. Aspiring Abolitionists also equipped white educators to show up fully as co-conspirators alongside radical educators of color, while also activating this work among larger networks of white educators.
Seeds and Sprouts
Seeds and Sprouts is a community of practice whose members have personal, familial, and work experience with the carceral mental health system. They met regularly to envision liberatory mental health support that centers the needs of BIPOC. Through their community of practice, Seeds and Sprouts is consciously using its power to imagine what an alternative way of caring for each other, outside of the carceral mental health system, looks like in New Haven.
Program Components
Radical Care
Seeds are full of potential and they have the best opportunity to take root and sprout when covered in rich soil, watered, provided sunlight, and are cared for. It is our intention to practice radical care for SCC practitioners throughout every aspect of the program.
Intentional Community & Holding
SCC is committed to intentionally creating a space for individuals to both show up with consciousness of their power and to deeply experience our interconnectedness. We seek to hold and celebrate each individuals fabulous independence and the reality of our interconnection.
Coaching & Support
Each community of practice will be assigned a Support Guide to assist in the development of the project. Support Guides will meet regularly with their assigned practitioner(s). Practitioners will also have access to meet with SCC staff and Support Guides for additional guidance. Guidance will include thought partnership, coaching, technical support and wellness & resilience facilitation.
Witnessing & Amplification
CEIO's Seeding Conscious Co-Creation Deeper Change Forum ( Date TBD ) will be dedicated to the SCC Practitioners being seen, heard, and amplified by the Greater New Haven community. Each team is invited to present at this forum. We will be consciously co-creating how this forum can uniquely express the learning and work that each participant has experienced.
