Last month, three TLGers had the opportunity to attended the International Association of Public Participation’s (IAP2) Public Participation Training in Boise, Idaho. This was an excellent chance for our group to become better acquainted with the foundations and techniques of our field, as well as the opportunity to meet and network with some talented practitioners from across the country.

The first three training days were dedicated to Planning for Effective Participation. This training module included a crash course in the principles behind public participation and the ways in which it can build better public processes. The last two days of the week focused on Public Participation Techniques – real world tools and methods to draw from in our work in public involvement. This module allowed us to get to know and practice many techniques that might have been unfamiliar to us and get some refresher training on more common tools of the trade.

Boise associate Ryan Soukup attended both modules and took a lot from his training week. “IAP2 training really made things click for me. Learning how to create a public participation plan equipped with specific objectives makes selecting various techniques for involvement intellectually challenging and fun,” he said.

Trainer Wendy Lowe of IAP2 was a great instructor who utilized a mix of training methods to keep the group engaged and inspired. Big thanks to Wendy and IAP2 for providing such a valuable opportunity for TLG to enhance our skills and challenge the way we practice this important work!