Frequently Asked Questions

Q. I am interested in becoming a facilitator for CAAWS. When is the next training opportunity?

R. CAAWS currently has over 100 women all across Canada in all provinces and territories who are trained to deliver these workshops and does not anticipate training any additional facilitators in the near future. However, check training_opportunities.cfm for details on when and where any upcoming training opportunities will take place.

Q. I am interested in attending a workshop? Is there one coming up in my area?

R. CAAWS advertises the dates and locations of upcoming workshops on its website. If there is nothing scheduled, you might want to consider organizing and hosting a workshop yourself. CAAWS can find a facilitator to come to your community and provide assistance with coordination of some of the logistical details. Please visit leadership/program/hosting.cfm for more information on hosting.

Q. My organization would like to host a workshop. How do we go about doing this?

R. The first step is to determine which workshop(s) you would like to host and some potential dates. Once this is determined, CAAWS will contact potential facilitators to see if anyone is interested and available to deliver the workshop. If a local facilitator is not available, CAAWS may be able to find someone from another city (note: the host will be responsible for the facilitator’s travel costs). When the date, workshop topic and facilitator are confirmed, the host will be required to advertise the workshop, monitor registrations and sort out the logistics. Please visit leadership/program/hosting.cfm for more information on hosting.

Q. I am interested in offering one of the workshops, however, I am not sure if the content is appropriate or suitable for my group. Can you provide me with more details regarding the content of the workshop and could it be customized for my group?

R. Facilitators can customize the workshop content. For example, if your group consists mainly of coaches, the facilitator would use examples and scenarios that are relevant for coaches. A brief outline of each workshop is provided at: leadership/program . If you require more detail, CAAWS can provide this information to you.

Q. How much does it cost to host a workshop?

R. The host is responsible for the facilitator fee*, travel costs for the facilitator (if applicable) and all costs associated with meeting room rental, AV, food and beverage, advertising, etc.

* Facilitators who deliver the women and leadership workshops targeted to adult women charge $250 per workshop or $400 for two workshops. Some facilitators may waive this fee. In certain cases, CAAWS will cover this fee or subsidize it.

Youth Leadership Facilitators (YLFs) set their own fees for delivery of the youth workshop. Many YLFs do not charge a fee as they are doing it on a volunteer basis or within the context of their job.

Q. How much does it cost to attend a workshop?

R. The cost to attend is set by the host. Some workshops are offered free of charge, other hosts require payment of a registration fee in order to off-set costs. The fee generally ranges from $10 to $50 per person depending on whether or not a meal is being served in conjunction with the workshop. In all cases, all the workshop materials are provided to participants. There is no additional fee for this.

Q. How long is each workshop?

R. Each adult workshop is 3-hours in length which includes time for a refreshment break or working lunch. The facilitator can shorten the workshop to make it fit into a shorter time block, but some of the content and exercises will be eliminated.

The youth workshop can be delivered in either a 2-hr block or 3-hr block. In the 3-hr block more time is allotted for the interactive activities and there is some additional content that is not offered as part of the 2-hr version of the workshop.

Q. The youth workshop looks very interesting and I would like to offer it to my students/athletes, but I am wondering if there is anything controversial within the context of the workshop that could cause concern for some parents. Should I ask parents to sign a permission form or waiver to allow their daughters to participate?

R. None of the content in the workshop is intended to be controversial or inappropriate. The workshop has been developed for girls and young women aged 15-20 and is thought-provoking and age-appropriate, however, the facilitator or host would be better positioned to decide whether or not waivers or permission forms are required. CAAWS leaves this to the discretion of the workshop host or facilitator.

Q. Are men or boys permitted to attend these workshops?

The workshops have been designed by women for women and CAAWS believes that the creation of a women-only environment for the workshops allows for a more open discussion amongst the participants. The female participants tend to feel more comfortable sharing personal experiences and insights when there are only women participating in the workshop. Facilitators also notice more interaction among participants. Men are welcome to participate, however, it is possible that their presence will impact on the learning and experience of the female participants. If men or boys plan to attend a workshop, the facilitator should be made aware of this so that she can tailor the content accordingly to ensure that the men benefit from the workshop experience.

Q. I attended a CAAWS workshop, but did not receive a certificate of completion. Does CAAWS provide this?

R. Certificates are provided on request only. The facilitator can provide this for you after the fact if you like. If you are hosting a workshop and know in advance that you would like to provide certificates to the participants, please advise the facilitator beforehand so that she can prepare them and bring them to the workshop.