Let’s Reconnect with what really matters:
community, conversation & care.
who should attend?
-
Professionals and Service Providers
Learn practical tools for communication, boundary-setting, and emotional regulation that strengthen your work with clients, coworkers, and teams.
-
Volunteers, Mentors, and Civic Leaders
Build confidence and skill in navigating sensitive topics, supporting others effectively, and creating inclusive spaces where everyone feels heard.
-
Faith and Community Group Members
Gain strategies to deepen understanding, reduce conflict, and foster connection within groups that bring people together around shared values or service.
-
Anyone Wanting Stronger Relationships
Improve everyday interactions by learning how to listen deeply, respond thoughtfully, and communicate across differences — at work, home, or in your community.
what to expect
-
what to expect -
Curious Communities is a guided, interactive learning experience - part teaching, part conversation, and part reflection.
Over the course of 8 hours, delivered across 2–4 sessions, we’ll explore ideas together through discussion, real-world examples, and moments of genuine connection.
You can expect:
A balance of teaching, discussion, and applied reflection
Interactive activities that turn concepts into practical tools
Genuine conversations that deepen as trust builds - no scripts or role-playing
A supportive, judgment-free environment for all experience levels
Participants often find themselves surprised by how naturally the conversations flow - and how the learning sticks because it’s grounded in real experience, not performance.
This is a hands-on, skill-building space designed to leave you with clarity, confidence, and connection that lasts.
You will learn:
Curious Communities isn’t about memorizing conversation tools or learning how to “fix” people.
It’s about paying attention to what gets in the way of connection and what helps it grow, in ourselves, our work, and our communities - and practicing what it means to stay present, curious, and human in the moments that matter most.
Each session blends reflection, conversation, and gentle challenge to help you build awareness, confidence, and a deeper sense of connection that lasts long after class ends.
-
Move beyond “active listening” checklists and discover how to connect in ways that feel natural and genuine - without forcing eye contact, rehearsing responses, or trying to say the perfect thing. It’s about being real, not right.
-
Understand the social and biological factors that shape how people interact - like stress responses, trauma, and cultural conditioning - and how those patterns affect our ability to build trust, safety, and genuine connection with others.
-
Together, we look at local trends like suicide, substance use, and isolation - and talk about how they reflect the deeper issue of disconnection in our communities. By understanding what’s happening around us, we begin to see that every conversation, every act of care, is a way to make a difference.
-
Learn what real support looks like when you stop trying to fix people and start meeting them where they are - with honesty, patience, and genuine respect for their process. We explore how to hold space without rescuing, problem-solving, or centering ourselves in someone else’s story.
-
Explore compassion, ego, and systems fatigue in a way you’ve probably never heard before. We’ll challenge the typical burnout narrative and uncover what these experiences can teach us about connection and purpose.
-
Curious Communities often takes participants deeper than they expected — not through exercises or icebreakers, but through genuine connection that builds trust in the moment.
Every Curious Communities class ends with an anonymous feedback survey - and the reflections we receive say more than we ever could.
Participants consistently describe the experience as eye-opening, grounding, and unexpectedly personal. Many share that it changed the way they approach conversations, community, and even themselves.
What Participants are saying:
“The subject - listening to other people’s problems - is obviously touchy-feely, but you were totally pragmatic & hands-on, NOT touchy-feely, (maybe partly cuz of your autism?) which I appreciate a great deal! I’ve gotten enough of the touchy-feely in plenty of lefty activist thingies, which generally strikes me as unnecessary, time-consuming B.S. (maybe I’M on the spectrum?!). I appreciate your humor and personality a great deal, and the practical non-wallowing in sympathy approach you take. I’m glad to learn a bit about At The Roots, and I’m so glad Nancy & my recently adopted city has resources like yours. Thanks much for the training!”
“Overall, I loved it! It was challenging and uncomfortable but in a great way. And I loved meeting the other people in the class. Plus, Renee seems incredibly knowledgeable but also very relatable.”
“I’ve never laughed so hard in a training or felt so seen by a group of people before.”
“Y’all, I am shooooook. I thought I was a good listener but it turns out I’m a good talker. My ears are open now.”
“I really appreciated the wisdom Renee shared with our group. It felt like the time was a really good mix of class discussion and a presentation. I felt like we all had an opportunity be a bit out of our comfort zones for these activities but in a way that felt safe and supported. I would highly recommend this training for community members or professionals who desire to create more meaningful connections and to help spark meaningful engagement with others from all walks of life. 110/100, 5 STARS!”
“I thought it was an awesome experience and definitely think everyone could benefit from everything that was talked about!”
“I had a great time with the small group aspect. I really got to feel comfortable with the people I was with and it made for amazing conversations!”
“This was by far the best training I've ever had. It wasn't death by power point. It wasn't just listening to a lecture, but by actively engaging and practicing those skills we learned it made the class so enjoyable.”
“I forgot what it felt like to have conversations like these with other people, especially virtual strangers. It felt like some sort of magic and we all need this so much.”
“Thank you! I love my permission slip! This was the most organic listening training I've done. It helped me relax and just LISTEN.”
“As a clinician, I thought I’d heard everything under the sun about listening and supporting people. I’ve even attended some of the trainings they referenced in my class yet I can say I’ve never had it presented like this. It was so meaningful and yet so simple. THANK YOU!”
“At first I thought WHERE ARE THE TRIGGER WARNINGS and then she said there are none because real conversations don’t really come with them and we have to learn how to tackle hard topics anyway. Holy cow, what an eye opener.”
Now it’s your turn!
Join an upcoming class
About Curious Communities
Curious Communities was developed by Mike and Renee Sommer here at At The Roots LLC to address one of the biggest challenges facing modern life: disconnection.
Grounded in lived experience, recovery principles, and trauma-informed communication, the training helps people build the confidence and capacity to engage meaningfully with others - wherever they are.
Every community is built one conversation at a time.
