What to expect as a member of the 2025 Lifeboat Academy cohort.

Building on what works

We continue to build on experience, using the "Aim-Act-Reflect" process that is the core of our work at the Lifeboat Academy. Last year we tested out our plan in the Fall Semester and this year's plan builds on what worked well and incorporates a few new elements. 

Prep Work

We encourage Lifeboat Builders to prepare ahead of time. It can help if you arrive at the Lifeboat 101 Seminar with:

1. a rough draft of your project plan (North Star / Model / Expectations / Growth Edge / Action Plan) 

2. a "book report" on your favourite 3 to 5 foundational sources:

   • What are the sources that inspire your work?

   • How have they shaped your project? 

   • What aspects are you most excited to share with others?

And, of course, we provide tools and support to help you prepare your draft.

Lifeboat 101

Our work together starts in January with the Lifeboat 101 Seminar. We'll give you a lay of the land at the Lifeboat Academy and some of the sources that have inspired our work and then it's a chance to add your sources to the mix. The process gives us all a chance to develop a deeper understanding of what motivates your fellow lifeboat builders. 

Then we'll work together to design our own curriculum, identifying the topics we want to explore together. Where are there overlaps in our growth edges and projects? What aspects would best support you moving forward on your project? 

Once we've identified the themes, we'll form peer groups to present "deep dives" on the topics that matter the most to us. 

"Winter Term"

February to April represents our "Winter Term," a time for everyone to get up to speed on ideas and make refinements to your project plan. Over that time, cohort members get to select elements from our offerings to create their own personalized learning plan. This might include:

1. Attending webinars on effective collaboration, project management and team development tools

2. Participating in the Connect the Dots Club

3. Deep dives on topics identify in Lifeboat 101

4. Navigation Sessions / Agreement Circles

5. Mentoring

6. Guild participation

All of this builds to end of term Plan Presentations in April - your chance to show off your plans and build in some accountability and support moving forward. 

Experiment

April to October is a chance to run the experiments you've designed with structured support to help keep you on track or get you back on track when needed. These include ongoing:

1. Navigation Sessions / Agreement Circles / Mentoring

2. Access to the "Switchboard" - the human library that the cohort and their relations represent. 

3. August Regroup Session - a chance to catch-up with each other, catch your breath, and re-focus efforts for the next few months. 

Reflection and Refinement

We end the year in November with a chance for everyone to pause and reflect on their progress. What have you learned? What worked well? What was surprising? How can we learn from each other and refine our plans to be even more effective in the coming year?

The reflection process is positioned perfectly to allow you to start the process again for the next year.

Reciprocity

All of our work is offered on the gift economy and depends on reciprocity to keep it going. There are lots of ways you can give back. Ideally, you'll find a way of giving back that also feels like it nurturing you, too. 

Some ways to pay-it-forward include:

• Helping to host the Lifeboat Academy Annual Charrette
• Participating in Lifeboat Guilds (also a great way to learn and polish skills)
• Inviting friends and neighbours to become Lifeboat Builders
• Introducing the Lifeboat to other aligned networks
• Financial contributions
• Offering webinars or supporting events to share your skills and talents
• Whatever you feel inspired to offer