Summer Facilitator Workshop – August 2021

The Creative Strategies for Change Facilitator Workshop is taking place August 9-20, 2021!

Join us for this immersive workshop building relationships and community rooted in racial equity. Engage with incredible tools for understanding and navigating one’s life experience, and build skills to successfully communicate with others around challenging topics. This interactive and impactful experience will grow participants’ knowledge of self, identity, power, oppression, liberation, and the many factors that make up the context in which we live… and why that all matters. Folks walk away with new creative facilitation techniques, a fresh understanding of oneself within the larger world, knowledge of social justice and restorative practices, new language to use around tough topics, and the confidence to make a unique mark on the world! Our Facilitator Workshops occur quarterly and are registration-based.

“With this model, I am better able to serve my community and create opportunities and shape policies and procedures in my workplace and organization.”

“I’ve been in a lot of virtual webinars, classes and meetings and I have to say this was the most engaging, thoughtful and creative experience on Zoom yet!”

“All of the creative practices were meaningful and powerful from the beautiful rituals that were employed to the fun and energizing exercises and games we experienced. The sharing in circles were very meaningful and within this particular group I experienced a wonderful healing energy and beautiful expression of blended peoples voices and hearts.” 

“Something that has had a significant impact on me is being in a space with BIPOC folks in leadership positions and also being in a space where I am not the only or one of few BIPOC people. This has not happened many times in my life. Hearing what the BIPOC folks in this space have experienced makes me feel like what I have experienced as a WOC is real, valid, and relevant.”

Questions? Please contact CeCe at cece@creativestrategiesforchange.com

CSC is hiring a Program Manager!

Background: Creative Strategies for Change (CSC) is a small nonprofit organization founded in 2013, in Denver, Colorado, with a mission to mobilize arts and education for social justice. Our programs include: consulting, leadership and professional development, community and youth programs, and interactive performances and workshops. 

Position Description: The Program Manager (PM) is a full time position and part of CSC’s administrative team. The PM is an administrative support role, reporting to the Co-Director of Arts and Education and Executive Director, and working with the facilitators, artists, consultants, interns, and volunteers to maintain and grow excellent programs aligned with the CSC mission, vision, and values. The PM will be responsible for managing the youth and community streams of CSC programs. This position will also support organizational efforts at generating program income, support with grant management, as well as participation in fundraising campaigns and events. 

CSC is a community partner with Denver Public Schools and works with and a wide range of schools and organizations in Denver and beyond. The PM manages coordination and promotion of programs including calendars, organizational systems, communications, electronic, print and live promotion and provides leadership in maintaining, refining, and developing efficient program related organizational systems and procedures, as well as logistical and administrative aspects of our Denver Public Schools community partnership profile and database and all paperwork required by clients. The PM will be the point person for interns, volunteers, and support team to support their scheduling, substitute, contract, and paperwork needs. 

Schedule: 40 hours / week Start Date: Aug 9, 2021 or ASAP: Training Aug 9-20 M-F 9-5 or 10-6, some flexibility. Currently all administrative staff are working in office following strict public health precautions for Covid 19. Staff are encouraged to remain responsive to changes in health metrics. 

Compensation: $40,000-$50,000 Salary (based on hours worked) 

After 60 days of employment (or the equivalent hours) employee will be eligible for health care contributions and paid time off as follows: 

– Health Care Contributions : $400/month (FTE) 

– Accrual of PTO – 2 days per month: current max total of 2 weeks per year 

Employee will maintain schedule and discuss any schedule changes with the administrative team with as much advance notice as possible. This position also requires occasional work on evenings and weekends. In that case, employees are encouraged to adjust weekly schedules to balance hours. The priority is for the PM schedule to align with the primary program schedules so they can be available and responsive to folks delivering programs. 

Skills and Qualifications | Program Manager 

● Strong commitment to the CSC mission, vision, values, and racial equity imperative*. 

● Alignment with organizational operational scope (goals, mission and vision of CSC), clear understanding of the CSC 3 Model (integrating Social Justice Frameworks, Arts Engagement, and Restorative Practices) and ability to implement it in all programs and operations. 

● Minimum 2+ years experience in an administrative role. Program management, arts and nonprofit administrative experience strongly preferred. 

● Expertise with organizational systems and database management, including Microsoft Office & Excel, Google Drive & Calendar, WordPress, Surveymonkey, Mailchimp, Social Media platforms, and now… zoom. 

● Experience with graphic design, social media, and event planning. 

● Strong leadership skills and flexibility to adjust quickly and creatively navigate multiple projects and the administrative challenges of a grassroots nonprofit organization operating in a variety of sectors. 

● Excellent, culturally responsive interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.

● Proactive, self-motivated and able to work independently and interdependently.

● Capacity to provide administrative leadership. 

● Work well / compatible with the diverse CSC administration, board, facilitators, artists, consultants, interns, volunteers, team, and community. 

● Critical, strategic thinking and the capacity to manage a variety of projects, priorities, and deadlines.

● Experience with managing budgets and financial components of program operations preferred. 

● Commitment to the CSC Organizational Agreements and Restorative System in principle and practice, willing to have hard conversations, give and receive critical feedback. 

● Experience as a facilitator, educator, artist, and consultant. 

Duties and Responsibilities (Deliverables): Program Manager 

● Provide leadership in the management of all CSC programs and events, and other responsibilities as needed. 

● Currently many CSC programs are being delivered virtually through the zoom platform. The program manager will provide tech support for these programs, as well as working with interns, apprentices, and volunteers in this capacity. 

● Build capacity for greater functionality, sustainability, and scalability of CSC programs. 

● Coordinate, observe, mentor, and evaluate volunteers, and interns. This may include: communications, schedules, observation & visitation, resource kits, paperwork, and other components as needed. 

● Manage organizational communications: including social media, website updates and maintenance, print and web based marketing and promotion, artists, facilitators, consultants, volunteers, admin team, board members, and others as needed. 

● Manage and maintain Denver Public Schools community partnership and contracts, maintaining an active and up to date Civic Canopy and Bidnet profile, and other systems as required. 

● Work with the admin team and board on annual organizational budget and strategic planning.

● Program client development, communications, coordination, engagement, and maintenance. 

● Work with Co-Director of Arts and Education to grow CSC youth programs toward greatest responsiveness, constituent leadership, impact and fiscal stability. 

● Support Development Director with grant writing and management to maintain sufficient funding for all programs. 

● Work with YPD to develop fully funded summer programs with a short term goal of 10 hrs / week over 2 weeks, long term goal of 20-40 hours of programming / week over 2-6 weeks. Fee based, corporate sponsors, and/or grant funded. 

● Consistent and reliable use of CSC systems including work plans, task lists, filing systems (electronic and paper), and calendars. 

● Develop, refine, update, improve, and maintain functional and efficient organizational systems, policies, and procedures including calendars, filing, operations manual, regulations and requirements, documentation, assessment, work plans, handbooks, database, etc. 

● Update work plan daily, in real time with long and short term goals, specific hours and tasks. 

● Regularly reference and update CSC Operations Manual to maintain the most relevant and effective document for step by step functionality and ongoing institutional knowledge. 

● Attend monthly CSC board meetings and support relevant committees. 

● Provide ample notification and coverage for responsibilities during time off. 

● Scan emails and publications in the field for current developments, client and community development, grant and funding opportunities, significant events, and conferences. 

● Represent CSC at community meetings, gatherings, conferences, and events. 

● Support new program opportunities, seek opportunities for greater coordination across program streams (youth & adult, school & community, etc.) 

● Support / participation with fundraising events, donor development. 

● Participate in weekly admin team meetings and update work plans for the following week. 

● Participate in leadership, professional development, consulting, assemblies, etc. as schedule and capacity allows. 

● Knowledge of the principles and methods used in community organizing, social justice and diversity education, arts and arts education, youth leadership development, restorative justice, and nonprofit administration. 

● Additional duties and responsibilities as needed. 

CSC strongly encourages applications from diverse, creative, leaders of color for all listed positions. Creative Strategies for Change is committed to a policy of equitable representation across the organization and will not discriminate on the basis of race, ability status, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, religion, age, socioeconomic status, or other social identities. Please send your resume and cover letter to csc@creativestrategiesforchange.com. 

Launching ACT CLC!

The ACT CLC is the Community Leadership Cohort youth track that
provides leadership training and experience for young people
ages 16-24. ACT (Arts for Transformation and Change) Youth
Institute is an arts driven program empowering youth to creatively
respond to the social justice and mental health crisis being faced in
the US. ACT engages youth through activities and exercises focused
on connecting youth to an increased understanding of
themselves and their world. Within the program, participants will
explore trauma informed social emotional learning (personal
care) and draw connections to how individuals activate
regarding themselves and their world (community care).

Need more information? Click here!

To apply, click here!

Launching This Spring: CSC Community Leadership Cohort

Introducing the new CSC Community Leadership Cohort! Friday, April 30, the Spring 2021 Facilitator Workshop will launch a 6 month cohort rooted in collective care for racial equity and mental wellness. After the initial 20 hour workshop diving deep into the CSC 3 facilitation model integrating arts engagement, restorative practices, and social justice, participants will continue to connect and collaborate each week through a series of opportunities with the CSC Team and some extraordinary community partners.

In addition to weekly sessions, Cohort participants will have monthly meetings with a CSC facilitator to support their racial equity and mental health journey through accountability, mentorship, coaching, empathy, and other needs that may arise in the process. The 2021 Community Leadership Cohort (CLC) will culminate with a celebration in early November. Connections will continue to be nurtured through ongoing CSC programs including monthly Alumni gatherings.

The inaugural CLC will be a hybrid of virtual and in person engagements. The first 20 hours of workshop time in April & May will be via zoom. Weekly offerings will be a combination of in person and virtual formats beginning in June.

Our goals for this project include:

  • Increasing individual and collective leadership capacity to promote racial equity,
  • Reducing mental health stigma for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color through arts engagement and restorative practices
  • Increasing access to culturally responsive and relevant mental health resources, spaces, programs and events, especially for BIPOC
  • Build diverse, healthy relationships and networks activated for racial equity.

This program launches April 30th beginning with the Facilitator Workshop.

The dates of the workshop are:

April 30 4:30-8:00pm MST

May 1 10:30am-2:30pm MST

May 2 10:30am-1:30pm MST

May 7 10:30-1:30pm MST

May 8 4:30-8:00pm MST

Are you interested in learning more or applying for the Spring CLC? Apply here!

Winter Facilitator Workshop-January 2021

The Creative Strategies for Change Facilitator Workshop is taking place January 29th-February 6th, 2021!

Join us for this immersive workshop building relationships and community rooted in racial equity. Engage with incredible tools for understanding and navigating one’s life experience, and build skills to successfully communicate with others around challenging topics. This interactive and impactful experience will grow participants’ knowledge of self, identity, power, oppression, liberation, and the many factors that make up the context in which we live… and why that all matters. Folks walk away with new creative facilitation techniques, a fresh understanding of oneself within the larger world, knowledge of social justice and restorative practices, new language to use around tough topics, and the confidence to make a unique mark on the world! Our Facilitator Workshops occur quarterly and are registration-based.

“The artistic expression and interactive games truly highlighted concepts that I otherwise would have had a hard time explaining to constituents in classrooms.”

“I’ve been in a lot of virtual webinars, classes and meetings and I have to say this was the most engaging, thoughtful and creative experience on Zoom yet!”

“All of the creative practices were meaningful and powerful from the beautiful rituals that were employed to the fun and energizing exercises and games we experienced. The sharing in circles were very meaningful and within this particular group I experienced a wonderful healing energy and beautiful expression of blended peoples voices and hearts.” 

Register above or directly through our Eventbrite page!

Questions? Please contact CeCe at cece@creativestrategiesforchange.com

ACT Youth Institute Winter 2020


Youth ages 13-18 are invited to join a two week long institute focused on arts & social justice. We will meet online 2hrs a day for 10 days (M-F) to connect, explore where we fit into current events and create art based upon our experiences and hopes for the future.

Youth who complete the institute will be paid a stipend and invited to perform or present at Community Cypher, our monthly open mic.

For more information contact our Program Team at csc@creativestrategiesforchange.com!

CSC October Facilitator Workshop

October Facilitator Workshop Poster (1)

The Time To Act Is Now!

The Creative Strategies for Change Facilitator Workshop is taking place October 9th-17th, 2020!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creative-strategies-for-change-facilitator-workshop-october-2020-tickets-115903531583

Enrich your fall plans by dedicating this weekend to building wellness-centered skills for social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Registration is open, just visit this link:  

At this event, you’ll learn from facilitators who are experts in the fields of equity and social justice, experience facilitation techniques to utilize in your own work/family/community, use incredible tools to understand and navigate your own life experience, as well as build skills to successfully communicate with others around challenging topics.

This immersive, interactive, and impactful weekend experience will grow your knowledge of self, identity, power, oppression, liberation, and the many factors that make up the context in which we live… and why that all matters.Screen Shot 2020-07-24 at 7.36.26 PM (1)

We’ll examine power, privilege, and oppression in profound ways, and also learn how to achieve the antidote: liberation!

Attendees of the workshop often leave with new friends, networking connections, and an expanded view of their own work in the world.  The folks in the room tend to be from all different backgrounds, professional fields, and each person’s life path adds to the collective experience of the workshop.  For this reason, we recommend past attendees to come again– the group is different every time, and thus, so is the experience.

You’ll walk away with new creative facilitation techniques, a fresh understanding of yourself and your place in the world, knowledge of social justice and restorative practices, new language to use around tough topics, and the confidence to make your own unique mark on the world!

Here’s what some of our past attendees have said:

“I’ve been in a lot of virtual webinars, classes and meetings and I have to say this was the most engaging, thoughtful and creative experience on Zoom yet!”

“Wonderful. Deep. Creative. Thank you.”

“The workshop was phenomenal and truly a gift. The information present far exceeded my expectations in depth and clarity.”

“The artistic expression and interactive games truly highlighted concepts that I otherwise would have had a hard time explaining to constituents in classrooms.”

“Thank you so much for your creativity. Your content was wonderful, but *how* you taught the content really made an impression.”

“This was an amazing workshop! The facilitators were amazing and the experience proved to be inclusive not just across our identities, but our experiences as well.”

“All of the creative practices were meaningful and powerful from the beautiful rituals that were employed to the fun and energizing exercises and games we experienced. The sharing in circles were very meaningful and within this particular group I experienced a wonderful healing energy and beautiful expression of blended peoples voices and hearts.” 

The next step is YOU – register for this incredible event to see what knowledge, growth, and inspiration your experience will bring!  Click here to register and claim your spot: 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creative-strategies-for-change-facilitator-workshop-october-2020-tickets-115903531583

If you have any questions about the event or registration, feel free to email us at csc@creativestrategiesforchange.com. We hope to see you on October 9th!

Community Cypher Featuring: ACT Institute

Community Connection

“Community Cypher”is energy packed celebration of intentional art and connection! This is a call for people of any age to join in a space of solidarity and exchange. Part open mic, part party, part workshop all focused on enjoying safe creative space together. Come dance, vent, sing, share poems, and get involved in the community conversation. Or just come vibe and witness the greatness being shared! This event is all ages. A donation of $10-20 is suggested but none will be turned away, all are welcome! This month’s Community Cypher features special people from ACT Youth Institute. They’re geared up to share their works with us, drop by and share yours too! Donations made during this event will go to helping us fund more Youth Programs like the ACT Institute. As always, ALL STYLES, ALL AGES, ALL ABILITIES, ALL LOVE! Check out this link to save your virtual seat.

What is the Community Cypher like?

“We want to share love, and we want to share joy. And we also have to process all the other parts because otherwise, whatever we’re doing, it ain’t real. It’s not authentic unless we’re processing all the things.”

“Awesome vibes, great community, beautiful leadership.”

“Beautiful, loving space.”

“Really enjoyed it.”

“Awesome.”

“A+”

CSC Presents: Arts for Change and Transformation

ACT is a series of workshops connecting the community to social justice themes. Participants will engage in workshops, open mics, and audio composition/recordings. This program is not only designed to connect the community to social justice but, to keep the youth connected to each other during these uncertain times.

This two-week virtual program takes place from August 10th-August 21st for two hours a day, Monday through Friday.


To register for the ACT Institute or for general questions, please email us at csc@creativestrategiesforchange.

Interested in being a Co-Youth Facilitator for ACT? Check out our job posting!