# Event Details - **Event Name**: Fall Festival 2026 ~ NVC Santa Cruz - **Event Start and End Date**: Sat, 24 Oct, 2026 at 09:00 am – Sun, 25 Oct, 2026 at 05:00 pm (-07:00) - **Event Description**: Full weekend of workshops on diverse topics in Nonviolent Communication.About this EventMark your calendars for October 24th & 25th for a weekend of enriching and connecting workshops for beginners through more experienced practitioners. All levels are welcome and accommodated! Come for the whole weekend or just the parts that interest you.We are using compassionate pricing to meet our needs for generosity and your needs for contribution. This means you are welcome to register to attend for any amount that works in your budget. Here is some context to help you decide on an amount:Sustaining: A sustaining donation of $301+ helps us continue our mission beyond this retreat.Maintaining: A maintaining donation of $300 helps us cover our overhead costs for this retreat.Supported: A supported donation of $35-299 will be gratefully accepted as we welcome all interested parties, regardless of ability to pay.Please register by Friday October 17th to help our logistics flow smoothly.WHAT TO EXPECT (scroll down for details)SATURDAY & SUNDAY 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM at Simpkins Swim Center/Live Oak Meeting Rooms (Santa Cruz)Over both days, we’ll offer:A dedicated beginner’s track of workshops with Jean Morrison, Eric Huang, and Caren Camblin to grasp the fundamentals, encounter NVC in a new way, or just get a refresher.An experienced practitioner’s track of workshops with Kristin Masters and Caren Camblin, and othersMore workshops open to all levels, with the above trainers, plus Zucu Bermann and first-time guest trainer Edmundo Norte.NOTE: "experienced pracitioners" does not necessarily mean "advanced," but just that you've taken at some workshops and/or read Marshall's book and have some facility with the basics on NVC.FULL SCHEDULE OF OFFERINGSSATURDAY at The Live Oak Meetings Rooms at Simpkins Swim Center (979 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz)8:45 - 9 am Greeting & gathering9 - 9:30 am Morning council, overview of offerings9:45 - 11:15 amSession 1 A (Beginner’s Track) Intro/Refresher to NVC with Jean MorrisonJoin Jean for her interactive introduction to the heart, head, and soul of NVC, a mindful/conscious process for our whole being and our relationships.Session 1 B (Experienced Practitioners) Beyond OFNR: Practicing NVC Consciousness with Caren CamblinHow can we lean into an ongoing, embodied relationship with NVC, not just as tools to reach for in crisis, but as an orientation to life? What might that look like and feel like? This session will draw on guided meditation, storytelling, and journaling or pair-shares to explore the possibilities.11:30 am - 12:45 pmSession 2 A (All Levels) Self-Empathy: What Is It and How Does It Work? with Zucu BermannIn this experiential session, you'll witness self-empathy in action, learn some of the relational neuroscience behind how it supports emotional regulation, and go on a guided self-empathy journey.Session 2 B (All Levels) 4 ways of Hearing Hard Stuff with Kristin MastersThis is one of Kristin’s favorite ways of integrating learning of NVC principles, and often generates both insights and practices. Group play, learning, and practice of the gifts of 4 chairs/4 ears.12:45 - 1:45 pm Lunch & Integration2:00 - 3:15 pmSession 3 A (Beginner’s Track) Saying “No” and Hearing “No” with Eric HuangSaying “no” can be hard. So can hearing “no.” And it can be the start of self empowerment and authentic connection. Join Eric for a bit of journaling, “yelling” at each other, and group discussion. Material stolen from Jean Morrison and others. Geared toward beginners, though could be fun for experienced practitioners as well.Session 3 B (All Levels) NVC’s Critical Role in Relational Healing for Social Justice with Edmundo NorteDrawing from the work of several elders and experienced activists, in this session we will engage with a framework for action which includes the critical role that NVC tools and consciousness can play in transformative action––that is, action that helps heal individual and collective trauma––to truly create a world that honors all beings.3:30 - 5:00 pmSession 4 A (All Levels) Relational Repair as Walking in Beauty: NVC as a Way of Seeing and Moving in Relationship with Edmundo NorteIn this session we will focus on the critical role that “relational repair” plays in living in alignment with our interdependent nature as human beings, and how NVC principles and practices can restore connection and model a healthy way of being when we inevitably have negative impacts on others.Session 4 B (Experienced Practitioners) Choosing "Use of Force" with Kristin MastersOne of the questions that can stump us in NVC is about “protective use of force.” How can we comprehend, feel, and practice the differences between protective and punitive? Join Kristin for a supported inquiry.SUNDAY at The Live Oak Meetings Rooms at Simpkins Swim Center (979 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz)9:00 - 9:15 am Greeting and gathering9:15 - 10:30 amSession 5 A (All Levels) Empathy Poker with Jean MorrisonImmerse in presence with, and empathy for, others and deeper understanding and empathy for yourself. It’s poker in an exquisite version: yes, we’ll have cards—NEEDS cards! This session provides repetitive practice in formulating and offering compassionate guessing of others’ needs. Limited to 15.Session 5 B (All Levels) Transforming Enemy Images with Eric HuangBring your enemies with you (if you want to). And we will see what empathy, journaling and small group discussion can do to make it less awful to think about someone as an enemy. Designed for beginners; may be useful for experienced practitioners who still occasionally have people they don't like very much. Eric stole bits of these practices from Jim and Jori Manske and Dr Yvette Erasmus.10:45 am - 12 pmSession 6 A (Beginner’s Track) Q & A on the theory and practice of NVC with Caren CamblinYou’ve taken at least one Intro session or Basics course (or you've read a little or watched some videos) and you’ve got questions! This session will focus on your wonderings about the theoretical foundations, key distinctions, and general practice of NVC. Caren will gather and group your queries, then we’ll dialogue our way to more clarity.Session 6 (All Levels) The Art of the Request with Zucu BermannDoes making or responding to requests feel vulnerable because of the possibility of hearing or saying "no?" Through live practice, we'll make requests feel less scary by sharpening our tools for turning any response into an opportunity for connection.12 - 1 pm Lunch & Integration1:15 - 2:45 pmSession 7 A (Experienced Practitioners) Mediating Your Own Conflict with Kristin MastersWe’ll draw on principles and skills of NVC-based mediation to the (many) times when you are a party to the conflict, when there is no third party holder. Holding space for someone else’s struggle can be pretty different from stepping into that role when you are not removed from impact.Session 7 B (All Levels) Street Giraffe/Code Switching with CarenWhen we first learn any language, we reach for templates and stock vocabulary. It can sound and feel stilted. As we practice, especially with other speakers/learners, we can find our way to more authenticity and natural expression. This session will focus on finding our own clear voices in an NVC framework, and “translating” tools depending on context.3 - 4:15 pmSession 8 A (All Levels) Being Giraffe versus Doing Giraffe with Kristin Masters“Being giraffe” versus “doing giraffe” is a key distinction in NVC. Kristin will tease out some of the elements of inhabiting and moving within NVC consciousness as distinct from just “using the tools.” Come away with deeper appreciation and understanding of what makes NVC “work.”Session 8 B (All Levels) 9 Skills for Authentic Expression and Navigating Hard Conversations with Eric HuangBring your hard situation (that you’re currently experiencing or want to redo) and we will map out how to use NVC on a “dance floor.” Eric will role play the conflict while participants may choose to observe or take part in the practice. This session brings together all the basics of NVC and shows how it can be applied in various situations. Material derived from Jim and Jori Manske.4:30 - 5 pm Closing & harvestingABOUT THE TRAINERSZucu Bermann, she/herZucu is the newest member of the core team of NVC Santa Cruz. Her work weaves together Nonviolent Communication, relational neuroscience, trauma healing and organizational systems design/development to support people in creating more secure and loving relationships with themselves, others, and all of life.When she's not using words, she is often found dancing or hanging out with the ocean. She has been actively experimenting with different forms of community living since 2021 as part of her interest in reweaving connection into everyday life.You can learn more at zucubermann.com.Caren Camblin, she/herCaren has been learning and practicing with NVC Santa Cruz since 2005 and has been a member of the Core Team of trainers since 2020. At UCSC she teaches “NVC and Social Justice,” a revolutionary, immersive course developed by Christine King, in which students live, learn, and practice together in a themed residence hall. She credits NVC with radically informing all of her relationships—in the classroom, with friends and family, and crucially, with herself.She is deeply interested in the underlying philosophical foundations of NVC and how the application of NVC can be used to interrogate and unseat systems of domination and oppression. As an academic, she loves hashing out your questions—please bring them!Caren is a Senior Lecturer at UCSC, a registered yoga teacher, and owns a body positive, LGBTQIA+ inclusive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school called NIJI DOJO. More at www.nijidojo.com or contact her at caren.email@gmail.com.Eric Huang, he/himI discovered nonviolent communication seven years ago at a nine day international intensive training. I was at a low point in life and unhappy in every part of it.It changed my life.Every relationship improved immediately, especially the closest ones my partner, my kids, and my work environment. I enjoyed my volunteering as a soccer coach and coach instructor.Eventually (now), after seven years of practice I really enjoy spending time with my parents. I'm so grateful that I got to this time now while they're still alive.I spent more than 25 years in tech in marketing. Before that I spent two years in environmental engineering after studying the topic for seven years.I've coached thousands of kids and hundreds of parents in a volunteer soccer league to become “better” players, coaches, referees, and volunteers. I spent the last seven years fully immersed in nonviolent communication, trying to learn and grow and do hard things. And occasionally eating lots of snacks which is easier. I hope you'll join me for one of my sessions. I'm grateful that I get to teach alongside people I respect and admire. Let me know how I can support you?Kristin Masters, she/theyKristin was first exposed to NVC by Jean in 1995 in a workshop at San Quentin. Since then, she has drawn from NVC principles and frameworks as essential in a Venn diagram (with JEDI and Work That Reconnects) as she facilitated, mediated and coached folks toward trust, collaboration and purpose. She was certified in 2010. She added the trauma informed Resonant Language/Healing work of Sarah Peyton in 2014.She specializes in Grief & Gratitude work She is now an AiT (assessor in training) and has trained internationally. She welcomes inquiries about individual and organizational work.Kristin Masters - Center for Nonviolent Communication https://share.google/m7sJvgr2f29pvv6XNKristin@nvcsantacruz.orgMasters.kristin@gmail.com831-246-0730Jean Morrison, she/herJean jumped head-first and heart-deep into NVC at an Intro to NVC in SF offered by founder, Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D. That experience catapulted her to a 40 year career in learning, integrating, and sharing NVC in various parts of the world within a wide variety of settings and circumstances (ask her!). Her approach is mindful, playful, and fruitful for living this “language of life.” With her MA in Psych, and immersive studies in the Typology of the Enneagram, The Work of Byron Katie, and influences from Buddhist thought and ‘lifelong learning’…and in being a mom…Jean finds NVC to be the living form of being present to whatever circumstance is naturally occurring within and around her.She is a founding member of NVC Santa Cruz and GROKtheWORLD.com (NVC games, books, and materials), author of Communication FUNdamentals, and Feelings on Parade. She works mostly now with individuals, couples, and small groups. giraffe@cruzio.com; 831-685-2326Edmundo Norte, he/him/eseBorn and raised in the heart of East LA, Edmundo identifies as Xicano connected to his indigenous Rarámuri ancestry, and holds a multicultural appreciation of the indigenous roots in all cultural traditions.He has taught at every level of public and private education, from Kindergarten in South-East LA to graduate school at Harvard University’s Department of Human Development and Psychology. He served as the Dean of Intercultural and International Studies at De Anza College for 12 years and has now shifted to Emeritus status, where he contributes to the Campus community in collaboration with various offices.He also serves as a Senior Fellow for the Community Learning Partnership (CLP)––a national network of community colleges working collaboratively with community-based organizations to develop educational pathways for organizers from historically marginalized communities, and he provides training and guidance for a statewide project with the same mission, the California Youth Leadership Corps (CYLC).As an internationally Certified Trainer in Nonviolent Communication (NVC), Edmundo brings a critical, social-justice lens to his own integrated practice and teaching of NVC for personal and systemic transformation, through an indigenously-rooted worldview on power dynamics and everyday leadership for relational healing at the internal, interpersonal, and structural/systemic dimensions of human experience. In his daily practice he strives to live in balance around the Medicine Wheel––the Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, and Mental dimensions of our humanity––as a way of moving in life, whether as an avid runner, writer, artist, partner, father, or extended-family elder. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/santa-cruz/fall-festival-2026-~-nvc-santa-cruz/100001996843103476 - **Event Categories**: fitness, Workshops, Art, Nonprofit, Kids, health-wellness, literary-art, Festivals, Meetups, fine-arts - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 1 - **Event Highlights**: - Duration: 8 hours - Location: Simpkins Family Swim Center - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Santa Cruz - **state**: CA - **country**: United States - **location**: Simpkins Family Swim Center - **lat**: 36.9691915 - **long**: -121.9881154 - **full address**: Simpkins Family Swim Center, 979 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Fall Festival 2026 ~ NVC Santa Cruz - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events4/banners/140fa371650d22985b71654b90a925102099de95a606b53c8ba9eb49d862e130-rimg-w1200-h600-dce8f8f8-gmir.jpg?v=1786084059 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Fall Festival 2026 ~ NVC Santa Cruz being held? - **A:** Fall Festival 2026 ~ NVC Santa Cruz takes place on Sat, 24 Oct, 2026 at 09:00 am to Sun, 25 Oct, 2026 at 05:00 pm at Simpkins Family Swim Center, 979 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Fall Festival 2026 ~ NVC Santa Cruz? - **A:** Fall Festival 2026 ~ NVC Santa Cruz is organized by NVC Santa Cruz. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Fall Festival 2026 ~ NVC Santa Cruz is ideal for curious learners, students, and skill-builders looking to gain hands-on knowledge and practical expertise in a focused, interactive setting. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Santa Cruz, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. 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