Cohort 1 starts February 2, 2027
Virtual Facilitation Certification
Practice facilitating live online sessions with a small group and real feedback. Eight live Zoom sessions, a recorded capstone, and a skills certificate from Online Facilitation Skills.
Early rate of $1,295 through December 15, 2026. Seats are limited.
What you practice: You write a session plan, use Zoom's tools on purpose, facilitate a 10-minute segment in front of peers, and get specific feedback on what to keep, change and question.
The program at a glance
- 8 live sessions of 2 hours, Tuesdays and Thursdays, February 2 to February 25, 2027.
- 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM PT (7:00 PM to 9:00 PM ET) on Zoom. The room opens at 3:50 PM PT.
- About 22 hours in total: 16 live plus about 6 for practice assignments and the capstone.
- A live group, with practice and feedback built into the sessions.
- About 60 percent of the time is practice.
Dates and curriculum
| Session | Date | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tue, Feb 2, 2027 | Foundations: Facilitator, Not Presenter Tell facilitating from presenting, open a session in three minutes, and set the room up so quiet people can take part. |
| 2 | Thu, Feb 4, 2027 | Participation Design Write an outcome line, build a minute-by-minute run of show, and set a lecture budget. |
| 3 | Tue, Feb 9, 2027 | Tools on Zoom Use chat, polls, breakout rooms, the whiteboard and captions on purpose, with a fallback ready. |
| 4 | Thu, Feb 11, 2027 | Reading the Room and Managing Dynamics Notice what the room is telling you and respond to dominant voices, silence and tension. |
| 5 | Tue, Feb 16, 2027 | Practice Lab Facilitate a segment in a small group and get keep, change and question feedback from peers and from me. |
| 6 | Thu, Feb 18, 2027 | Recovery and Hard Moments Recover from tech failures, tangents, conflict and hard questions without losing the group. |
| 7 | Tue, Feb 23, 2027 | Measuring What Worked and Using AI Responsibly Plan how you will tell whether a session moved anything, and write a rule for using AI in prep. |
| 8 | Thu, Feb 25, 2027 | Capstone Showcase and Certification Share a 90-second clip from your capstone and close out the program. This session is not an exam. |
Capstone due: Wednesday, February 24, 2027, 11:59 PM PT. Scores and certificates go out in the days after, with the date confirmed in your welcome packet.
How it works
- Join eight live sessions. Each has a short teaching block and a lot of practice.
- Complete seven short practice assignments between sessions. They are checked for completion, not graded.
- Record a 10-minute facilitation demonstration for two or more volunteers and submit a short portfolio: a run of show, a one-page results plan and a 150-word reflection.
- I score the capstone against a published rubric. Participants who attend at least 7 of 8 sessions, submit the assignments and pass the capstone receive the Certificate of Certification.
Pricing and enrollment
Pay securely on Stripe. Attended a $12 preview? The $12 is credited toward your enrollment: Email info@onlinefacilitationskills.com with your preview ticket email and I will send you a separate invoice for the price less $12. Please do not pay on the buttons below first.
Recent graduate
$1,295
Graduated within the last 2 years. You enter your graduation month and year at checkout.
Team of 3 or more
$1,495 each
Three or more people from one employer. Choose your quantity at checkout.
Refunds may be provided prior to the start of the course. See the refunds page. Questions or an invoice for your employer: info@onlinefacilitationskills.com. Enrollment may close early when seats are full.
Who this is for
Recent graduates and corporate professionals who lead, or want to lead, live online sessions: trainers, team leads, people who run onboarding or workshops, and anyone who has been asked to just run the call.
Not for you if you want a self-paced course, an accredited credential, or continuing education credit. Every session is live, and the certificate is a skills certification from OFS only.
Your instructor
McKinley Malbrough III, J.D., MS-HRM, founded Online Facilitation Skills. He holds a master's degree in Human Resource Management with a specialization in online innovation and design, has more than 12 years in HR, and has taught online each year since 2017. He also has stand-up comedy experience and spent almost 5 years negotiating as a sports agent. He leads each session. More about Mac.
About the certificate
The Certificate of Certification, Virtual Facilitation Certification is a skills certification issued by Online Facilitation Skills. It is not accredited, not a degree, and not a license. It carries no continuing education or recertification credit.
Questions
Is this certification accredited?
No. It is a skills certification issued by Online Facilitation Skills. It is not accredited, not a degree, not a license, and it carries no continuing education credit. It shows you completed this program and passed its capstone.
Who is this program for?
Recent graduates and corporate professionals who lead or want to lead live online sessions. You do not need prior facilitation experience. You do need to be willing to practice out loud with a small group.
What platform do the sessions use?
Zoom. You need the Zoom desktop app, a microphone, a webcam and a stable internet connection. A welcome packet with a tech check goes out after you enroll.
What are the dates and times?
Eight sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from February 2 to February 25, 2027, 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM PT (7:00 PM to 9:00 PM ET).
How many hours is the program?
About 22 hours: 16 live hours plus about 6 hours of practice assignments and the capstone recording. A 45-minute pre-work task comes before Session 1.
What happens if I miss a session?
You may miss one session. Watch the recording and submit a 150-word written reflection within 7 days. You need to attend at least 7 of 8 sessions to earn the certificate. Sessions 1 to 7 are expected to be recorded for make-up use only and shared only with enrolled participants. If a recording is unavailable, I will assign another make-up.
What is required to earn the certificate?
Attend at least 7 of 8 sessions, submit assignments 1 to 7, and pass the capstone. The capstone is a recorded 10-minute facilitation demonstration plus a short portfolio, due Wednesday, February 24, 2027, 11:59 PM PT. It is scored from 1 to 4 on a published rubric. A pass is an average of 3.0 or higher with no criterion below 2, and you get one resubmission.
Can I stay camera-off or quiet?
Yes, for the discussion parts. Each session has options such as chat, polls, typed responses and the whiteboard. In practice rooms, being seen helps your partners give feedback, so camera-on is encouraged there, and we can talk through any need.
What is the refund policy?
Refunds may be provided prior to the start of the course. The full policy is on the refunds page.
Can my employer pay, or can my team join together?
Yes. Teams of three or more from one employer pay $1,495 each. Write to info@onlinefacilitationskills.com for an invoice or details your employer needs.
Can I try it first?
Yes. A one-hour preview on Zoom is $12 and includes a mini-practice. The $12 is credited toward your enrollment. Previews run Thursday, November 12 at 10:00 AM PT and Friday, November 20 at 1:30 PM PT.
Does the nonprofit rate apply?
Not to Cohort 1. The prices above are the prices for this cohort.
Try an hour first.
Two live previews on Zoom, $12 each: Thursday, November 12 at 10:00 AM PT and Friday, November 20 at 1:30 PM PT. Credited toward Cohort 1.