Page 93 - MMP-N-NJ CCN 21st Century School Nurse Leadership Book

Community Cafe Training Guide: Host Conversations That Matter

Welcome to a specialized training to learn an easy and effective method of community engagement
called a Community Cafe. Community Cafes are small group gatherings where structured
conversations around specific topics are held and community-based solutions are identified.
It is a participant-driven discussion that empowers community members by asking about their
experiences or solutions to specific topics (Brown, 2005).

For example, a Community Cafe can focus on parents’ perceptions around their children’s health
care experience, or their understanding of the impact of chronic absenteeism on student success.
The point is that the discussion is community-driven. Asking the experts, our families, to create
community-driven solutions empowers them through giving their perspective a voice.

Let’s break down the process into actionable steps:

Step 1: Begin the planning process for a Community Cafe with an understanding of the goals of
each conversation.

• Consider topics based on trends identified within the school community. For example,
if your school community identifies an increase in absenteeism, barriers to school
attendance may be an important topic to discuss.
• Explore topics based on needs identified by the community outside of the school. For
example, if your community has seen an increase in incidences of neighborhood violence,
your topic may be related to school safety concerns.
• Community Cafes build connections in communities that are sometimes self-isolating.
Listen for trends and concerns that parents or community members bring to your
attention.
• Community leaders are home-grown, this is an opportunity for parents/guardians and
community members to shine.

Step 2: Recruitment - Community Cafes are intimate gatherings of 10-12 participants. You can
have one large conversation or break up into smaller groups, it is completely up to you.

• Invite parents/guardians and community members with diverse perspectives to attend
simply by asking! Explain that you are looking for parent/guardian and community
members input around important topics.
• Parents/guardians and community members are our experts!
• Communicate early and often with participants - person to person works, reach out
through face to face discussions, text messages and invitations.
• Create a simple invitation - people respond to being personally invited. Invitation
Template (greetingsisland.com)
• Remind people weekly through text messaging, flyers and invitations. Use the invitation as a flyer!
• Be enthusiastic and explain that the parent/guardian and community perspective is
needed and important.
• Tell potential participants that the goal is community - driven solutions to specific topics.
• Be positive and engaging; participants want to share their opinions. Enthusiasm is
contagious, spread it!
• Be mindful of working families and stagger the times of your Community Cafes. For
example: Host Cafes at the beginning, middle or end of the day in addition to evening
hours. Make it convenient, hold it in your school, where participants already have a level
of comfort and connection.
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