What is the FieldFutures workshop?

The FieldFutures workshop trains participants to prevent, intervene in, and effectively report incidents of sexual harassment and assault in field settings. Through a series of practical intervention scenarios led by a skilled facilitator, participants will learn and practice tangible prevention skills via positive organizational climate-setting.

Grounded in the latest evidence-based research on harassment prevention and organizational psychology, each session is designed to help participants build knowledge, competency, and self-efficacy so they can set and enforce positive norms in fieldwork settings. 

As a result, workshop participants report greater knowledge about and confidence in intervention, prevention, response, and reporting after taking the workshop (Cronin et al., in review).

Originally developed in 2018 with support from the Thoreau Foundation and CAMINO at UC Santa Cruz, the FieldFutures workshop draws from our founders’ decades of expertise in scientific fieldwork and equity programming.

Participants will learn to:

  • Identify incidents that meet legal and institutional definitions of harassment and assault

  • Implement field-ready protocols and tailor them to their own field setting

  • Safely intervene in incidents using a suite of bystander tools

  • Recognize risk factors in their individual field settings

Key components include:

  • Identification of reporting requirements and channels while in the field

  • Tangible template field safety guides, community agreements, and field safety checklist

  • Skills training through hands-on scenario practice, peer feedback, and group activities

Standard 90-minute training

This training draws on the latest cutting-edge industrial psychology techniques to prepare field teams, classes, and organizations to prevent, intervene in, and report harassment and assault. Participants will work interactively in teams to discuss a range of field-based scenarios, and receive best practices tools and protocols. This training will be tailored to the professional level of your group and institutional policies. This training is recommended for small lab groups and educational field courses.

Half-day intensive

This training expands on the basic principles shared by the Standard training, and meets accepted recommendations for the kind of training most likely to reduce the risk of harassment and assault in workplace settings. In addition to scenario practice, participants will work interactively in teams to build field-ready safety plans, community agreements, and identify reporting channels at their institution. This training is recommended for universities, agencies, and non-profit organizations.

Train-the-trainers program

Many organizations want to institutionalize the practices in our training. For institutions, we offer a “Train-the-Trainers” program, a tailored, four-day program that allows individuals to become Certified Prevention Trainers. These trainers will join a vibrant network of more than 50 trainers who conduct our training around the world, and can offer the training an unlimited number of times at their own institution. This option is currently available for institutions only.

What does your organization need?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between in-person vs. online FieldFutures training?

We understand busy schedules, time zone differences, and budgets can create challenges when scheduling group events. We offer two modes to complete our workshops, but our materials, content, and activities remain the same which allows you to pick the best mode of delivery for your organization. While the in-person training offers the benefits of live interaction, we use breakout rooms and interactive activities to make online trainings collaborative and engaging.

What makes FieldFutures trainings different from other harassment and assault prevention trainings?

Our focal audience is professionals, students, practitioners and anyone else who conducts fieldwork including a wide range of environments with unique risk factors and hazards. Unlike other training modules, our workshop prioritizes prevention through the development of positive organizational climates.

Is there a maximum number of participants that can be included per training?

Our workshops are generally limited to 30 participants. We seek to create a safe environment that allows for constructive peer feedback and group brainstorming. Due to the sensitive nature of our work, we strongly believe participants are more active and comfortable in discussion groups small enough for everyone to interact with each other and the facilitator.

Can the FieldFutures training be tailored to the unique needs of my field setting?

Yes, we often provide tailored trainings that include resources, protocols, and other specifics of your organization’s fieldwork conditions.