Facilitating Listening Circles - Virtual

The International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) offers this virtual training in Facilitating Listening Circles—a foundational restorative practice with roots in Indigenous cultures around the world. Listening circles provide participants with an opportunity to speak and listen to each other in an atmosphere of safety, decorum, and equality, using storytelling to cultivate empathy and build shared understanding and emotional connection. This training, running from May 6 to May 20, 2026, is designed for K–12 teachers, staff, and administrators (though applicable to other settings as well), and teaches participants both to experience a listening circle firsthand and to develop the skills to facilitate listening circles in their own schools and communities. The IIRP is the world's leading authority on restorative practices, offering a Graduate School that awards master's degrees and certificates in restorative practices, along with professional development training used in schools, workplaces, and communities globally. Their approach to circles goes beyond simple 'circle time'—it encompasses proactive relationship-building, creating positive school cultures, addressing social problems, and responding when harm occurs. Participants receive a Certificate of Participation indicating hours of instruction, which can be submitted for Continuing Education Credit consideration. For any educator looking to build a more connected, empathetic school culture through structured restorative practices, this training provides expert guidance from the global leaders in the field.