Introduction
Course Overview and Tips
TightropeCompanion Course sessions are meant to help you build a more personal and meaningful context around what you learn in the Tightrope Online Modules. The Peer-to-Peer sessions should be completed as a group so you can learn together and build an understanding of how you and your peers relate to the topics. Later, you can build on that group learning by advancing to the Alumni sessions, which will prompt your group to further explore the nuances of each topic with a local alumni member, advisor, or headquarters representative.
See the top 5 tips below for leading a successful Tightrope Companion session.
Read the Companion Guide at least a week before you plan to lead the session.
Some sessions may require additional materials or different types of rooms or spaces. Give yourself enough time to determine which room or floorplan will work best for the session and what materials you need to print or obtain so you’re not scrambling to set it up last minute.
Review the Detailed Breakdown & Instructions for each session ahead of time.
Make sure you understand the flow of the activities and what instructions you may need to give to your members. You’ll be leading them through the session, so you’ll want to be familiar with how it goes.
Encourage your members to take the session seriously.
Each session is designed to spark conversation between members. The peer-to-peer sessions, in particular, will be most successful when your members participate in genuine and relevant ways to push the conversation forward in your organization.
Create a space in which all members’ opinions and perspectives can be voiced.
Tightrope’s Companion Sessions are meant to help you create a dialogue in your chapter, but that can’t happen if people feel like they can’t say their opinion or offer their perspective. Making it clear that all perspectives are important for the conversation (whether they are popular opinions or not) will go a long way in building trust and positive culture within your chapter.
Reach out if you have any questions.
If any of the guides, activities, or materials don’t make sense, reach out! Your advisor or headquarters staff representatives are great resources and can help walk you through the materials. If you need additional or technical assistance, contact the Plaid team through our live chat feature or send us an email at support@beingplaid.com.