Join Me for the 2023 Fall Institute for Changemakers!

Registration is open now -- Institute begins October 18th

Hey Changemakers!

Last week, I shared that I would be doing a Fall Institute for Changemakers this October and November — and I’m excited to now share the details and open up registration! All the details are below.

For those of you who have been asking, this will be the last Changemaker Institute until at least next summer, so I encourage you to sign up if you’ve been thinking about it.

And this Fall Institute will include one session focused entirely on addressing workplace burnout and the cycle of overwork, offering a series of effective strategies you can use to slow down and bring balance back to your work practice.

2023 Fall Institute for Changemakers

Change is a constant — yet how do we as professionals, leaders, staff, consultants, volunteers, and students learn not just to respond or react to change, but become shapers of it?

How might we learn to see ourselves as strong advocates for positive change, especially with regards to centering community and advancing equity, inclusion, and accessibility across our work (despite the common barriers we all face)?

The Fall Institute for Changemakers is a 4-week online intensive where we will dive deeper into key aspects of transformation and change.

During a series of four interactive, discussion-based online workshops, we are going to identify key changes we can make in our work practice, address and confront barriers, create our own specific changemaker goals, and develop strategies we can enact right away to become agents of change within our own work and beyond. We’ll also spend some time addressing workplace burnout through a series of effective guided strategies.

“The Institute for Changemakers is a great way to gain perspective, make clear plans, and see what positive change you can bring to your institution and your own practice.”  -Wayne, Fall 2022 participant

Each workshop in this Institute will be 2 hours long and hosted through Zoom. This time each week includes a lot of discussion, reflection, sharing, and asking questions that are immediately relevant to each participant’s change practice and the barriers they might be facing. Those who cannot make all of these meetings will have opportunities to participate and follow along through a private Substack group. 

The workshops will include individual reflection, small group breakouts, and large group discussions with exercises designed to:

• reflect on our relationship with change

• build empathy within our institutions

• prioritize the human connections within our work

• address experiences of burnout and overwork

• grow our support network to catalyze collective action

• provide each of us with the tools and strategies needed to more effectively advocate for change and move towards our goals

Your registration also includes:

• membership in a private Substack group created specifically for the Institute with materials and prompts that complement the workshops

• additional opportunities to connect with others in the group to share challenges, successes, and burning questions

• reflection prompts, practical tools, and ongoing resources to support your change practice.

“If you are someone that is actively working towards change in the museum field, the Institute for Changemakers is where you will find your people, your co-conspirators. Mike brilliantly balances theory with action and creating time for connection. This is one of the best experiences that I have participated in.”  -Rebekah, Summer 2022 participant

2023 Fall Institute Dates and Times:

• Wednesday, 10/18, 1 pm-3 pm Eastern (10 am-12 pm Pacific)

• Wednesday, 10/25, 1 pm-3 pm Eastern (10 am-12 pm Pacific)

• Wednesday, 11/1, 1 pm-3 pm Eastern (10 am-12 pm Pacific)

• Wednesday, 11/8, 1 pm-3 pm Eastern (10 am-12 pm Pacific)

You'll receive a Zoom link and follow up details shortly after you sign up. 

PLEASE NOTE: Registration will be capped to keep the workshops small, so we can focus on getting to know each other, learn from each other, and build a community of changemakers that we can stay connected with after the Institute ends.

Common FAQs:

What if I’m not able to make all four meetings but want to sign up? Should I still attend? 

Yes! I totally understand that everyone’s schedule is busy. The Institute includes an asynchronous community with reflection prompts connected to the week’s topics, as well as support material available for those who might have scheduling conflicts during one of the sessions. This private asynchronous community is also where we will work on developing our “changemaker statements” and action plans over the course of the Institute. Ideally, participants would only miss one Zoom session during the Institute.

I’m self employed (or student/volunteer/between jobs) and am not currently working for an organization. Is this Institute still useful for me?

Absolutely! In fact, in every Institute I’ve run, our group has included at least one independent consultant, freelancer, or student. Your background and experience can bring great insights to others, and being part of a community of changemakers is a great way to grow, learn, and take steps towards positive change in this world! All of the strategies we cover can be applied directly to consulting and freelance work.

Can I use professional development funds from my institution to pay for my participation?

Yes! If you need help working through the logistics of this kind of registration, you can contact me at murawski27@gmail.com to work through the details. 

Have further questions? 

Don’t hesitate to contact me at murawski27@gmail.com if you have any other questions at all.

“The care, thought, and intentionality that went into creating and facilitating the Insitute was so evident from the very first session! Thank you to Mike and Bryna for creating a space that allowed for such open discussions on change-making and relationship-building!”  -Phil, Summer 2023 participant

I look forward to seeing you in the Fall Institute!