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Transform Your Perspective. Develop Your Skills. Create Lasting Change.The Learning to Liberate (LtL) Program builds on the Intertwine Equity Cohorts to meet the urgent needs of today's social and environmental justice advocates.
www.theintertwine.org/alliance/intertwine-alliance-equity-inclusion-cohorts Developed from seven years of feedback, a deep analysis of our social landscape, and promising practices in equity work, LtL offers a powerful blend of healing, learning, community-building, and skill development. It is designed to support those working to counter the erosion of inclusive policies and norms while fostering understanding across cultural identities. You'll strengthen your cultural awareness and develop leadership approaches that help you create teams where every person feels valued, heard, and genuinely belongs. Who Should Apply We are seeking environmental professionals from green sector organizations whose mission centers on environmental conservation, preservation, environmental justice, and environmental stewardship. Our phased approach incorporates heterogeneous learning groups, welcoming participants across the full spectrum of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) experience—from individuals with limited knowledge of DEIJ concepts to seasoned professionals with years of experience leading DEIJ initiatives within their organizations. While participants with more extensive experience will not be expected to directly educate newcomers to these topics, they play a valuable role in leading by example as they share insights during topic exploration and contribute to the development of organizational cultural change strategies alongside their peers. |
Rooted in Healing and ResistanceMany people are grappling with strained relationships, mental health challenges, and a diminished sense of agency during this time of increasing polarization. The LtL program addresses these issues by creating an affirming space to explore current societal tensions and develop actionable tools for personal and professional change. Through a community that values authenticity and shared growth, participants gain a deepened sense of belonging, mentorship connections, and skills to foster justice and inclusion in their spheres of influence
A community of practice for allLtL mirrors the best aspects of a community of practice: interdisciplinary learning, critical analysis, collaboration, and meaningful relationships. Participants join a multicultural, peer-driven learning community where their voices and lived experiences drive the conversation. The result is the germination of lasting academic, personal, and professional benefits. The diagram below shows the learning outcomes you can expect if you enroll in LtL.
Seeds of Change - Learning Outcomes
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The Learning to Liberate Experience
The program unfolds in three phases, progressing from awareness to a deep-dive understanding of issues to action, all while healing and building community. Individuals who have taken previous equity workshop series, like previous Intertwine cohorts, can enroll in phase two without joining phase one.
The program unfolds in three phases, progressing from awareness to a deep-dive understanding of issues to action, all while healing and building community. Individuals who have taken previous equity workshop series, like previous Intertwine cohorts, can enroll in phase two without joining phase one.
Phase 1: Beyond Awareness Series
One full-day (7-hour) and two half-day (3.5-hour) workshops
One full-day (7-hour) and two half-day (3.5-hour) workshops
This foundational phase introduces key concepts in diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging (DEIJB), connecting participants' personal experiences to larger systems and social science frameworks.
Topics include:
- Historical context of systemic inequities, intersectionality, and power
- Cultural influences on behavior, barriers to cultural competency, and mitigation strategies
- Neuroscience of bias and actionable interruption techniques
- Common equity language and tools for interrupting racism and fostering inclusion
- Self-awareness and perspective-taking for sustained personal growth
Workshop dates:
Workshop locations are TBD and occur on the following Wednesdays:
- Full Day Kickoff: Sept 10, 2025 | 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
- Half Day: Oct 8, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
- Half Day: Nov 12, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Topics include:
- Historical context of systemic inequities, intersectionality, and power
- Cultural influences on behavior, barriers to cultural competency, and mitigation strategies
- Neuroscience of bias and actionable interruption techniques
- Common equity language and tools for interrupting racism and fostering inclusion
- Self-awareness and perspective-taking for sustained personal growth
Workshop dates:
Workshop locations are TBD and occur on the following Wednesdays:
- Full Day Kickoff: Sept 10, 2025 | 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
- Half Day: Oct 8, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
- Half Day: Nov 12, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Phase 2: Facilitating Justice and Belonging
One full-day and four half-day workshops
Prerequisite: Phase 1 or equivalent equity program
One full-day and four half-day workshops
Prerequisite: Phase 1 or equivalent equity program
This phase deepens the work by examining past equity efforts through a collaborative lab approach. Participants reflect on real-world experiences to refine leadership strategies and develop new approaches to systemic change.
Key outcomes:
- Build a peer learning community
- Analyze and address barriers to inclusion across systems
- Assess equity impacts and inform decision-making
- Design action-based anti-oppression strategies
- Develop systems-level interventions for advancing equity
Workshop dates:
- Full Day Kickoff: Thursday, Sept 18, 2025 | 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
All Half-day workshops are 3.5 hours long and occur from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM on the following Thursdays:
- Oct 16, 2025
- Nov 20, 2025
- Jan 15, 2026
- Feb 19, 2026
Locations are TBD
Key outcomes:
- Build a peer learning community
- Analyze and address barriers to inclusion across systems
- Assess equity impacts and inform decision-making
- Design action-based anti-oppression strategies
- Develop systems-level interventions for advancing equity
Workshop dates:
- Full Day Kickoff: Thursday, Sept 18, 2025 | 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
All Half-day workshops are 3.5 hours long and occur from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM on the following Thursdays:
- Oct 16, 2025
- Nov 20, 2025
- Jan 15, 2026
- Feb 19, 2026
Locations are TBD
Phase 3: Innovations Lab
Six 2.5-hour workshops
Six 2.5-hour workshops
Participants transition into a community of practice that supports implementing equity initiatives. The lab provides space to analyze current events and emerging equity resources while applying theory to lived experiences and ongoing initiatives of cohort members.
Activities include:
- Peer-led analysis of equity-related articles, frameworks, and case studies
- Applying tools in real-time to personal and professional challenges
- Supporting one another in navigating complex equity issues in work and community settings
Workshop dates:
All workshops are 2.5 hours long and occur from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM on the following Wednesdays:
- Sept 24, 2025
- Oct 22, 2025
- Nov 19, 2025
- Dec 10, 2025
- Jan 14, 2026
- Feb 18, 2026
Locations are TBD
Activities include:
- Peer-led analysis of equity-related articles, frameworks, and case studies
- Applying tools in real-time to personal and professional challenges
- Supporting one another in navigating complex equity issues in work and community settings
Workshop dates:
All workshops are 2.5 hours long and occur from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM on the following Wednesdays:
- Sept 24, 2025
- Oct 22, 2025
- Nov 19, 2025
- Dec 10, 2025
- Jan 14, 2026
- Feb 18, 2026
Locations are TBD
Program Investment & Pricing
We believe that meaningful diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) work should be accessible to organizations of all sizes. That's why we've designed a tiered pricing structure that makes the LtL program affordable for both larger and smaller organizations.
Investment Structure
Phases One & Two: Pricing includes participation for two individuals from your organization. This collaborative approach ensures knowledge sharing and helps build internal momentum for DEIJ initiatives within your team.
Phase Three: Individual pricing allows you to scale participation based on your organization's needs and capacity.
Who should you send?
We recommend selecting participants who are interested in DEIJ work and positioned to contribute meaningfully to your organization's equity efforts. This might include team leaders, HR professionals, employee resource group members, or others with influence in shaping organizational culture and practices.
Pricing Tiers
Contact us for detailed pricing information tailored to your organization's size and needs. We're committed to working with you to find an investment level that fits your budget.
Investment Structure
Phases One & Two: Pricing includes participation for two individuals from your organization. This collaborative approach ensures knowledge sharing and helps build internal momentum for DEIJ initiatives within your team.
Phase Three: Individual pricing allows you to scale participation based on your organization's needs and capacity.
Who should you send?
We recommend selecting participants who are interested in DEIJ work and positioned to contribute meaningfully to your organization's equity efforts. This might include team leaders, HR professionals, employee resource group members, or others with influence in shaping organizational culture and practices.
Pricing Tiers
Contact us for detailed pricing information tailored to your organization's size and needs. We're committed to working with you to find an investment level that fits your budget.
About the Learning to Liberate Logo
The Learning to Liberate Program logo evokes resilience against disturbances caused by greed, fascism, and bigotry. Though considered invasive, dandelions provide crucial nourishment for native pollinators and have been edible residents of our landscape for generations, helping initiate ecological succession and soil improvement while bringing color and life to over-industrialized spaces.
The logo creator, who also co-facilitates the LtL program, shares a personal perspective as a Black nature-lover from a low-income gardening family:
"As a child, my mother would point to weeds growing out of concrete. She would say that weeds are like Black people—resilient and prolific despite ongoing generational oppression intended to demonize and destroy our population. We are vulnerable to their strategies, but we remain strong and bring beauty to the world that can't be denied."
The Logo represents environmental sector members embracing their collective systemic change agency. Environmental professionals often look to nature for comfort and inspiration. We use biomimicry to apply the evolutionary wisdom of natural ecosystems to human systems, learning how nature forms mutually beneficial relationships, transforms disturbances into opportunities for resilience, and generates sustainable processes that maintain generational health for all ecosystem members despite competing resource needs.
Through the dandelion image, we hope to encourage LtL participants to consider perspectives that challenge Western-born notions and spread seeds of change while remaining resilient and resistant to systemic oppression.
The Learning to Liberate Program logo evokes resilience against disturbances caused by greed, fascism, and bigotry. Though considered invasive, dandelions provide crucial nourishment for native pollinators and have been edible residents of our landscape for generations, helping initiate ecological succession and soil improvement while bringing color and life to over-industrialized spaces.
The logo creator, who also co-facilitates the LtL program, shares a personal perspective as a Black nature-lover from a low-income gardening family:
"As a child, my mother would point to weeds growing out of concrete. She would say that weeds are like Black people—resilient and prolific despite ongoing generational oppression intended to demonize and destroy our population. We are vulnerable to their strategies, but we remain strong and bring beauty to the world that can't be denied."
The Logo represents environmental sector members embracing their collective systemic change agency. Environmental professionals often look to nature for comfort and inspiration. We use biomimicry to apply the evolutionary wisdom of natural ecosystems to human systems, learning how nature forms mutually beneficial relationships, transforms disturbances into opportunities for resilience, and generates sustainable processes that maintain generational health for all ecosystem members despite competing resource needs.
Through the dandelion image, we hope to encourage LtL participants to consider perspectives that challenge Western-born notions and spread seeds of change while remaining resilient and resistant to systemic oppression.
About the Educators
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Principal Consultant Derron Coles (he/him) is a learning strategist with over 24 years of experience designing learner-focused competency development training. Derron has a wide-ranging portfolio that runs the gamut from learning solutions for technical topics, like a globally utilized online training on river system analysis, to interpersonal skills training, such as his award-winning diversity training curriculum.
Upon completing his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Derron moved to Oregon to complete a masters and doctorate in civil engineering at Oregon State University. Derron spent eight years managing the mathematics program for the OSU Educational Opportunities Program. In this role, Derron led culturally responsive efforts to recruit and retain underrepresented science and engineering students. Through DRC LS, Derron develops and evaluates project-based workforce development curriculum for green sector organizations and school districts. "DRC LS helps environmental organizations with equity and inclusion challenges in their work and workplaces." - Derron |
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Alex Millett (she/they) is a co-founder and Partner at Capacity Building Partnerships in Portland, Oregon and has been co-facilitating the Intertwine Equity Cohorts since 2018. She is an organizational development consultant, facilitator, trainer, and leadership coach and works nationally with public, nonprofit, and mission-based for-profit companies. Alex has over 20 years of experience facilitating conversations on race and gender justice and over a decade of experience developing nonprofits and leaders. Alex grew up in Seattle and is a white, neurodivergent, woman and parent – and speaks from her own experience moving through the world with those, and other, identities.
Alex’s approach to organizational development centers racial equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice as core components to achieving organizational missions, values, and maintaining a healthy workplace. Alex works with leaders to reflect on and analyze their experience benefiting from and/or being marginalized by systemic oppression. She works with people to use their on-going development to identify leadership values and behaviors that will advance positive visions of what’s possible in their lives, organizations, and in this world. Alex holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Development and Social Change and Masters in Community Development and Planning from Clark University. They live in NE Portland with their husband, kiddo, and pup. Alex loves hiking, backpacking, and weightlifting - and is currently studying to become a certified personal trainer. |