[TRAINING] Engaging with Confidence: Essential Prep and Strategies for Successful Engagement
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM ET / 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT
Location: Virtual.
Community engagement can feel daunting. What if the public is not happy with your project? What if tough questions arise? Maybe you want to strengthen your public speaking or strategic thinking when facing a crowd, or simply refresh your knowledge of best practices. If those goals resonate, then this training is for you.
During this training, we will focus on best practices for preparing and presenting at community meetings, tailored for transportation professionals at all levels and all sectors. By the end of the programme, participants will have developed or refined practical skills to effectively prepare and communicate transportation related materials with the public.
The session will guide attendees through structured exercises that promote collaboration and problem-solving in facilitated group discussions. Participants will work together to strengthen their skills in preparing for public engagements and navigate challenging discussions with confidence.
If I attend this training, you can expect to learn about:
- How to prepare for engagement and best approach public speaking
- How to structure responses to questions from the public
- Key tips for navigating tough questions
- Group exercises and sharing
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the conclusion of the training programme, attendees, will leave having honed or developed their skills in order to:
- Build confidence in public speaking and engagement
- Learn structured approaches to prepare for community engagements
- Develop strategies for handling challenging questions
- Discuss best practices for engaging with the community
AUDIENCE
The sessions are designed to be inclusive for transportation professionals of all stages in their career, as well as sectors of the industry.
Young Professionals
This session is designed to build critical skills and knowledge for effective communication and engagement with the public. It will foster an environment of learning through practical exercises that encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration with industry peers.
Experienced Professionals
This session is designed to hone communication skills and help build a practical toolkit for experienced professionals, whether for their own work or to support the development of their team members. All materials will be created to be clear, concise, and easily transferable for use in other contexts.
FACILITATORS
Jocelyn Deeks, MCIP, RPP
Lead Trainer
Jocelyn Deeks is a Partner at Bousfields and founded the Community Engagement practice. Jocelyn is a Registered Professional Planner and brings decades of experience working at the intersection of urban and land-use planning, development, and community engagement in the public and private sectors. She has developed and executed stakeholder engagement strategies for some of the GTHA’s most complex and challenging projects.
Lewis Walker
Assistant Trainer
Lewis has experience in community engagement within the private and non-profit sectors and is passionate about making city building processes accessible. He brings creative critical thinking and a commitment to excellence to all his work and projects. He develops effective and inclusive strategies across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, working on complex projects ranging from large-scale institutional plans to site-specific developments.
REGISTRATION
Deadline: Registration will close on Monday, May 11, 2026 at 12 noon ET
NEW! Group Discount: Receive a 15% discount on 3 or more ITE Member ($275) and/or Non-Member ($400) registrations purchased in the same transaction. Discount will be automatically applied to the cart on the checkout/payment page if at least three eligible tickets are purchased together.
| Category | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ITE Member* | $275 | ITE membership status must be valid at the time of registration with current dues paid. Eligible for 15% group discount. |
| Non-Member | $400 | Anyone who is not a current paid ITE member. Eligible for 15% group discount. |
| ITE Young Member* | $200 | Must be an ITE Young Member (a non-student between the ages of 22 and 29) with current dues paid |
| ITE Student Member* | $150 | Must be a current full-time post-secondary student and registered ITE member. ITE membership is free for full-time undergrad and graduate students. Become a Student ITE Member here. |
| *ITE member number required to register for member rates. If you do not know your ITE member number, you can retrieve it here on ite.org by clicking “Forgot Username”. | ||
Meeting Link: The virtual meeting join link will be emailed in your registration confirmation email.