Planting Seeds for Progress: Highlights from the Innsbrook Convening
The Cohort gathered from September 24th-26th, 2024 at the Innsbrook Aspen Center for two and a half days of team-building, group learning, skill development, and rejuvenation. Surrounded by the serene beauty of Aspen Lake, it was an ideal place for reflection, learning, and deepening relationships.
With September being Suicide Prevention Month, many cohort members arrived carrying the weight of a busy season. The time together opened with a centering meditation that offered a welcome moment of quiet reflection and collective presence.
On day 1, the Cohort deepened its work in Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) with a hands-on training. By interviewing each other, mapping stories, and reflecting as a group, participants found new ways to listen deeply, ask thoughtful follow-up questions, and notice the powerful impacts often hidden in “small” moments. This skill-building session prepared members for a series of REM sessions that will be conducted across the state later in 2024.
Day 1 also included an advocacy workshop led by the MFH Advocacy team, where participants learned how nonprofit organizations can effectively advocate for suicide prevention while staying within 501(c)(3) guidelines. Cohort members explored the difference between advocacy and lobbying and worked in small groups to strengthen their own organizations’ advocacy strategies for greater local impact.
Participants also sharpened their skills in communicating about suicide prevention with diverse audiences. With support from BMSG, they practiced how to respond to skeptics, speak with local media, and craft clear, compelling messages that build understanding across communities, including faith leaders and gun owners.
A metaphor returned to throughout the gathering was the Adaptive Cycle, which reminds the group that growth, change, and renewal are natural parts of the work. Participants explored how current efforts plant seeds for future progress, and why letting some things wind down can create space for new ideas to take root.
On the last day of the convening, members spent time in member-led breakout groups to dive deeper into topics like evaluation, postvention, suicide prevention in the LGBTQIA+ community, and strategies for engaging with local media. Participants shared hopes for what they want to learn about and grow in during 2025. The gathering closed by reflecting on what was learned (Head), what was felt (Heart), and what actions will be taken (Feet) to carry this work forward.
The Cohort left Innsbrook feeling recharged, inspired by each other’s commitment, and ready to keep growing this network of hope and action together.