2. World Café - organizational change tool The World Cafe is a natural & effective way to host meaningful conversations that awaken collective wisdom & engage collaborative action.

3. Launching Inclusive Efforts Through Community Conversations Erik Carter Ph.D. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

4. The Work of Erik Carter Inclusion Peer Mediated Instruction High School Transition/Post School Outcomes

5. Increasing the capacity and commitment of communities to meaningfully include children and adults with significant disabilities, as well as engaging new partners in these efforts. Here, he has focused his work on interventions that engage new partners (e.g., employers, parents, community leaders, congregations) in community change efforts. Increasing the capacity and commitment of communities to meaningfully include children and adults with significant disabilities, as well as engaging new partners in these efforts. Here, he has focused his work on interventions that engage new partners (e.g., employers, parents, community leaders, congregations) in community change efforts.

6. = Community Conversations in action = Community Conversations in action The LINK Program Parents Raising Taxpayers Building Your Future

7. Crafting a new view Instead of pouring knowledge into people's heads, we need to help them grind a new set of glasses, so they can see the world in a new way. That involves challenging the implicit assumptions that have shaped the way people have historically looked at things.. ˜ John Seeley Brown

8. Challenges… Not an out of the box thinker It is hard to listen when you dont have a sense of understanding the issue

9. Community Conversation: Whats It All About? …it is a way to bring a diverse set of community members together to collectively brainstorm strategies and resources that can be used to address a challenge facing the Community.

10. Talking Heads

11. There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about. Margaret Wheatley There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about. Margaret Wheatley; writer and management consultant who studies organizational behavior

12. 1. All communities possess unique opportunities, connections, resources and relationships 1. All communities possess unique opportunities, connections, resources and relationships 2.Members within each community are the experts on the challenges that are most pressing, the solutions, strategies that will work best, and the most effective ways to enlist others in support of change 2.Members within each community are the experts on the challenges that are most pressing, the solutions, strategies that will work best, and the most effective ways to enlist others in support of change 3.Any group of community members who come together no matter how well connected an individual is – will learn of new resources, ideas by interacting with others who share different view points and life experiences 3.Any group of community members who come together no matter how well connected an individual is – will learn of new resources, ideas by interacting with others who share different view points and life experiences 4.Real change that lasts is most likely to come when ideas are based on locally-feasible strategies and approaches 4.Real change that lasts is most likely to come when ideas are based on locally-feasible strategies and approaches Core Principles: Core Principles:

13. Invite a diverse group of people 2. Choose a few questions to guide the conversation 3. Jot down ideas as they emerge 1. Invite a diverse group of people 2. Choose a few questions to guide the conversation 3. Jot down ideas as they emerge Hosting a Community Conversation? Its as Easy as …

14. 3-4 months beforeOrganize your planning team 2 months Find your venue, choose date and time of event Decide on food, decorating, choose questions 6 weeks Invite participants – personal invitations, e-invites, flyers, news release, poster, phone contacts, social media announcements 2-4 weeks Gather all needed materials, decorations, placemats, markers, pens, nametags, etc. 1 week Visit and the venue for final check. Make sure any technology you plan to use functions and the planned layout will work in the space The event Give yourself plenty of time to arrive, set up, and problem solve any glitches that may occur 1-7 days after Follow up with participants through e-mail, thanking them for attending, and sharing information gathered during the harvest and from table host notes. 2 weeksFollow up with any participant who offered to assist with specific ideas of initiative

15. Where do we hold the meeting? FREE Welcoming-Inviting-Functional Comfortable Informal Community Centers/public rooms at the library/ coffee shops with a meeting room

16. Choosing Questions… Simple and clear Thought provoking Generate energy Surface unconscious assumptions Focus inquiry Open new possibilities

17. Questions function as open- handed invitations to creativity, calling forth that which doesnt yet exist. Marilee Goldberg

18. The Conversation Encourage creative communication Share thinking and experience Encourage diverse ideas and perspectives Listen to understand Expect disagreement Connect ideas Listen together for patterns, insights and deeper questions

19. Café Etiquette Focus on what matters Contribute your thinking Speak your mind and heart Listen to understand Link and Connect ideas Listen together for insights and deeper questions Play, Doodle, Draw writing on placemats & tablecloths is encouraged!! Have FUN!! Focus on what matters Contribute your thinking Speak your mind and heart Listen to understand Link and Connect ideas Listen together for insights and deeper questions Play, Doodle, Draw writing on placemats & tablecloths is encouraged!! Have FUN!!

21. After the Conversation Although hosting the initial Community Conversation is significant it is really just a spring board to gain long term community momentum.

22. Resources Launching Inclusive Efforts Through Community Conversations http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/cedd/pdfs/products /community/LaunchingInclusiveEfforts.pdf http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/cedd/pdfs/products /community/LaunchingInclusiveEfforts.pdf A Memphis Community Conversation http://vkc.mc.vanderbilt.edu/tennesseeworks/wp- content/uploads/2013/06/MemphisCCBrief.pdf http://vkc.mc.vanderbilt.edu/tennesseeworks/wp- content/uploads/2013/06/MemphisCCBrief.pdf