How to Start a CTI project

Most workshops that CTI offers can be delivered to your site through a series of workshops, each lasting three or four days, spread over a school year. The workshops are presented by trainers certified by the RWCT program.

• Certified trainers are available for projects in Europe, Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa. Ask about locating trainers for these regions by contacting the project through this website: info@criticalthinkinginternational.org



• Select a target group of about 35 participants. Try to select 3-4 participants from each school site. It helps to have a small group instead of just one person representing a particular school. Who should be selected?
  • Educators with outstanding teaching experience
  • Educators with leadership potential
  • Educators willing to become certified trainers
  • Educators willing to train others


• You will need to pay the costs of local participants. Look for funding from government or private sources. Typically costs include:
  • Transportation, hotel, meals, if necessary
  • Photocopies of project materials
  • Supplies, such as chart paper, markers, tape


• You will also need funding for the expenses of the certified RWCT trainers. This might include:
  • Transportation,
  • Hotel and meals
  • Sometimes an honorarium, although many will volunteer their services


• Make a schedule for the workshops. They could be after school during the week, or on weekends, or during vacation breaks. You can discuss this schedule with the trainers.



• Make a plan for expanding the project. One effective plan is a cascade model, i.e. the participants in the first group are certified as trainers. Then they go out in groups of 3-4 to train other groups of 35 participants. Those new participants then do the same.



• Be sure that participants have time for guided practice during the workshops. Be sure that they try out project strategies with students between workshops. Have meetings between workshops for participants to share successes, ideas, questions, and problems.