Professional Facilitation Certification & Training
Our immersive certification programs give executives, team leads, chiefs of staff, product managers, trainers, and other leaders the facilitation skills and confidence to lead for now and what’s next.
Facilitation Certification Overview
The Power of Facilitation Certification
The comprehensive facilitation certification program from Voltage Control will guide you through key facilitation foundational skills aligned with the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) competencies, along with providing you with ample opportunities to practice your facilitation skills.
You’ll receive feedback in a supportive cohort of facilitation colleagues. By the end of your experience in this online facilitation training and certification program, you will be able to:
- Identify a spectrum of impactful facilitation methodologies and practices.
- Select the best facilitation system for your unique context
- Implement the right facilitation skills to meet optimal outcomes
- Reflect on areas of personal facilitation strengths and growth
- Cultivate a professional leadership identity and start a professional facilitator portfolio
As you successfully pass each course, you’ll receive a certificate of completion for each individual course. Once you satisfy all certification requirements, you’ll receive a full facilitation certification to display on LinkedIn and other professional portfolios, displaying further recognition from your employer and the field.
What to Expect
Certification Program At a Glance
Facilitation Foundations
Online • Live Meetings
This synchronous, cohort-based immersive will provide you with an introduction to the core competencies and fundamentals of facilitation. Instructors will model the basics of facilitation methods and provide learners with the opportunity to conduct practice sessions with instructor and peer feedback.
Live sessions will be on Fridays from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. U.S. Central Time for one month. Plan on carving out three to five hours per week (on average) outside of class sessions for prep (e.g. reading and/or viewing, facilitation design activities, and application in your work context).
Facilitation Electives
Online • Video Courses
After completing the Facilitation Foundations course, students will then select two asynchronous elective modules of interest that will allow for further exploration and application in a key facilitation focus area. Learners should allocate about three to five hours a week per month.
Facilitation electives include:
- Magical Meetings
- Design Thinking
- Liberating Structures
- Workshop Design
- New offerings as launched
Facilitation Capstone
Online • Live Meetings
After completing both the Facilitation Foundations and Facilitation Electives Courses, students will complete their certification experience through the Facilitation Capstone Immersive. In this immersive, learners will create their professional facilitation portfolio, provide artifacts that show competency in key facilitation foundation areas, and create a plan for their leadership growth over the long term. Course instructors will model a spectrum of portfolio and growth methods and provide students with the opportunity to receive both facilitator instructor and peer feedback on their portfolios.
Live sessions will be on Fridays from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Central Time for one month. Plan on carving out three to five hours per week outside of class sessions for prep (e.g. reading and/or viewing, facilitation design activities, and application in your work context).
Required Reading
To help ground the experience, all participants receive a course pack that has included key facilitation texts such as: The Art of Gathering by Priyah Parker, Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making by Sam Kaner with Lenny Lind, Catherine Toldi, Sarah Fisk, and Duane Berger, Liberating Structures by Henri Limpanowicz and Keith McCandless, and Rituals for Virtual Meetings by Kürṣat Ӧzenc, PhD and Glenn Fajardo. These materials not only provide a common set of methods and language to ground the work but also can be used as a handy reference long after the certification is over.
Become an Expert Facilitator
Who Should Apply
Our hands-on facilitation basics is perfect for any professional looking to establish a foundation of practical facilitation skills. Participants will join our exclusive facilitator community for ongoing support and development.
Executives & Team Leaders
Who want to create optimal team experiences
Chiefs of Staff
Who want to align and support initiatives across departments
Program & Project Managers
Who want to foster collaboration across teams and projects
Teachers & Trainers
Who want to design the most impactful learning
Scrum Masters
Who want to guide team discussions and resolve conflicts
Consultants
Who want to offer their clients exceptional consulting
Product Managers
Who want to steer stakeholders to the best outcomes
UX Designers/Researchers
Who seek to center people at the heart of their work
Flexible Online Learning
Facilitation Training Schedule
Our three-month certification program includes foundations, electives, and a capstone experience.
Month One: Facilitation Foundations
Live sessions will be held on Fridays 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. US Pacific Time.
Individual office hours will be available by appointment.
Month Two: Facilitation Electives
This portion of the certification will be asynchronous but you should expect to devote approximately 3-5 hours per week to coursework.
Individual office hours will be available by appointment.
Month Three: Facilitation Capstone
Live sessions will be held on Fridays 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. US Pacific Time.
Individual office hours will be available by appointment.
Upcoming Cohorts
Cohort
Winter 2024
Dates
January 12-March 29
Application Deadline
December 22, 2023
Cohort
Spring 2024
Dates
April 5-June 28
Application Deadline
March 22, 2024
Cohort
Summer 2024
Dates
July 5-September 20
Application Deadline
June 22, 2024
Cohort
Fall 2024
Dates
September 20-December 13
Application Deadline
September 6, 2024
“I had my indication that Voltage Control was not just another training institution but took every extra effort to make students feel welcomed, engaged, and valued from the very beginning. This was my first lesson in excellent facilitation, ensuring everyone feels included.”
Reshma KhanLeadership Coach, K’enso Consulting 
“The certification helped me realize that facilitation isn’t about running meetings or putting on a show. It’s about creating environments and experiences that enable people to be themselves and get the most out of each other. Now my impact is so much greater by facilitating others to be more creative, more collaborative, and more productive.”
Phil CanningDirector, TM Studio, Ally 
“I think it was the combination of group work, buddy work, and one-on-ones with Erik that rounded out the program for me. I really appreciated the connections that were developed and the experience of different ways of approaching facilitation in different industries.”
Nina MancinaK–12 Consultant, Respoken 
“Companies need creative and inclusive solutions that can only be brought forward through leaders that facilitate inclusive and regenerative conversations. If you are looking for a program to learn how to create a space for your team or clients to truly speak up and build collective solutions, then Voltage Control's Facilitation Certification is for you.”
Dirk Van OnsemVP Key Sports EMEA, Nike Inc. 
FacilitaTion Certification
Alumni Stories
Unlock Lifetime Benefits with Our Facilitation Lab Community
As a VC alum you’ll receive lifelong access to our global Facilitation Lab—a unique community of facilitation practitioners. The community provides an opportunity to continue your facilitation learning and mastery after you graduate. You’ll get access to weekly labs, yearly summits, dynamic networking, career support, a rich resource library, and exclusive alumni events placing you at the forefront of facilitation innovation.
Apply for Facilitation Certification Today
Master future-proof facilitation skills and become an effective leader, delivered through a flexible online learning format.
Admission Requirements
Certification Fee: $5,000
(collected upon your acceptance to the program)
Includes all coursework, office hours with course instructor(s), and facilitation portfolio evaluation
Applications are due September 22, 2023 5 p.m. CT. Applicants will be notified of a decision no later than October 1, 2023.
*Any learner not meeting standards at the end of the course may resubmit their portfolio for an additional $1,000 resubmission fee.
**The Facilitation Certification is meant for leaders looking to deepen their existing facilitation skill and competency and take a next step in their leadership development. Our Master Facilitation Certification is meant for leaders with a minimum of five years facilitation experience and either the successful completion of our Facilitation Certification or demonstrated evidence of meeting our Facilitation Certification Standards.
Professional Development Reimbursement Template
An employee who is committed to their continued education is a valuable asset—which is why so many companies have a professional development reimbursement policy. You could have your expenses for Facilitation Certification completely or partially covered! If your organization does not have a tuition reimbursement plan in place, they may still provide partial or complete funding for your Facilitation Certification.
Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered. We created a tuition reimbursement template for you to use to start the conversation with your boss.
Not quite ready to apply?
Download our free Facilitation Certification Portfolio Starter to begin your journey today.
Looking for help?
Interested in a private cohort for your team? Let us know.
Have questions? See our FAQ or contact us at hello@voltagecontrol.com
Apply for Facilitation Certification Today
Master future-proof facilitation skills and become an effective leader, delivered through a flexible online learning format.
Certification Fee: $5,000*
Includes all coursework, office hours with course instructor(s), and facilitation portfolio evaluation
Applications are due September 22, 2023 5 p.m. CT. Applicants will be notified of a decision no later than October 1, 2023.
Not quite ready to apply?
Download our free Facilitation Certification Portfolio Starter to begin your journey today.
Interested in a private cohort for your team? Let us know.
Have questions? hello@voltagecontrol.com
*$5,000 Certification Fee will be collected upon your acceptance to the program.
*Any learner not meeting standards at the end of the course may resubmit their portfolio for an additional $1,000 resubmission fee.
**The Facilitation Certification is meant for leaders looking to deepen their existing facilitation skill and competency and take a next step in their leadership development. Our Master Facilitation Certification is meant for leaders with a minimum of five years facilitation experience and either the successful completion of our Facilitation Certification or demonstrated evidence of meeting our Facilitation Certification Standards.
Scholarship Opportunity
Apply for the Diversity Scholarship
A key part of our mission is to support diverse facilitators from different methodologies, backgrounds, races, genders, sexual orientations, cultures, and ages. If you are a part of, or serve, a traditionally underrepresented group and feel that this scholarship would allow you to amplify this mission, please apply now and select the option to Apply for Diversity Scholarship.
Thank you to MURAL for partnering with us to sponsor scholarship spots for this Facilitation Certification cohort. MURAL is the leading provider of digital workspaces for guided visual collaboration in the enterprise. Different from online whiteboard and design software, the MURAL platform transforms teamwork by making meetings and workshops interactive experiences designed for problem solving, play and imagination.
Further Resources
Recommended Reading to Bring Your Ideas to Life
Innovation can seem complex or reserved for the exceptional—but we believe innovation is for everyone. Through our library of training practical tools and future-focused resources, we’ve set out to illuminate a path for you to generate bold ideas, visualize and share them, overcome obstacles, and turn your vision into reality. Our facilitation books are equal parts guidebooks and real-life stories from years of experience helping companies adopt an innovation mindset and culture. They’re practical and actionable, so you can get started today on your journey to realizing your biggest, boldest ideas.
Flexible Online Learning
Frequently Asked Questions
A facilitation certificate shows you completed the required training and passed the examinations to effectively facilitate productive meetings, workshops, training sessions, and other events. At Voltage Control, our facilitation certification program aligns with the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) competencies, giving you the practical skills to lead successful live sessions, inspire innovation, and drive change.
Facilitators must balance a unique range of essential skills and facilitation techniques, like the ability to maintain technical knowledge, actionable strategies, and methodologies alongside the people skills to handle different personalities. Above all, good facilitators are adaptable, able to think on the fly and understand that every meeting, workshop, or session is unique. Facilitators should also have an inclusive and empathetic approach to create a truly welcoming and safe environment for all participants, no matter their background or purpose in that session.
Facilitation training and certification is beneficial for leaders in every industry and role. Traditional business leaders like CEOs, team managers, and scrum masters along with consultants, chiefs of staff, and consultants can utilize the practical tools and facilitation techniques learned through the Voltage Control facilitation training program. Teachers and facilitators can also leverage the diverse methodologies, interactive exercises, and actionable strategies covered. Above all, anyone who wants to learn the essential skills to run better meetings and operate more efficient meetings can benefit from facilitation certification and our facilitator community.
A great online facilitator embraces the benefits and disadvantages of the world of remote work and hybrid meetings. With dedicated training, online facilitators can learn how to get all team members engaged and contributing to the meeting. Successful online facilitators also leverage the power of preparation to ensure that their online session can go off without a hitch, staying on track and overcoming any conflict or technical issues.
Yes, many organizations have professional reimbursement policies that cover some or all of your educational and career development expenses. Even if your company does not have an official policy, they may still have a dedicated budget for employee education, or they could approve your reimbursement on a case-by-case basis.
We created a tuition reimbursement template for you to use to start the conversation with your boss. Download the template here.
It will not. That designation comes from the International Association of Facilitators (IAF).
We built our program to align with the core IAF competencies so that if someone wanted to continue on to get there CPF they would be well prepared. In fact, our program actually helps them collect evidence that others do not.
All of the online courses listed on our courses page are available to choose from.
Currently, we’re using the following course texts: :
Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision Making by Sam Kaner
Gamestorming by James Macanufo and Sunni Brown
Rituals for Virtual Meetings by Glenn Fajardo and Kursat Ozenc
A. Create Collaborative Client Relationships
B. Plan Appropriate Group Processes
C. Create and Sustain a Participatory Environment
D. Guide Group to Appropriate and Useful Outcomes
E. Build and Maintain Professional Knowledge
F. Model Positive Professional Attitude as a Process Facilitator
