Hosting a Community Conversation

Forms
The following forms are required for your Community Conversation program:

• Audience Response Form

• Cost Share Form (Deadline: Five days post event)

• Evaluation Form (Deadline: Five days post event) 

Facilitators:
Remember, you are responsible for contacting your facilitator with directions, location, contact information, and other details.

How the Event Works:
Community Conversations are carefully constructed to encourage participants to voice their thoughts and to listen respectfully to others.

Responsibilities of the hosting organization include:
At the end of the evening, the group will discuss next steps for continuing the conversation, including using the Maryland Humanities Council’s website blog as a way to continue.
The host organization will close the event, thanking participants, making sure that contact information is exchanged, and discussing next steps.

The facilitator will:

• Greet the group and everyone introduces themselves.
• Explaining why the group has come together and the purpose of the event.
• Outline the way in which the event will go forward.
• Ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience the humanities material.
• Begin discussion by asking questions about questions about the humanities piece to the group members.
• Gradually lead the dialogue from the humanities piece to issues in the community.
• Encourage dialogue among group members as well as between the facilitator and the group members.
• Encourage group members to use the humanities material as the touchstone for the conversation, returning to the ideas and words of the piece as the discussion moves forward.