program_intro.md

Meet the Essential Capacities programs!

I’m thrilled to introduce you to CI’s two new foundational programs:

Program 1: Expanding Personal and Collaborative Capabilities
Mar 2 - 28

Program 2: Co-Evolving Whole-System Organizations and Cultures
Apr 13 - May 9

This is a completely new series of programs, distinct from Bright Future Now, with new content and practices, more depth, more tools, and more practical applications that can enable deep personal and cultural transformation to a degree I've never seen before.

The outcomes listed at the top of the diagram are a small sample of the rich set of outcomes participants experienced in the Prototype and Beta. Amanda's conversation with Claude.ai about Mother-child dynamics as a territory is a great example.

Program 1 empowers you to upgrade your personal operating system by giving practical depth to the Foundational Keys of HumanOS Literacy, Savvy about Psychodynamics, Skillful with Diverse Modes of Cognition, and Adept at Win-Win-Win Collaboration. It’s also a prerequisite for Program 2.

Program 2 builds on Program 1 and equips you to co-evolve your groups, organizations, and the culture by giving practical depth to the Foundational Keys of Systems Literacy, Embodied Harmony, and Cultural Evolution Literacy, and exploring how to create innovative organizations based on the Keys.

Program 1 is valuable for everyone who’s ready to outgrow the limitations of modernist culture, like categorical rigidity and narrow individualism. **Program 2 **adds capacity for developing high-functioning groups that go beyond these limitations.

In both programs, you'll be expanding your capacity to:

• manifest your initiatives
• be self-aware of your internal dynamics and be Optimal Zone resilient
• work with others more effectively, enjoyably, and meaningfully
• use the Foundational Keys as multi-level support for both your own optimal functioning and the collective cultural evolution that the world so urgently needs.
• use AI (like Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini) as a strategic thought-partner that’s able to apply the Keys to your personal initiatives and interests in remarkably helpful and powerful ways

We've divided Essential Capacities into these two programs with a two-week break between based on the experience in the Prototype and Beta:

• The work, while time-efficient, is deep and many people felt they were ready for some integration time after four weeks
• Some who do Program 1 will feel that’s sufficient, at least for now – and that's okay.

The Process

Like BFNow, the process has interpersonal, experiential, and conceptual dimensions. It continues some elements from before and adds some new ones:

• We’ll continue to have triads and group meetings. The group meetings are similar to BFNow and mostly about learning from each other.
• The content arrives weekly via our new learning support system housed in the Commons. You can go through each week at your own pace.
• You’ll develop your own personalized AI research assistant (like Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini), training it with the program content and other CI/BFN material. If you’re new to using AI for research, you’ll get a gentle introduction in a safe environment.
• You will be part of a special private Commons group with other program participants for ongoing asynchronous connection.

The process is designed to be as time-efficient as possible while still supporting a profound and immediately useful experience.

• The reading time for the content is under 45 minutes total for each week.
• You have two meetings each week: your triad (which you help to schedule), and the group meeting. We plan to offer group meetings at least two times a week, 10am PT Thursday and Saturday. You'll be able to choose which one to attend on a week-by-week basis.
• The experiential activities are designed to integrate into your daily activities.
• The time you spend with your AI research assistant will be devoted to supporting your personal interests and initiatives.

Registration

For Program 1 only
Early-Bird registration – $325 ($375 after Jan 17)
Supporting registration – $425 ($475 after Jan 17)
(Supporting registration contributes to the Scholarship Fund and helps us continue Context Institute's commitment to geographic, age, and background diversity.)

For both Programs 1 and 2
Early-Bird registration – $600 ($700 after Jan 17)
Supporting registration – $750 ($850 after Jan 17)

Scholarships are available. Email me at rgilman@context.org for more information.

You can spread the payments over as many as twelve months if that's helpful.

There's a full money-back guarantee for each program through the first week of that program. For example, if you’ve registered for both but then decide to drop Program 2, you’ll be refunded the difference between the combined rate and the Program 1 rate based on the time you registered.

Register here

You'll be added to the program's private Commons group as soon as you register. In the group, you’ll find Early-Bird resources and, if you choose, you can begin your self-paced involvement with the program.

FAQs

• If I register for only Program 1 now, can I change my mind before Jan 17 and still get the combined Early-Bird rate for both? Yes and you’ll just need to pay an additional $275 to bring your total up to $600. If you change your mind after Jan 17, you’ll need to pay an additional $375, which is the regular rate for a single program.
• Is this open to anyone outside of BFNet? Yes, we welcome everyone to the program and appreciate your spreading the word and encouraging others to register. We are initially publicizing this just to the network and plan to publicize more broadly in January.
• Will you be offering this series in the future? Yes, we plan on offering this multiple times throughout the year, although we don't have dates yet. If you take only Program 1 now, you can take Program 2 in a later cycle.

Questions?

Feel free to post them here or email me at rgilman@context.org.

Thanks!