Learn to build belonging for your people on purpose in our live trainings & cohorts.
The Uplift Center offers two distinct, high-accountability containers where you learn the P.L.A.Y. Method alongside peers who are building what you’re building apply it directly to your real work in real time.
We offer training programs for event professionals, community leaders, and people leaders who are ready to stop bringing individuals together and hoping for the best, and start deliberately designing belonging into every room they're responsible for.
The Programs
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The Programs /
The foundation of each program is the P.L.A.Y. Method, Eli Walker's belonging design framework rooted in performance science, nervous system regulation, and two decades of live facilitation. Every program is led live with Eli, cohort-based, and directly applied to your real work. 2 programs. 1 methodology. Choose the one that's built for your people.
THE P.L.A.Y. LAB
For community leaders & event professionals whose communities and live experiences exist, but aren't connecting the way they imagined.
- 3 weeks
- Live virtual cohort
- $997-$1,500
P.L.A.Y. MASTERMIND
For people leaders, community builders, and experience designers ready for a complete transformation in how they create belonging.
- 3 months
- Live virtual cohort
- Plus In-person retreat
- $4,000-$5,000
Not sure which one is right for you?
FAQ
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The 3-week sprints (Belong by Design™ and The Belonging Lab) are fully virtual via live calls on Zoom with async Slack access throughout. The P.L.A.Y. Mastermind is primarily virtual with one in-person retreat component in month three.
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The P.L.A.Y. Lab™ runs multiple times per year. The P.L.A.Y. Mastermind runs once per year.
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Yes, and many people do. The 3-week sprint is designed as a powerful standalone experience, and as natural entry point into the P.L.A.Y. Mastermind for those who want to go deeper.
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Payment plans are available for the P.L.A.Y. Mastermind. The sprints are priced to be accessible as a single payment.
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Book a call with Eli and she'll point you in the right direction.
What to Expect
You'll be in a room with peers, not just a teacher. Every cohort is intentionally small so you're not just learning from Eli, you're learning from the people sitting alongside you. The peer relationships that form inside these programs are frequently described as the most valuable part of the experience. That's by design.
You'll apply everything to something real. Every framework, every tool, and every session is built around a real community, event, or organization you're currently working on. By the time you finish, you won't just understand the P.L.A.Y. Method — you'll have used it.
You'll be held accountable. The async WhatsApp community is where you share what you tried, what worked, what didn't, and get feedback from peers and Eli in real time. Showing up between sessions is part of the commitment.
You'll experience belonging firsthand. While learning how to create belonging for your people, you experience it for yourself inside the cohort. The program is designed so that the experience of being in it is the proof of the methodology. Which, is why by week 3, you’ll know what success looks and feels like.
You'll leave with something concrete. Every program ends with a complete toolkit creating by you and for you, including facilitation scripts, belonging design templates, and a redesigned experience built around the P.L.A.Y. Method that you’ll have already tested in the real world.
Sample Schedule
The following is a sample weekly rhythm for the 3-week sprint program The P.L.A.Y. Lab. The P.L.A.Y. Mastermind follows a similar rhythm over 3 months.
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One week before your cohort starts, you'll receive:
A welcome email with everything you need to know before day one: Zoom links, Slack invite, and a note from Eli.
A pre-work intake form where you'll share the specific community or event you'll be working on throughout the sprint. This is how Eli arrives on day one already understanding your situation.
A short belonging audit worksheet to complete before the first session, so you arrive with a clear picture of where you are and what you most want to change.
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Monday: Pre-work due + belonging audit worksheet submitted to the cohort Slack.
Wednesday: Live session one - 90 minutes on Zoom. First 30 minutes: Introductions and cohort belonging ritual (yes, we practice what we preach from day one). Next 45 minutes: The belonging audit - Eli walks through the P.L.A.Y. lens and each participant shares their audit findings. Group feedback and diagnosis. Final 15 minutes: Week one implementation challenge assigned - one small observation or experiment to try before next session.
Thursday–Tuesday: Async in WhatsApp - share your implementation challenge updates, ask questions, give peer feedback. Eli checks in twice during the week.
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Wednesday: Live session two - 90 minutes on Zoom. First 15 minutes: Implementation challenge debrief (What did you try? What happened?) Next 60 minutes: Deep dive into the P.L.A.Y. Method (all four pillars taught with direct application to each participant's work). Hot seat format: one participant's real situation worked through live with the group. Final 15 minutes: Week two design challenge assigned (redesign one element of your event or community using the P.L.A.Y. framework.)
Thursday: Your private 1:1 call with Eli - 45 minutes focused entirely on your specific situation, your audit findings, and your redesign work. This is where the methodology gets personal.
Thursday–Tuesday: Async in Slack. Share your redesign work for peer feedback. Eli reviews and responds to every submission.
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Wednesday: Live session three - 90 minutes on Zoom. First 30 minutes: Implementation reports (each participant shares what they tested in their real community or event during the sprint. What worked? What surprised you? What would you do differently?) Next 45 minutes: Facilitation coaching. Eli works with each participant on their presence, play, and delivery. The embodied part. Final 15 minutes: Closing belonging ritual. You'll know why when you get here.
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Cohort bonus call: 30 minutes with Eli, four weeks after the sprint ends, to check in on how implementation is going and answer any questions that have come up in the wild.
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Each live session is 90 minutes. Your 1:1 with Eli is 45 minutes. Async Slack participation takes roughly 20–30 minutes per week. Pre-work and implementation challenges take another 30–60 minutes per week depending on how deep you want to go.
Total time commitment: Approximately 4–5 hours per week for three weeks.
We designed it to be intentionally rigorous enough to create real change, contained enough to fit inside a full professional life.
“Working with Eli is true magic. She hones into your vision then uses her special skill set to introduce new and fun aspects that were likely never on your radar. I had people dancing in the kitchen while we simmered tomatoes; this never would have happened without her.”
- Antonella Aguilera-Ruiz
Founder of Dr and the Chef”
Ready to learn more?
Not sure which one is right for you?
Email belong@theuplift.center and someone from our team will respond within 24 hours.