1. The Shared Language of Collaboration: Tools, Processes and Practices
Arts Education Conference: Collaborating for Quality
The Shared Language of Collaboration: Tools, Processes and Practices

2. Welcome! Communities In Schools of Chicago Who am I? Who are we?
What do we do?
Who am I?

3. Goals For Today
We will gain a shared language around collaboration and the various types of collaboration you can pursue
We will investigate what our organizations/school/self need, and what we bring to the collaborative table
We will explore the process of successful collaboration
We will begin to actually collaborate!

4. What is Collaboration?
Collaboration is the mutually beneficial and well-defined relationship entered into by two or more organizations to achieve common goals.
Think of collaboration as a way to do what you do better
“Collaboration leads to creativity”

5. Collaboration Worksheet
Let’s go over the worksheet:
What is your expertise? Embrace it
What is your goal? This is specific to you/your school or class or your organization
What is missing? This can be thought of more generally. What are the barriers to reaching your specific goal more efficiently? Better? Faster?
What are your assets? This can be lots of things- physical space to funders to time to knowledge and skills

6. Types of Collaboration
Resource Sharing
Organizations or educators, typically (although not limited to) those working in the same or similar program areas, share vocabulary and best practices

7. Types of Collaboration
Cooperation
Organizations and/or teachers join together to strengthen their reach by intentionally providing their programs/lessons sequentially or as enrichment to another program or class
Key idea: your programs and/or class can and will still exist without your collaborative partner

8. Types of Collaboration
Construction
Organizations and/or teachers join together and create an entirely new program

9. Types of Collaboration- Activity
You’ll Need:
Types of Collaboration- Activity Worksheet
You’ll Work:
In small groups
Your Goal:
To classify the type of collaboration demonstrated in each scenario

10. Types of Collaboration- Activity
How did we do?
Any questions or shared reflections?

11. Mock Collaborations Let’s go over page 2 of the worksheet:
Commonalities between our goals: We both want constituents to “blank” OR we are both facing “blank” problem
Brainstorming: Free write- Dream big- Think small- Brain dump
Collective Objective: Share your free write ideas and decide which meets both your needs. Reword this into an objective
Type of Collaboration: Which area of collaboration fits best?
Tangible next step: Can’t be just a meeting

12. Mock Collaboration- Activity
You’ll Need:
The Collaboration Worksheet that has the front page already filled out from a fake organization/teacher
You’ll Work:
In pairs with someone who has a different mock organization’s worksheet
Your Goal:
To role play as if you are part of the mock organization or mock school/teacher and develop a collaboration plan with your partner
In transition, I will ask folks to

13. Mock Collaboration- Activity
How did we do?
Any questions or shared reflections?
I hope that some folks find that there was just not a connection- good to know the other person exists but it isn’t going to go further than this
Time to edit worksheet after we reflect

14. Resource Sharing/Collaboration Kick Off
You’ll Need: Page 1 of your Collaboration Worksheet Resource Sharing Note Catcher (Page 2 of your Collaboration Worksheet?) You’ll Work: In pairs- then you’ll join another pair Your Goal: To learn about other organization’s best practices/unique aspects to use in the more immediate future, but also to consider how you may work together more deeply

15. Resource Sharing/Collaboration Kick off- Pairs
To discuss with your partner:
Start with your name, your organization’s or school’s name, and what your goal is. Then share one or both from below:
What is one thing your organization or school/class does differently than others you know about?
What is the most successful activity you do with your constituents?
Give them time to edit page 1 of their worksheet before doing this

16. Resource Sharing/Collaboration Kick Off- Add a Pair
You are now in a group of 4
Go around, introduce your partner and share
What is one thing your partner’s organization or school/class does differently than others they know about?
What is the most successful activity your partner’s organization or school/class does with their constituents?
Give scenario for clarity- check for understanding

17. Resource Sharing/Collaboration Kick Off
How did we do?
Any questions or shared reflections?
Successes?
Surprises?
Exciting Ideas?
General Takeaways?
Give them time to edit page 1 of their worksheet before doing this

18. How’d We Do? Goals For Today
□ We will gain a shared language around collaboration and the various types of collaboration to pursue □ We will investigate what our organizations/school/self need and what we bring to the collaborative table □ We will explore the process of successful collaboration □ We will begin to actually collaborate!

19. Thank you! Robin Koelsch Rkoelsch@cisofchicago.org
ext. 35
@RobinKoelsch
@CISofChicago
#ArtsEdConChi