Start Your Backpack Group Today!
Use our easy 5 step guide to start a Backpack Group in your home, community, parish, or school.
Introducing
5 Step Guide!
Backpack groups can be run online, in your home, in community centres, in your parish, and so on! You can chose to start with any of our courses, depending on what you're looking for. Starting your group and becoming a leader can be broken down into 5 simple steps.
Take a Course Yourself!
If you haven't already, we invite you to take one of the Backpack courses. There are 5 courses available. We generally recommend that every Leader takes at least 1 Backpack course themselves first. By first experiencing the material yourself, you will be more able to facilitate others on their journey. You can start a course online today, or you can join one of our online Facilitated Groups.
Our Courses
Choose Your Course to Run
We have five courses currently available, Backpack for Adults, The Backpack for Teens, Mothers of the Church Year 1 and Year 2, Contemplative Prayer, and Backpack Adult Faith Formation. Our course Fathers of the Church is currently in its pilot year. You can pick any of these courses to run in a group. Each course is made up of recorded lessons. Hardcopy workbooks are currently available for Backpack for Adults, Backpack for Teens, MOC1 and MOC2. Workbooks for the remaining courses are available as downloads. Not sure which course to start with? Read our blog post to find which you should start with!
Join Our Leader's Group
Join our Zoom Leader's Support Group. These facilitated sessions are designed to support you through the role of Backpack Leader. They include presentations, testimonials, Q&As, teaching practice opportunities, and so much more.
We would love to have you join us in the Backpack Community!
The Backpack Facilitator Course is for anybody with an interest in learning how to present The Backpack to others. Covers a range of topics from teaching methods and skills, to the practicalities of starting a group in different contexts, to implementing group interaction and games. This course also serves as a network for anyone who wants to stay plugged into the Backpack community! Open to anybody who has taken one of the Backpack programs, or has some familiarity with the curriculum.
Facilitator: Annie Clarke
Duration: 10 Weeks, 90 minute sessions
Start Date: Thursday, September 22nd 2022
Class Time: 6:30pm Irish Standard Time (1:30pm EST, 10:30am PST)
Order Your Quick-Start Pack
Once you know what course you're going to lead, order your pack and workbooks. Each pack includes the video teachings via USB or online access, promotional material, a comprehensive Leader's Guide, and a workbook for the facilitator. Now is also the time to order your participant workbooks, or to let everyone know to order them individually. This is also when you can register your group and get free access to our Leader's Group.
Our comprehensive 'Quick-Start' packs contain everything a Facilitator needs to run a Backpack group. We offer two programs, a program tailored to teens and young adults, and a program tailored to adults.
What's Included:
+ One year online access to The Backpack Program for Teens or Backpack for Adults OR lifetime access via USB
+ 1x Workbook
+ 1x Leader's Guide
+ 1x Backpack Poster Set
+ 1x The Map
+ Discount price on participant workbooks
+ FREE access to weekly online Facilitator Meeting
The Backpack Program teaches participants to tap into their relationship with themselves, and explore their relationships with others and God. It teaches deep muscle relaxation and introduces Contemplative Prayer.
The Leader's Guide gives all necessary guidance and instruction for a parent, parish leader or experienced teacher to present the program.
Start Your Group!
Now its time to start your group! Remember to organise important details in advance such as the time, place, members, etc. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with us.
Facilitating a Backpack group is a hugely rewarding experience, and we'll be right with you along the way!
