Each year, NH Listens hosts events throughout New Hampshire. These online and in person events range from engaging on statewide policy issues, supporting local community-led initiatives, and our own series of workshops for strengthening skills for bridge builders — facilitation, connection across differences, and sticking with tough conversations. We support a growing network of New Hampshire's skilled facilitators.
We are grateful to the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation for their generous support.
Upcoming Events
NH Listens Local People, Local Work, Local Change
NH Listens Local Lunch Box: Embracing Complexity as a Facilitator
New Hampshire Listens: Advanced Facilitator Training
Prior to any online trainings, you'll want to download and test the Zoom software. Please contact Carrie Portrie with any questions regarding these trainings.
Advanced Facilitator Training (In-person)
April 6, 2023, 9:30 – 3:00 p.m.
NH Audubon Massabesic Center
auburn, NH
This spring we're offering our impactful, experiential Advanced Facilitator Training in-person on April 6, 2023 in Auburn, NH. The training is designed for taking a deeper dive into the tough moments that facilitators face, including self-reflection on identity as a facilitator, centering equity, and building confidence in productively addressing issues and facilitating constructve dialogue.
Advanced Facilitator Training (Online)
May 10, 2023, 12 – 2:30 p.m.
Many of us are trained to remain neutral when we serve as facilitators. However, that doesn't mean we are passive in the face of bias and misunderstandings. This workshop helps enhance confidence to remain neutral, productively address issues, encourage, and move conversation in a constructive manner.
Prior to any online sessions, you'll want to download and test the Zoom software. Please contact Carrie Portrie with any questions regarding these sessions.
April - Embracing Complexity as a Facilitator
April 5, 12:00 – 12:45 p.m.
This session will shares NH Listens' experience learning applying Liberatory Design framework. Join NH Listens for some of their tips and time for you questions.
May - Asking Good Questions
May 3, 12:00 – 12:45 p.m.
This session considers what it means to ask good questions as a facilitator and gain some practice reframing questions for more constructive dialogue. Join NH Listens for some of their tips and time for you questions.
June - When Someone Says WHAT?! Responding as a Facilitator
June 7, 12:00 – 12:45 p.m.
This session will will address heart-racing facilitator moments and how to respond, so join NH Listens and others for a discussion on facilitating when emotions need our full attention.
New Speaker Series
Local People, Local Work, Local Change
Navigating Life in a diverse democracy
New Hampshire Listens is excited to launch this new conversation series where we explore community engagement practitioners' journeys working with communities to generate meaningful change. This spring, we'll be hosting conversations around community engagement in education. Each speaker will bring a rich, varied approach to practices around diversity, inclusion, equity & justice (DEIJ), coalition building, and other transformative initiatives that promote an engaged, diverse democracy at the local level.
Each conversation will reflect and analyze the ways in which policy and practice around community engagement show up in day-to-day work. Attendees are encouraged to interact with speakers, engage with each other, and share insight on community engagement in your work and personal life.
Join us at our new location, at the New England Center, on campus or online. Refreshments will be available.
Andres Mejia, New Hampshire SAU 16
March 29, 2023, 4 – 5:00 p.m.
Andres is currently serving as Director of Diversity, Equty, Inclusion, and Justice for the Exeter NH Cooperative School District. Prior to that, Andres worked at the University of New Hampshire spearheading support for underrepresented students, designing and facilitating learning exchanges, and helping leaders deepen and sustain their work on inclusion and belonging.
Merle McGee, Everyday Democracy
April 26, 2023, 4 – 5:00 p.m.
Merle is the President and CEO of Everyday Democracy. She brings over 25 years' experience in non-profit settings fighting alongside historically marginalized and excluded communities for dignity and racial, gender, and economic justice. Everyday Democracy has worked alongside more than 600 communities across 42 states on a wide range of issues including education, poverty, mental health, civic engagement, racism, youth and aging, immigration, and criminal justice reform.
Dr. Manuela Heinz & Gerry Mac Ruairc
May 31, 2023, 4 – 5:00 p.m.
Dr. Manuela Heinz is an Associate Professor and the Head of Discipline of Education at the University of Galway. She has worked in the area of initial and in-service teacher education for over 15 years and has led funded research and teaching projects in teacher education, teacher diversity and equity, intercultural and global citizenship education.
Prof. Gerry Mac Ruairc is an established Professor of Education who has served as the Head of the School of Education at the University of Galway for seven years. Gerry has published widely in the areas of leadership for inclusive schooling, language and social class, literacy as well as in the areas of leadership and school improvement for equity and social justice.
Hampton community conversations
We share a community. We disagree at times. Where do we go from here?
A community conversation series for students, families, and educators in Hampton Sau 90
Join us to be part of a conversation with your neighbors about how our school community can foster a healthy culter of belonging where young people can grow and thrive. At each event, there will be a brief presentation or video to spark our thinking as well as time in small group dialogues. Feedback from participants at the first event will help shape the following events. Conversations will be held in the Hampton Academy Community Room. Everyone is welcome, please register to help us plan!
March 29, 2023, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
April 4, 2023, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
may 17, 2023, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Building Bridges in the Human Family
Curious about the anti-black, anti-white divide? Want to discuss race and racism but are afraid to say the wrong thing or offend someone? Want to discuss how we can move on from our tragic past? Join us for a dialog series for people who genuinely want to listen. This will be a recurring online conversation from 4 to 5:30 pm on the following Sundays: March 19, April 16, May 21, and June 18. Feel free to join us for one or all sessions.
NH Listens News
NH Listens’ Campus Listeners Program to Train UNH Faculty, Staff & Graduate Students to Serve at Contentious On-Campus Events
Training for the Campus Listeners program is sponsored by the UNH Carsey School of Public Policy; the UNH Office of Community, Equity, and Diversity; and the UNH Aulbani J. Beauregard Center for Equity, Freedom and Justice. Civic engagement group NH Listens – a part of the Carsey School of Public Policy at UNH – will host a training for its Campus Listeners program. The training will take...
Granite State News Collaborative: Manchester group takes village approach to community engagement
