2026 CommonGround Pilot Facilitator 

Position Description

Program: CommonGround, The Program on Intergroup Relations

Position: Pilot Facilitator

Compensation: $25/hour

Hours: 60 hours total

Open positions: 4

Time Frame: May - August, opportunity for beyond

Program Summary

The Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR) is a social justice education program that blends theory and experiential learning to facilitate students’ learning around social group identity, social inequality, and intergroup relations. 

CommonGround, a student-run program within IGR, provides workshops for groups of UM students (student organizations, courses, etc.) by request. The workshops aim to raise awareness about social identities, power, privilege, and oppression. CommonGround prepares undergraduate and graduate students to create and facilitate these interactive workshops.

Position Description 

The Pilot Facilitator position is an exciting way to engage with incoming students, facilitate dialogue around social identity, and introduce IGR to the broader campus community. This position is for experienced facilitators. This is an opportunity to improve your virtual facilitation skills and to be part of a community of undergrad and graduate students committed to pursuing social justice through education at UM. 

Pilot facilitators will design and lead workshops for incoming UM students. These experiential workshops promote reflection and learning about social identities, inclusive communication, group dynamics, power, privilege, oppression, and more. Through retreats and meetings, facilitators will continue learning together and build listening, inquiry, public speaking, and curriculum development skills. 

This particular role is a pilot opportunity to gain experience facilitating virtual one-time workshops for incoming University of Michigan students. 

Responsibilities 

• Co-facilitate 3-10 workshops in July and August 2026 

  • Each workshop requires a 4-hour time commitment on average. This includes creating the agenda with a CommonGround staff member and co-facilitating the workshop with another trained CommonGround facilitator.

• Attend required 2 hour biweekly (every 2 weeks) meetings throughout the summer. 

  • These meetings are for facilitators to practice facilitation skills, learn new activities, engage in dialogue about different social identity and social justice topics and build and strengthen the CommonGround/IGR community. 

• Attend a required 20 hour training retreat from May 5 - May May 8, 2026.

• Attend coaching meetings with a Graduate Intern.

Requirements

• APPLICANTS MUST HAVE PRIOR FACILITATION EXPERIENCE.

• Must be available for all required components (weekend orientation retreat, biweekly meetings)

• Must have blocks of availability some weekday mornings, afternoons, evenings, or weekends to facilitate workshops

• An ideal candidate will see this as more than just a job but as a calling that fulfills their passion for social justice work.

• Must be able to start working as early as May 5, 2026. 

• Must be a current/enrolled undergraduate or graduate student at the University of Michigan 

• Strong understanding and commitment to social justice education & intergroup relations; knowledge of social identities, power, privilege, and oppression

• Passionate about creating spaces for intergroup dialogue

• Willing to be vulnerable and step outside comfort zone

• Excellent organization & time management skills, attention to detail, reliable, self-motivated, and can meet deadlines

• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal

• Can work independently and in a team environment with other students and staff 

• A strong understanding and commitment to social justice education & intergroup relations; knowledge of social identities, power, privilege, and oppression

• Preferred: experience with teaching, training, or facilitation

• Attend required 2 hour biweekly (every 2 weeks) meetings throughout the semester. 

  • These meetings are for facilitators to practice facilitation skills, learn new activities, engage in dialogue about different social identity and social justice topics and build and strengthen the CommonGround/IGR community. 

• Attend a required training retreat on May 5 - May 8, 2026.

Application instructions and hiring process

• CommonGround staff will schedule interviews with applicants on a rolling basis. After you have submitted your application, you will be contacted by a member of the Programming Team to schedule an interview.

• Attend interview with CommonGround staff and learn more about expectations of the role

• Attend required retreat May 5 - May 8, 2026  to learn about CommonGround curriculum, build relationships with fellow facilitators, and begin facilitation training. 

• Submit or have I-9 form on file