December 3 & 4 – Orientation
Join us for an orientation to the Academy’s virtual classroom. Greet your peers, practice interactions, and test your technology before our first instructional session.
January 15 & 16 – Getting to Know You
Begin building your network with this interactive session focused on introductions and connections with peers in class.
January 21 & 22 – Session 1: Charting our Course
- Welcome
- Course Overview
- Active Listening and Effective Communication
January 28 & 29 – Session 2: See the Possibilities
- Agency Leadership Perspectives on Partnership and Community Collaboration
- The 22 Competencies & 21 Partnership Success Factors
February 4 & 5 – Session 3: Head, Heart, and Hands
- Collaborative Leadership
- Partnering and Managing by Network
February 11 & 12 – Session 4: Connect to Community
- Community Collaboration and Process Design
- Partner Culture Awareness
February 18 & 19 – Session 5: Look Beneath the Surface
- Partnership Assessment and the Partnership Impact Model (TM)
- Partnership Network Life Cycle
February 25 & 26 – Session 6: Paddle Together
- Alumni Case Studies
- Launching the 2026 Case Study Program
- Foundations of Collaboration Skill Check
Week of March 2 – Self-Study
There are no instructional webinars during self-study weeks. Connect with peers, dive deeper with homework or catch up on a missed session.
Meet-Ups on March 4 & 5. All participants are welcome to join in these fun and informal conversations.
March 11 & 12 – Session 7: Find the Common Threads
- Partnering Through Change
- Engaging with Partners: Motivation, Involvement and Recognition
March 18 & 19 – Session 8: Walk a Mile in Their Shoes
- Shoe Stories
- Facilitation
March 25 & 26 – Session 9: Calm the Waters
Conflict Management
April 1 & 2 – Session 10: Change Your Tack
Negotiation
April 8 & 9 – Session 11: Dig Deeper
- Conservation Social Science
- Social Science Tools
April 15 & 16 – Session 12: Put the Wind in Your Sails
- Trust Ecology
- Partnership Practices Skill Check
Week of April 20 – Self-Study
There are no instructional webinars during self-study weeks. Connect with peers, dive deeper with homework or catch up on a missed session.
Meet-Ups on April 22 & 23. All participants are welcome to join in these fun and informal conversations.
April 29 & 30 – Session 13: Smart Moves
- Political Savvy and Resilience in Partnerships
- Entrepreneurship and Risk Assessment
May 6 & 7 – Session 14: New Paths to Follow
- 2026 Peer Case Studies
- Persuasion
May 13 & 14 – Session 15: Get Your Ducks in a Row
Managing Partnerships and Agreements in a Changing Environment
May 20 & 21 – Session 16: Reflect on the Journey
- 2026 Peer Case Studies
- Accountability in Partnerships
May 27 & 28 – Session 17: Putting it All Together
- Vision and Strategic Thinking
- Reflection: What’s Possible Now
June 3 & 4 – Session 18: Commencement
- 2026 Peer Case Studies
- Gathering In Reflection
- Graduation
June 10-18 – Self-Study Weeks
Make up work: Watch the recording for any sessions you missed. Share your takeaways to receive credit towards an Honors Certificate.
All make-up work must be submitted by June 18 to receive credit towards an Honors certificate.
Orientation and Introductions:
December 3 & 4, 2025
January 14 & 15, 2026
Instructional Webinars Start:
January 21 & 22, 2026
Instructional Webinars End:
June 3 & 4, 2026
Course Format: 18 live instructional sessions (38 training hours) plus Orientation and Introduction sessions. All coursework is completed online, no travel is required.
Participants meet weekly for two hours, in one of several seminar-sized groups. Attendees may participate on the day and time of their choice based on the options available. Anticipated webinar group times:
Wednesdays
- Alpha Group: 11 AM to 1 PM ET
- Beta Group: 2 PM to 4 PM ET
Thursdays
- Gamma Group: 11 AM to 1 PM ET
- Delta Group: 2 PM to 4 PM ET
During the application process, individuals indicate a preferred day and time for the webinar group that best fits their schedule. Participants may attend any of the offered webinars if they have a schedule conflict during a particular session week.
Regular sessions are interspersed with self-study weeks. Participants can also enrich and apply their learning through optional activities such as networking sessions, homework, and make-up work for missed sessions.
Because the Academy observes Daylight Saving Time, class times will change accordingly in March.
Managing by Network is cohosted by:
