Touch Specialist
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Touch as a Life Saving Act – Aaron Johnson
One of the antidotes to the Chronically UnderTouched trauma story is thoughtful, carnage-informed touch.
The Touch Specialist Training Program is reaching to create a critical mass of practitioners, activists, and everyday humans to offer conscious, caring, carnage-informed touch and holding for Black bodies and People of the Global Majority (PGM). This program will benefit all PGM, but will be focusing specifically on the Chronically UnderTouched Black body and will do a deep evaluation of the Black Brute and the shaping of America’s extractive sexual and violent touch story today.
For the most up-to-date information about the Touch Specialist Program (Touch Activist Program beginning in 2024) Chronically UnderTouched (CUT) Project website.
Touch Specialist Cohort 2 Schedule
Facilitated by Aaron Johnson + Team
Nov. 10-12, 2023 — In Person Immersion Weekend at The Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama
Aug/Sept 2023 — Online Class Series 1: Interrupting the Chronically UnderTouched Trauma Story (4 weeks, Tuesdays 5-7pm PST)
October 2023 — Online Class Series 2: Anatomy of the Black Brute (4 weeks, Tuesdays 5-7pm PST)
Nov/Dec 2023 — Online Class Series 3: Preparing the Body for Deep Holding (4 weeks, Tuesdays 5-7pm PST)
Touch and holding include physical touch as well as energetic holding and presence, song, movement, nature connection and deep listening. The Touch Specialist Program is for both formal practitioners in these areas, as well as anyone who wants to interrupt the Chronically UnderTouched trauma story and be a part of the collective healing of closeness.
APPLY: bit.ly/TouchSpecialistApp2023
Applications close June 28, 2023. Payment plans are available. Please complete final payment by the 15th of the third month of your program. Or, reach out to us for an alternate arrangement.
The Training
Full Program
July 21 – December 5, 2023
Includes In-Person Immersion Weekend at The Legacy Museum in Montgomery, AL; a three Month online Class Series Package; and three or more 1:1 calls with Aaron Johnson.
Access: $4,000
Break Even: $8,000
Redistribution: $12,000
Includes admission to the Legacy Museum; Access rate three 1:1 calls with Aaron; Break Even rate includes four 1:1 calls Redistribution rate includes 5 or more calls. Does not include travel or lodging for Immersion Weekend.
Immersion Weekend at The Legacy Museum
To kick off the program, we will gather together for three days in Montgomery, Alabama, learning and focusing on physical sessions, holding each other and the material in real time as we work with the historical and present day content of The Legacy Museum.
Nov. 10-12, 2023
Montgomery, Alabama
Includes admission to the Legacy Museum; does not include travel or lodging.
Immersion Only
Access: $1000
Break Even: $2000
Redistribution: $4000
Class Series — Online
Each Class Series is 4 weeks of online class with an intimate cohort. Classes run Tuesdays, 5-7pm PST.
Classes are designed to be cumulative, and we encourage a single series drop-ins. Each series comes with a 1:1 call with Aaron Johnson.
Class Series 1: Interrupting the Chronically UnderTouched Trauma Story — Aug/Sept 2023
Class Series 2: Anatomy of the Black Brute — October 2023
Class Series 3: Preparing the Body for Deep Holding — Nov./Dec. 2023
Individual Class Series
Includes a 4-week Class Series and a 1:1 call with Aaron Johnson.
Access: $1,350
Break Even: $2,650
Redistribution: $4,000
Class Series Package
Includes all Class Series and three 1:1 sessions with Aaron Johnson.
Access: $3,000
Break Even: $6,000
Redistribution: $8,000
Work Trade
We have 3 partial work trade positions for reduced tuition, estimated at 40-50 hours of work, each. These positions are designed for Full Program participants and will support our time together and the future of the program.
APPLY FOR PARTIAL WORK TRADE POSITIONS: bit.ly/2023worktradeapp
Zoom Tech
Holds down the online zoom classes on Tuesday evenings for all 3 Class Series. Sets up breakout rooms as needed. Meets with the team briefly before the class to understand media sharing needs for that day. Experience with breakout rooms, screen sharing, and sound sharing desired. This might be you if you have consistent internet access or if you do well with multi-tasking to focus.
Video Archivist
Reviews class footage and captures memorable quotes and video clips; potentially using these clips to, in collaboration with the team, create a video about the program, if interested. Basic video editing skills desired. This may be you if you do well with processing information after the fact or enjoy slowing down with the content.
Grant Writer/Resource Transfer Coordinator
Researches and, in collaboration with the team, applies for grants and funding for the first People of the Global Majority (PGM) Touch Specialist Cohort. This may be you if you have grant writing experience or are a passionate internet scourer.
Tuition for each position is $750.
Reach Out to Reserve Your Space
We are seeking sponsors for BIPOC participants for the Touch Specialist Training Program. Make a gift here with a note “Touch Specialist Sponsorship”.
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