Jodi Whiteman, M.Ed. Aidan Bohlander, LICSW

Exploring the Café Model: Discovering a New Way to Engage in Meaningful Conversations

Provides forum for person-to-person conversation. Levels the playing field...everyone participates . Encourages deep listening—to self and others. Offers a new way to make connections. Raises awareness both of how much we know and how much

there is to learn. Allows for and honors the sharing of ideas, resources, and

experiences. Gain insight and hope. Celebrates the wisdom in the room!

Purpose & Goals of Cafes

Parent and Community Cafés are derived from

the World Café model Cafés are a method of facilitating meaningful,

reflective conversations that promote leadership and collaboration

Nationally states and organizations are

adopting the Café Model. In 2014 ZERO TO THREE created the

Minnesota Café Model Facilitator’s Guide.

Background

PUPROSE: To support and nurture families and/or providers • Promote CSSP’s Protective Factors • Build on parent/provider engagement • Reduce social isolation • Support community development efforts • Emphasize the importance of culture, as woven

through ZERO TO THREE’s handout series: Parents and Providers: Sharing the Care

Parent/Provider Cafés

Protective Factors

Parental Resilience Resilience is the ability to manage and bounce back from the challenges that emerge in every family’s life

Social Connections Friends, family members, neighbors and community members provide emotional support, help solve problems, offer parenting advice and give concrete assistance to parents.

Concrete Support in Times of Need Meeting basic economic needs like food, shelter, clothing and health care are essential for families to thrive. Likewise, when families encounter a crisis such as domestic violence, mental illness or substance abuse, adequate services and supports need to be in place to provide stability, treatment and help for family members to get through the crisis.

Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development Accurate information about child development and appropriate expectations for children’s behavior at every age help parents see their children and youth in a positive light and promote their healthy development.

Social and Emotional Competence of Children A child or youth’s ability to interact positively with others, self-regulate their behavior and effec-tively communicate their feelings has a positive impact on their relationships with their family, other adults, and peers.

Nurturing and Attachment Children need warm, caring, consistent relationships in order to support healthy social emotional

development.

The Café Process

Powerful Questions • Simple and Clear • Thought Provoking • Open-ended • Generates Energy • Opens New Possibilities

Café Roles

Facilitator Provides guidance and coordination for the overall Café process Host(s) Guides the conversations at their table Participants Actively participates in the conversations throughout the café

I. Welcome II. Introductions III. One-on-One Conversations IV. Café Table Discussion Questions V. Group Reflection VI. Closing Exercise/Practice/Ritual VII. Additional Resources & Evaluations

Café Agenda

One-on-One Conversations

Facilitator Introduces One-on-One Conversations 1. Pair Up 2. Explain Active Listening 3. Time Limited – 2 minutes each person

Each Café has a unique conversation activity!

One-on-One Conversation: Importance of Culture

We are each made up of our own experiences and stories. Each of us probably has a unique story about our day and how we came to the Café today.

A pocket story is a short story about an item that you currently have with you today (e.g., item in your purse/wallet, piece of clothing, jewelry). Please each take 2 minutes to share with your partner your pocket story.

Main Café Conversations

Host • Be patient • Remember your body language (make eye contact,

lean-in, nod to acknowledge contributions) • Be comfortable with silence • Encourage participants to go deeper by asking them

to say more or describe how they feel • Share your own understanding of the questions and

how it relates to you and your family (as appropriate)

Question A

• How can you

bring a child’s family values and beliefs into the services you provide?

Question B

• How do your

own values and beliefs influence the way you care and provide services for children?

Question C

• How do you

share your beliefs and values respectfully with others?

Café Conversation Questions : The Importance of Culture

• What came up for you when discussing the question?

• What are you taking away from the conversation (one word reflection)?

• How might cafes be used in your work?

Group Reflection

Café Conversations can bring up sensitive issues that participants may be facing within their families, local, or national community.

Sensitive Issues

Think about…

1. When a participant cries, or becomes overwhelmed, how do we respond?

2. How do we support participants in a helpful way that doesn’t try to fix their situation or comes across as judgmental?

3. How do we guide a participant who dominates the group? 4. How do we help de-escalate a disagreement between

participants? 5. What do we do when we are triggered?

Adaptations

• Culture • Family Composition • Language • Literacy • Adolescent Parents • Father/Male

Caregiver

Questions?