Flow of the Course
Thank You for Joining Sumi’s Touch Doula Training Part 1
✨ Welcome to the Community Learning Model
A 12-Month Online Traditional Birth Worker Training Rooted in Legacy, Community, and Reclamation
You know that feeling of awkwardness in identifying when you began to answer your calling? Well, I think I would say now no matter what you’re officially on the path to becoming a radically grounded, deeply skilled birth worker. Welcome to Sumi’s Touch Foundational Training (Part 1).
This isnt just about you. This is a seed that we will tend the soil for together. We will water it and ensure it has sufficient light, together! Every aspect of this journey is done together.
It’s a yearlong, community rooted journey designed to provide you with the hard and soft skills to support your community as a full spectrum birth worker. Together you all will sharpen your skills, expand your capacity for holding space, and connect with what is calling you forth. You have just joined a powerful collective of learners and leaders in the birth world.
📚 Your Learning Journey
The training unfolds over 12 months, guided by our Community Learning Model, which intentionally weaves structured coursework with collaborative pod learning, mentorship, and live sessions together. The Community Learning Model was designed by Sumi after mentoring and teaching thousands of people in the virtual and in person settings. This training is better than it has ever been and sure to resonate with you and meet you where you are at.
- 16 Transformative Modules are released as you complete each one.
- Each one includes a rich blend of:
- Pre-recorded lectures
- Educational videos from in-person trainings/ lectures by Sumi
- Model demonstrations/ Role play
- Documentaries, audio teachings, and reflections
- PowerPoint presentations
- Quizzes and assignments
- Each module will also have an episode of the exclusive podcast “This is a calling” and a “rabbit hole” full of resources based upon the focused topic.
You’ll need 3–5 hours per module (outside of live sessions), and we recommend working through one module per week at the most as to give yourself time to integrate and process.
🧠 Real-Time Connection & Community
Upon joining, you will be placed into a Learning Pod. Learning pods are intimate groups with a cap of no more than 6 people. These groups are designed to provide each participant with support, connection, and inspiration. Your pod is your built-in accountability circle, a space to grow together, and for years beyond this journey we hope you each are still connected and rooting one another on! Your learning pod will be essential for you in completing your final Capstone Community Project, too.
The capstone includes:
- A community directory
- Educational handouts
- Organizational documents
- A clear and inspired vision for your path forward
You’ll build and present this project as both an individual and a collective.
🔥 Live Experiences That Deepen the Work
To nourish your growth and support you in expanding your insights, you’ll also participate in monthly and bi-monthly live sessions, including:
- Master Classes (2x/month) : Taught by Sumayyah Franklin and guest experts. These interactive zoom sessions are rich with dialogue, group learning, and live integration. Attendance is required for certification.
- Monthly Study Groups : A more informal space to connect with peers, get support from TAs, and ask questions about the curriculum. These sessions are optional.
- Office Hours with Sumi : Held after select Master Classes, drop in for direct support, guidance, and check-ins with your favorite teacher. You will also have access to all offerings in virtual circle from the moment you enroll until you decide to transition.
✅ Certificate of Completion Requirements
To earn your certificate of completion, you must:
- No miss more than 3 live master classes in the 12 month period
- Complete 90% of the course material
- Successfully submit your Capstone Community Project
🌀 Lifetime Access Option
Your enrollment includes 12 months of access to the course. If you’d like to continue revisiting the material beyond that, you can upgrade to lifetime access at any time.