In October, Honeycomb was thrilled to host its 7th annual Facilitator Training, a two-day professional development experience for Jewish youth philanthropy professionals. Ten participants from seven different states gathered to learn, network, and imagine what youth philanthropy could look like in their communities.
This year, in addition to providing content for new (or new to their role) youth philanthropy professionals, Honeycomb added a second track for seasoned professionals looking to enrich their program. This brought a new depth to the full cohort experience, giving space to swap best practices as well as bring in new fresh perspectives.

For those in the first track, their time was spent doing a deep dive into the Honeycomb “ChangeMakers: A Journey Through Jewish Teen Philanthropy” curriculum and the need-to-knows for running a successful youth philanthropy program. From getting first-hand experience in curriculum activities, to exploring Jewish values and justice issues, and understanding how the logistics bring everything together, participants honed new skills and given tools to bring back home.

In the second track, seasoned professionals engaged in activities to understand how to elevate their existing programs. Whether it was exploring ways to tie in Jewish holidays, understanding how to create a sense of belonging amongst teens, or designing new strategies to incorporate meaningful evaluation, the conversations were always lively and inspiring.

Plenty of learning also happened with both tracks together. On the afternoon of the first day, the group headed to the Lower East Side for a “CharacTour,” an interactive tour where history came to life. As participants learned about the neighborhood’s rich Jewish history, an actor would surprise them, dressed as the very historical figures they were hearing about, and share their story. The group even had the opportunity to taste legendary pickles from The Pickle Guys and enjoy the unique selection of treats at Economy Candy!

Another highlight the full cohort experienced was learning with our friends at The Jewish Education Project: Mara Braunfeld, Director, Think Action Lab, and Rabba Yaffa Epstein, Senior Scholar & Educator in Residence. Mara and Yaffa led the group through layered text studies to understand the educational framework of Deep Rich Jewish Content, empowering participants to deepen their programming by engaging with primary Jewish texts through multiple modalities.
By offering both Honeycomb’s signature Facilitator Training content as well as fresh new learning opportunities, the two days were filled with rich conversation and meaningful learning. We’re so excited to see what these talented leaders will do with their programs in the upcoming year!

Laura Hemlock-Schaeffer, Program & Education Director, Honeycomb

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For more information about any of our professional development and training opportunities, contact Laura Hemlock-Schaeffer, Program & Education Director, Honeycomb.