Permanent Whitewater

Overview

In this immersive simulation, participants step into the complex and turbulent world of Community Forward, a non-profit organization dedicated to community development and social impact. Set against the backdrop of an unpredictable funding landscape and shifting community needs, the simulation explores how a a team learns to navigate organizational challenges and tensions while collaborating with community members who hold mixed feelings about their project.

This simulation highlights the complexities of change management, collaborative leadership, and resilience in non-profit organizations operating in uncertain environments. Participants are invited to engage deeply with the characters' dilemmas, reflect on their own assumptions, and experience firsthand what it means to lead in "whitewater" conditions—where uncertainty, ambiguity, and unpredictability are constant.

Permanent Whitewater as described by Peter Vaill in his work on organizational leadership and change, refers to the constant state of turbulence and unpredictability that organizations and individuals face in modern life. Unlike temporary crises…