These Are the 10 Best Online Facilitation Training Courses in 2023
A comparison of the best online facilitation training courses—with options to suit all skill levels and budgets.
Reading time: 35 minutes
So you’re thinking about learning facilitation. Good move!
As you’re here, you’ve probably already figured that online courses offer a flexible, engaging, and highly effective way to master essential facilitation skills.
Maybe you’ve even got a specific facilitation course in mind.
But how do you know which programs and providers are worth your time and money?
Online courses vary greatly in terms of quality, duration, price, and curriculum. Before you hand over your credit card details, it’s important to make sure you’re getting the best value according to your personal goals and learning preferences.
And we’ll help you do just that.
In this post, you’ll find a comprehensive comparison of the 10 best online facilitation training courses. For each course, we’ve highlighted key factors such as price, duration, learning format, and course outcomes.
We’ve done all the research so you don’t have to. Check out our facilitation courses overview for a high-level comparison, and keep scrolling for the full breakdown of our top 10 facilitation courses.
Facilitation Courses Overview: Our Top 10 Online Courses at a Glance
Facilitating Workshops—LIVE Online Course (by The Fountain Institute)
Price: $995
Duration: Duration: 22 days
Format: Live interactive workshops (online)
Ideal for: Interactive and practical cohort-based facilitation trainingFacilitation Certification (by Voltage Control)
Price: $5,000
Duration: 3 months
Format: Live online sessions & individual coursework
Ideal for: Immersive cohort-based portfolio developmentThe Effective Facilitator, Virtual Edition (by Leadership Strategies)
Price: $2,895
Duration: 4 days
Format: Live online training
Ideal for: Practical and intensive facilitation trainingOnline Facilitation Lab (by Training for Change)
Price: Free - $250
Duration: 2 hours per workshop
Format: Live online workshops
Ideal for: Affordable, low-commitment facilitation trainingFacilitator Masterclass (by Facilitator School)
Price: $1,374
Duration: 6 weeks
Format: On-demand videos & live online classes
Ideal for: Beginners who want to use facilitation at workFacilitator Certification Program (by LUMA Institute)
Price: $2,900
Duration: 4 days + 3 months of coaching
Format: Live online sessions
Ideal for: Intensive facilitation training with a certificateWorkshopper Master Facilitation Course (by AJ&Smart)
Price: $6,345
Duration: 90 days
Format: On-demand video lessons
Ideal for: Flexible learning and access to a facilitator communityLeading Groups—Hybrid Course (by Mischief Makers)
Price: $1,987
Duration: 8 weeks
Format: Live online sessions
Ideal for: Building your confidence as a facilitatorWorkshop Facilitation (via LinkedIn Learning)
Price: $34.99
Duration: 1 hour
Format: On-demand video
Ideal for: A lightweight introduction to facilitationFacilitation Skills: Learn The Secrets of Facilitation (via Udemy)
Price: $14.99
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: On-demand video
Ideal for: A theory-based introduction to facilitation
Full Course Comparison: An In-Depth Look at the 10 Best Online Facilitation Courses in 2023
That was only a brief overview of each course. Let’s look at each one in detail and help you decide which facilitation course is right for you!
Jump back to Facilitation Courses Overview ⇡
1. Facilitating Workshops—Live Online Course by The Fountain Institute (22 days, $995)
The Fountain Institute is an independent online school specializing in advanced UX and product skills.
Their Facilitating Workshops course is a live, interactive program which promises an immersive and hands-on learning experience. You’ll not only learn about facilitation—you’ll experience it first-hand.
At a glance:
Price: $995 for Essentials, $1,295 for Premium (includes feedback calls, coaching calls, and access to any future updates to the course content)
Format: Online, live and interactive (plus practical assignments)
Course duration: 22 days
Effort: 6-10 hours per week
Course outcomes: Certificate in facilitation; practical skills and techniques you can apply in the real world
How does the course work?
This live facilitation program is all about doing rather than watching. For 4 weeks, you’ll attend 10 live, interactive workshops (2 hours each) led by two expert facilitators who will show you what great facilitation looks like in action.
Beyond the live workshops, you’ll participate in group discussions, complete real-world assignments based on your current role and learning goals, and receive expert, personalized feedback on your work.
As for how your week will look: Workshops take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for European audiences (or in the morning if you’re tuning in from North America). Mondays are dedicated to live feedback. You’ve then got the weekend to work on your next assignment.
At the end of the course, you’ll attend a live feedback and graduation session before receiving your official certificate. And, once you’ve graduated, you’ll remain part of The Fountain Institute community with ongoing support via Slack, alumni events, and monthly meetups.
What does the course cover?
The course covers all the most important practical skills you’ll need to design and facilitate any workshop.
You’ll start by building your facilitator’s mindset, then learn all about how to design workshops from scratch, choose the most effective workshop activities, and practice applying a range of different workshop methods and facilitation techniques.
You’ll also get hands-on with some of the most popular industry tools, including Miro and Butter.
Consider this facilitation course if:
You want to learn facilitation by experiencing it first-hand.
You want to lead workshops on a design or product team
You want to be part of an active community of design facilitators.
You want a legitimate facilitation certification.
This course is especially valuable for product & service designers, design leaders, and design consultants & strategists who want to unlock the next level in their career.
Learn more:
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2. Facilitation Certification by Voltage Control (3 months, $5,000)
Voltage Control is a facilitation academy that develops leaders through certifications, workshops, and organizational coaching focused on facilitation mastery, innovation, and play.
Their Facilitation Certification Course is a 3-month cohort-based program geared towards any and all professionals who want to use facilitation in their work.
At a glance:
Price: $5,000
Format: Online live sessions (plus an asynchronous coursework component)
Course duration: 3 months
Effort: 6-8 hours per week
Course outcomes: Fundamental facilitation skills and methods; a professional facilitator portfolio; certification to display on LinkedIn
How does the course work?
This Facilitation Certification course is broken down into three components: Facilitation Foundations, Facilitation Electives, and Facilitation Capstone.
The Facilitation Foundations block is taught via synchronous, cohort-based lessons. Learners must attend live online sessions every Friday for a month (9am-12pm Pacific Time) and dedicate 3-5 hours per week to individual study and lesson prep.
Once you’ve completed Facilitation Foundations, you’ll move on to Facilitation Electives. Here you’ll select two modules of your choice which you’ll study asynchronously (i.e. in your own time) for one month. You’ll need to carve out 3-5 hours each week.
The final component is the Facilitation Capstone. You’ll once again have live lessons every Friday for a month coupled with 3-5 hours per week of individual study.
What does the course cover?
The Voltage Control Facilitation Certification promises to help you develop the facilitation skills and confidence needed to transform meetings, inspire innovation, drive collaboration, and lead change.
Throughout the course, you’ll learn the International Association of Facilitators Core Competencies skills, practice many activities and methods, read 5 foundational facilitation texts, work on creating your professional facilitator portfolio, and create a plan for your long-term growth as a facilitator. Elective modules cover key topics such as Magical Meetings, Design Thinking, Liberating Structures, and Workshop Design.
Consider this facilitation course if:
You want to learn facilitation and apply it to your current work. The course is ideal for chiefs of staff, executives, team leaders and managers, consultants, coaches, and trainers—essentially anyone who wants to help teams collaborate better.
You’re happy to attend lessons at set times each week for the course duration.
If you want to practice and develop a portfolio with a supportive cohort of peers.
Learn more:
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3. The Effective Facilitator (Virtual Edition) by Leadership Strategies (4 days, $2,895)
Leadership Strategies is a network of over 600 facilitators. The Effective Facilitator is their flagship course, available both in-person and online. The online course (aka the Virtual Edition) takes place over 4 days, with an additional 1-day expansion course available.
At a glance:
Price: $2,895
Format: Live, online instructor-led training
Course duration: 4 days
Effort: 36 hours (9 hours per day)
Course outcomes: Practical tools and techniques you can apply immediately
How does the course work?
The Leadership Strategies course offers an intensive approach to learning facilitation. You’ll attend live, virtual lessons for four consecutive days (9am-6pm EST), led by expert instructors.
The course follows the unique training approach developed by Leadership Strategies: the Practical, Dynamic, Interactive (PDI) model. This emphasizes: Practical techniques that can be immediately applied; Dynamic, high-energy instructors; and Interactive exercises and practice sessions.
As such, you can expect an immersive, hands-on learning experience which will have you applying what you learn immediately.
What does the course cover?
This online facilitation course covers the 10 principles of The Facilitator’s Methodology™, providing a structured framework you can follow to prepare for and lead successful group sessions.
80% of the course curriculum is devoted to learning and practicing the group techniques that separate great facilitators from good ones, teaching critical skills such as consensus building, keeping the group focused, generating energy, managing conflict and dysfunction, and getting groups to agree on workable solutions.
Consider this facilitation course if:
You want an immersive, highly practical approach to learning facilitation.
You want to condense your learning into a short space of time.
You want to use facilitation in your current work. The Leadership Strategies facilitation course is ideal for anyone who needs to lead a task force, establish strategic direction, run better meetings, work through conflict, and generally improve group work.
Learn more:
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Check out our archive of resources
Get Free Resources like design tools and masterclasses from the Fountain Institute.
4. Online Facilitation Lab by Training for Change (2 hours per workshop, $250)
Training for Change is ‘a training and capacity building organization for activists and organizers’.
Their Online Facilitation Lab is designed to teach facilitation skills to those who want to lead and drive social justice movements. Training is available in the form of workshops, tools and resources, and custom coaching.
At a glance:
Price: Workshops are priced according to a sliding scale model, ranging from free - $250
Format: Live, online (webinar-style)
Course duration: 2 hours
Effort: 2 hours per workshop
Course outcomes: Tools and techniques for navigating specific group-related challenges
How does the course work?
The Online Facilitation Lab is more of a toolbox than a course. Most of their hands-on training is offered through live, online workshops which take place via Zoom. You can simply browse their upcoming public workshops and register to attend.
Workshops are interactive, and attendees should be prepared to participate fully—just as you would for an in-person training session. You can also request a post-workshop coaching session for more personalized facilitation training.
The Online Facilitation Lab also offers a comprehensive library of training tools, ranging from videos and articles to e-books and templates.
What does the course cover?
The Online Facilitation Lab offers workshops on the following topics:
Intro to Training Online
Intro to Facilitating Online Meetings
Designing Dynamic Spaces Online (focused on creating powerful virtual connections)
When Things Go Wrong Online
Low Bandwidth Strategies (tools for facilitating equitable online training and meetings, even when participants have low connectivity or no access to a computer)
Large Online Trainings with Impact
In the tools library, you’ll find resources covering topics such as how to run powerful breakouts online, how to level up your online brainstorms, dealing with disruptors in Zoom online meetings, and more.
Consider this facilitation course if:
You want a low-cost way to learn facilitation skills and techniques.
You’re learning facilitation to drive social justice movements.
You don’t want to commit to a full facilitation course or certification.
Learn more:
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5. Facilitator Masterclass by Facilitator School (6 weeks, $1,374)
Facilitator School is an online platform offering resources and training to help people run better meetings and achieve more effective group collaboration.
The Facilitator Masterclass is a 6-week online facilitation course combining individual study and live online classes.
At a glance:
Price: €1,295 (about $1,374)
Format: On-demand video lessons and live online classes
Course duration: 6 weeks
Effort: 2-4 hours per week
Course outcomes: Practical skills and techniques for running productive meetings and workshops; a shareable certificate of completion
How does the course work?
The Facilitator Masterclass is a 6-week, cohort-based course—so you’ll need to sign up for a specific start date. Each cohort is limited to 36 participants.
At the beginning of each week, you’ll receive 3-4 video lessons which you can watch whenever you choose. You’ll also attend a 2-hour live online class each week where you’ll take part in discussions and complete practical exercises. In the penultimate week (week 5), each participant will run their own capstone workshop at their place of work.
In addition to on-demand and live lessons, learners have access to a private facilitator community and a range of digital templates.
What does the course cover?
The Facilitator Masterclass curriculum has been designed to equip you to run workshops in your own work environment.
The course starts with Onboarding Week where you’ll attend a kick-off event and have an individual call to get you ready for the course. In week 2, you’ll discover your inner facilitator—exploring what makes a good facilitator and figuring out where your natural facilitation talents lie.
Week 3 covers the framework and tools you’ll need to design and run effective workshops, and week 4 dives into how to give great instructions, how to facilitate participation from all group members, and how to manage the energy of the group.
Weeks 5 and 6 will have you running your own workshop and reflecting on how it went.
Consider this facilitation course if:
You want a mixture of flexible learning and live instruction.
You’re new (or relatively new) to facilitation.
You want to learn how to use facilitation in your current job.
Learn more:
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6. Facilitator Certification Program by LUMA Institute (4 days + 3 months of coaching, $2,900)
The LUMA Institute is all about empowering innovation and problem-solving through human-centered design methods.
Their Facilitator Certification Program will teach you how to become a human-centered design facilitator in the space of 3 months.
At a glance:
Price: $2,900
Format: Live online sessions
Course duration: 4 days of classes followed by 3 months of coaching (1 coaching session per month)
Effort: Approx. 26 hours
Course outcomes: LUMA Facilitator Certification; social media and email signature badge
How does the course work?
The LUMA Facilitator Certification Program is a fully online facilitation course delivered through learning sessions, practice sessions, and coaching sessions.
First, you’ll attend two consecutive days of Live Learning Sessions (from 7.30am-12.30pm ET or from 11am-4pm ET, depending on your cohort). These comprise 4 hours of instruction and hands-on activities, led by two LUMA-certified instructors.
Then you’ll complete two days of Practice Sessions at 5 hours apiece (again, from 7.30am-12.30pm ET or from 11am-4pm ET, depending on your cohort). Here you’ll take part in live facilitation practice with your group and receive expert critique and peer feedback.
After the final practice sessions, you’ll book in for three 2-hour Coaching Sessions (one per month for three months). To earn your LUMA Facilitator Certification, you’ll need to attend all learning and practice sessions and at least two coaching sessions.
Note that, in order to qualify for the Facilitator Certification Program, you’ll first need to complete the LUMA Practitioner Certification Program.
What does the course cover?
This facilitation course is steeped in the LUMA System—an innovation framework and toolset comprising 36 human-centered design methods.
As such, the curriculum covers topics such as the key attributes of a LUMA facilitator, the various LUMA methods of innovation and facilitation, how to create an agenda using various LUMA Workplace tools, as well as how to design and facilitate effective group sessions.
Consider this facilitation course if:
You want facilitation training with a particular focus on human-centered design and design thinking.
You want a recognized certification.
You want to condense your facilitation training into a short time frame.
Learn more:
Success stories: How organizations are creating value through the LUMA System of Innovation
LUMA Facilitator Certification Program (including 2023 schedule)
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7. Workshopper® Master Facilitation Course by AJ&Smart (90 days, $6,345)
AJ&Smart is a product design and innovation studio based in Berlin, Germany. Their Workshopper® Master Facilitation Course is an online, completely self-paced training program which takes around 3 months to complete.
At a glance:
Price: €6,000 (approx. $6,345)
Format: Online, self-paced
Course duration: 3 months (but flexible)
Effort: 8 hours of video plus weekly coaching calls (up to 3 hours per week)
Course outcomes: Become a certified Workshopper Master (with a shareable certificate)
How does the course work?
This online facilitation training course is delivered via on-demand video lessons which you can watch at any time. Learners also have access to the private Workshopper community and weekly coaching calls to help keep you on track.
Unlike other training courses on our list, the Workshopper® Master doesn’t incorporate any practical tasks or exercises, and you don’t necessarily need to move through the course in a particular order. The program has been designed to let you move at your own pace and “jump around according to your individual needs and curiosity.”
What does the course cover?
The Workshopper® Master Facilitation Course will teach you how to design and run any workshop—giving you tools and techniques which you can adapt to suit different teams and business challenges.
The curriculum is broken down into 7 parts: 5 core modules, a bonus ‘Master Recipes’ component, and access to workshop resources. You’ll start with an introduction to the world of workshops, learning how they’re different from traditional meetings and why they’re so valuable.
From there, you’ll cover key topics such as the anatomy of a workshop, the 6 laws of master-level facilitation, the art of workshop design, and how to market and sell your own workshops to clients.
Overall, the course content is very application-focused, providing a wealth of tools, templates, and ‘recipes’ you can use in the real world.
Consider this facilitation course if:
You want to start a career as an expert facilitator.
You want a fully flexible approach to learning facilitation.
You want to be part of an exclusive facilitator community.
Learn more:
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8. Leading Groups by Mischief Makers (8 weeks, $1,987 - $2,967)
Mischief Makers is ‘a future of work agency’ providing facilitation training for both individuals and teams.
Their Leading Groups course is an 8-week online program which will teach you how to confidently lead groups in a variety of settings.
At a glance:
Price: €1,875 for freelancers (approx. $1,987) or €2,800 for company employees (approx. $2,967)
Format: Live online sessions
Course duration: 8 weeks
Effort: 3-4 hours per week
Course outcomes: Practical tools and techniques for effective facilitation; certificate of completion
How does the course work?
The course takes place over 8 weeks. You’ll attend 6 live evening classes (online) every Tuesday from 6.30-9pm CET, take part in weekly challenges and reflection tasks which you’ll complete individually, and complete a group workshop challenge.
Each session is supplemented with articles, videos, podcasts, and additional learning resources from the Learning Kit.
Towards the end of the course, you’ll have a coaching call—and then, on the final course day, facilitate your own workshop.
What does the course cover?
This facilitation course is designed to help you grow your confidence in leading groups. Key learnings include:
Group dynamic models
How to design workshops, meetings, and conversations
Engagement hacks
Dealing with challenging participants and scenarios
Consider this facilitation course if:
You want a hybrid approach to learning facilitation, combining both live training and independent study.
You want to level up your facilitation skills to use at work.
You want a facilitation certificate.
Learn more:
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9. Workshop Facilitation with Britt Andreatta via LinkedIn Learning (1 hour, $34.99)
For a high-level introduction to facilitation, consider this LinkedIn Learning course on workshop facilitation led by Dr. Britt Andreatta, CEO of Brain Aware Training.
At a glance:
Price: $34.99 (or free with a LinkedIn Learning subscription)
Format: On-demand video
Course duration: 1 hour 9 minutes
Effort: 1 hour 9 minutes
Course outcomes: Shareable LinkedIn certificate
How does the course work?
Accessible via LinkedIn Learning, this short video course is available on demand—so you can watch it whenever you like. You’ll also get access to an exercise file to practice what you learn, and have the chance to test your knowledge with 4 quizzes.
What does the course cover?
This introductory facilitation course covers the different types of workshop facilitation, how to choose the right activities for your workshop, how to keep the workshop on track, and tackling tricky group dynamics. While the course content can be applied to different workshop settings, it’s focused specifically on facilitating adult learners.
Consider this facilitation course if:
You want a short, hands-off introduction to facilitation.
You want to learn on-demand without a major time commitment.
You want to establish some facilitation basics before moving on to a comprehensive course.
Learn more:
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10. Facilitation Skills: Learn The Secrets of Facilitation via Udemy (1.5 hours, $14.99)
Last on our list of the best facilitation courses is this short introductory offering from Udemy—Facilitation Skills: Learn The Secrets of Facilitation.
Led by professional trainer and facilitator Arminda Dumpierrez, this 1.5-hour video course provides a theoretical introduction to the fundamentals of facilitation.
At a glance:
Price: $14.99
Format: On-demand video
Course duration: 1.5 hours
Effort: 1.5 hours
Course outcomes: Certificate of completion
How does the course work?
You can access the course any time via online learning platform Udemy. Once you’ve purchased the course, simply watch the video to learn Arminda’s secrets to great facilitation.
Note that this is a theory-only course—there’s no interactivity or practical work involved.
What does the course cover?
This course is geared towards teaching what facilitation is rather than actively equipping you how to do it. You’ll learn what facilitation is and why it’s important, how to structure productive meetings and encourage input from the whole group, as well as a four-step process for better decision-making.
You won’t come away with a fully-fledged facilitator skillset, but you will get a solid introduction to pave the way for further training.
Consider this facilitation course if:
You’re a leader or people manager looking to learn more about facilitation.
You want to learn how to have more productive meetings.
You want a short, lightweight introduction to facilitation skills.
Learn more:
Jump back to Facilitation Courses Overview ⇡
What Next? Choosing the Right Facilitation Course
You’ve reached the end of our facilitation course comparison guide—whew! Hopefully, you found at least one or two courses that sparked your interest.
So what next? We recommend doing a further deep-dive into your frontrunners before signing up. Check over the curriculum, see what past learners and alumni have to say about their experience, and, if possible, request more information from the course provider.
You’re one step closer to becoming an expert facilitator, meaning you’re about to level up your collaboration superpowers and do something extraordinary for your career progression. Way to go!
Want to learn more about facilitation? We’ve rounded up some of the best resources on the web—check them out before you go.
Learning Resources for Facilitation
Read What is Facilitation? A Definition & Overview by Emily Stevens, writing for The Fountain Institute
Learn about what makes a great facilitator and discover 3 actionable strategies to improve your facilitation skills in this post by Hannah Baker of The Fountain Institute: How To Build Your Facilitation Skills (and Why You Should)
Watch this free video masterclass on How to Lead with Facilitation, led by Hannah Baker of The Fountain Institute
Read how visual thinking strategies (VTS) can help with successful facilitation in Visual Thinking Strategies: Facilitate with Art by Hannah Baker
Try a free 7-day email short course to see how you enjoy facilitation
Learn how to design and run successful workshops in this free masterclass (includes useful resources)
For advanced, hands-on workshop facilitation training, take this 22-day course by The Fountain Institute
What other resources can you recommend for learning facilitation?
Share them in the comments!
