A Perception and Communication Framework for Encountering the Unknown, the Unexpected, or the All-Too-Familiar in Life.

Fumble Forward is a framework—an approach—to handling a dreaded situation, or the unfolding of unanticipated tension, or perhaps a conversation that is rooted in conflict. Fumble Forward is a pedagogical tool I created over 20 years ago for use in my own classrooms when addressing charged topics. It has now been shared internationally through my engagements, publications, and 2024 TEDx Talk. I have chosen to partner with the Renée Crown Wellness Institute of CU Boulder to support youth, families, caretakers, educators, first responders, survivors, and marginalized identities in locating a lifetime of wellness with this framework.

The Fumble Forward immersion is an exploration of 6 elements in the framework that address the complexity of our cultural collisions as humans. Parts of the framework are about establishing common denominators for understanding between us. Other elements are about the application of boundaries when we find ourselves under attack by those willing to enact harm. There is grit, intellectual and cultural humility, humor, honesty, compassion and realness infusing each step we take. This is not a one-size-fits-all list of tips and tricks; it is a commitment to explore our social indoctrinations, humanize each other, and locate our courage for all the weirdness of life’s journey in community. Together, we practice:

• Anchoring our perceptions with an Assumption Index
• Clarifying shared language to co-create a starting point
• Identifying power dynamics and differentials
• Embracing a playful mindset to learning and unlearning
• Learning how to lead in offering de-escalation and boundary setting
• Model and co-curate cultures of care, compassion, and repair for inevitable missteps

This approach is the foundation for also engaging in embodiment and interoception development, and offering experiential workshops for nudging our bodies back towards balance are my passion. The body carries a vast truth that is often excluded from intellectual development. Yet we cannot progress very far down the path of intellectual and cultural humility without getting better-acquainted with the lens for our human experience… the body.

It is my pleasure to partner with communities to have these shared conversations about the complexity of our experiences… and evolve together! For inquiries I invite you to message me here, or please visit my Renée Crown Wellness Institute partner page.