Okay so you’ve signed up and you're looking at the class library. Here's what to expect.

Get started

1. Sign up with your email. No passwords to remember, we send a code to your email. Enter the code and you're in!
2. Complete the orientation. Before your first class, you'll work through a short interactive orientation. It's not a test or a training, it's designed to help you experience what AOM feels like from the inside. You'll watch one of our films, respond to reflection prompts, and think through how you want to approach your first session. It takes 30-60 minutes at your own pace, and you only do it once.
3. Browse the class library. 65+ classes, filterable by mental health topic, social emotional learning skill, class type, length, featured identities, and more. Every class is available for your free session — there's no restricted tier and no "starter" classes. Pick the one that genuinely interests you.
4. Preview before you choose. Click into any class to watch the films and review the slides. This is the best way to make sure a class fits your group and your goals. It’s worth it to spend a bit of time here. watching the films is the single most important thing you can do to make sure the class is going to resonate with your students.

Running your class

Once you've chosen a class and set a date, time, and location:

• Set up participant access. Upload a roster (CSV with names and emails) if you know who's coming, or create a registration page with a QR code if it's a drop-in event. Either way, participants get a code sent to their email to access the films and materials.
• Review the materials. Each class includes a full slide deck, a facilitation script with suggested language for every slide, discussion prompts, and a participant worksheet. You don't need to memorize anything. The script is there if you want it — some people follow it closely, others just use the slide bullets. Both approaches work.
• Run the session. Every class follows the same arc: grounding, film viewing, personal reflection, group discussion. The consistency is deliberate — once you've run one class, you understand the structure for all of them.
• Collect evaluations. At the end of the class, participants complete a short evaluation. After you submit your own instructor reflection, you'll see their responses including what they learned, how they felt, and whether the class shifted their perspective on seeking help.

After your class

Take a few minutes to read through the evaluation responses. We hear from instructors all the time that this is their favorite part: seeing what landed for participants, what surprised them, and what shifted. It's also genuinely useful data if you ever need to show the impact of your programming.
If you want to run another class, you can subscribe for $74/year to unlock the full library.

What makes this different from a typical workshop

• You don't need a clinical background. We have licensed therapists who use AOM and we have RAs who've never facilitated anything before. Both do great. The scripts and structure are designed so that anyone who cares about the topic can lead a meaningful session.
• Nobody has to share anything personal. Participants explore through the characters in the films, not by disclosing their own experiences. This is the thing that makes AOM work across every population and every setting — and it's what keeps the space safe for everyone, including you as the facilitator.
• Prep is watching the films. That's genuinely it. Watch them, notice what comes up for you, and think about your group. The rest of the materials are there to support you in the room.

Tips & Notes

• Feeling nervous is completely normal. Almost every instructor we talk to felt that way before their first (and even seventh!) class. The orientation is designed to turn that energy into readiness — and once you're in the room, the structure carries you.
• Start with a class that feels personally interesting to you. Your genuine engagement matters more than technique, and participants can feel the difference.
• For help choosing, see "Recommended Classes for New Instructors" and "How to Choose the Right Class Type for Your Group" in the Learning Center.
• Anything we haven't covered in the Learning Center? Email support@artopeningminds.org and we will respond within one business day.