Custom words of welcome appear at the beginning of the course and provide your organization a space to communicate directly with your learners
👤 This article is for the main point of contact for a participating organization.
Words of Welcome are a free way to customize your course, and customize your learners' experience.
Words of Welcome appear at the beginning of the course, typically before the Land Acknowledgment lesson and after the general course Your Learning Journey outline lesson. This custom Words of Welcome lesson will welcome your learners to the course and the learning journey, in exactly the way you choose.
This free customization is available for clients who opt for a SCORM file and for clients whose learners take the course through a Reconciliation Education course portal (LMS).
If you would like to proceed with including words of welcome, read on; otherwise, let your Reconciliation Education team member know you'd like to opt out of this customization.
What can we use as words of welcome?
We can incorporate your pre-produced content in video and text formats, and can include photos, PDFs, and most Google or Microsoft Office Suite files (Slides/PowerPoints, Docs/Word, Forms/Excel). We can include these elements in-line in the lesson, embed them, make them available as downloads, or reformat them to flow with the course.
In most cases, you'll work alongside a member of our Production & Design team to create a custom lesson that incorporates your elements. This custom lesson will include your content in a way that pairs perfectly with the style of the course itself to give your learners a seamless experience.
If you're unsure about whether your pre-produced content will be suitable for a Welcome lesson, contact your Reconciliation Education team member for a chat or troubleshooting session.
If you choose to create Words of Welcome, consider our top recommendations for content:
- Invite your leadership or Indigenous lead to welcome learners to the course and provide context as to the 'why' of this learning journey. You can use this time to introduce the importance of the course in your reconciliation journey or action plan, and highlight the things your organization is doing to support Indigenous people and employees and participate in reconciliation.
- Communicate expectations about course completion or deadlines. If you have a regimented training plan, need learners to submit certificates to HR, or have a limited date window for your learners to complete the course, letting them know at the very beginning of their learning journey leads to better results.
- Showcase testimonies about the successful impact of this course from your team. This is especially effective if these testimonies come from a range of levels in the organization.
- Inform learners of your diversity & inclusion initiatives or internal links to documents, event boards, points of contact, support personnel or services. Does your organization have an Indigenous Employee Network or working group?
- PDF or text of Calls to Action specific to your sector or area of work (Health, Justice, Churches, and more) can be highlighted and included in your welcome message. Is your organization aware of the Calls to Action that apply to you and your sector?
- Communicate larger initiatives in truth and reconciliation in your region. This can be a great way to build a sense of community and encourage your learners to participate.
Not sure about what direction to take? Don't worry, we've got you! Let your Reconciliation Education team member know you'd like to see our Words of Welcome demo gallery.