Host Duties (includes virtual instructions)

OVERVIEW

This document describes the process for hosting a conversation on behalf of the Denver Journal of Education and Community (DJEC). The process includes the possibility
of conversations being held remotely via an online platform like zoom.

PURPOSE

DJEC hopes to partner with community-based organizations and non-profits to host these conversations each quarter. The standing location, consistent quarterly schedule, and community partnerships are intended to try to build the type of community that DJEC and the partner organizations value, and build expectations about these conversations happening in an organized way.

Community conversations are intended to provide the opportunity for individual residents of the Denver-metro area to engage in dialogue with neighbors, co-workers, friends, and others about a topic related to public education. Community conversations are open and should not be facilitated in order to direct a conversation in any particular direction. Instead, each participant should be given the opportunity to share their own thoughts, experiences, and ideas in response to a prompt or question provided by DJEC.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities for hosting include planning and preparing to host, inviting participants, acquiring host materials, hosting the conversation, and returning relevant materials to DJEC.

SPECIFIC PROCEDURE

Planning to Host

1. Determine a date (coordinated to occur within the DJEC timeline) and time for the conversation
2. Ensure you have adequate space and seating or adequate internet connection if people will be joining virtually
3. Invite people to the community conversation through a means of your choice. DJEC will also promote the community conversation via DJEC social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter).
4. If you are inviting people to participate virtually, consider the following:
   a. The capacity of your technology (e.g., speaker, microphone, internet speed)
   b. DJEC can provide an email invitation including a zoom link.
5. Inform DJEC one week in advance of food orders, child care needs, and language interpretation services if the conversation is happening in person.

STARTING THE CONVERSATION

As a community partner host, be sure that someone from your organization is present to welcome participants and describe how the conversation will flow to ensure equal footing for all participants. Below is a series of steps to help you host the conversation. If your conversation is remote, you should plan to adjust accordingly.

1. Welcome participants to the meeting.
2. Begin conversation at the appointed time (indicate minutes remaining before the conversation begins).
3. Record the full conversation (it is not necessary to record the welcome, but you should begin recording at the time the conversation begins).
4. State that the conversation is hosted on behalf of the Denver Journal of Education and Community.
5. State that the purpose of the conversation is to hear from the community, to learn about their experiences with public schools in the region.
6. State that the conversation is being recorded, and will be used by the Journal to represent community perspectives. Also state that community member identities will be anonymous in the report (so that everyone can be genuine, whether their thoughts seem positive or negative about the district, about their school, or about people in the school).
7. Check that the recording is happening as planned.
8. Next, remind the group they are being recorded; if anyone does not agree, let them know that they should not participate.
9. Then, ask each participant to introduce themselves.
10. Then, ask the group the provided prompt or question (they do not have to go around the group in any particular order).
11. When the conversation seems to be near an end, let the group know that it may be time to wrap up.
12. Ask whether there is anything that came to mind for anyone, that is relevant to the topic, and give space for this. Once this is done, let the group know that the formal conversation is concluded.
13. After approximately an hour, when the conversation is wrapping up, stop the recording either on the device if in person, or end the recording on zoom. Please thank them for their participation in this important work.

DJEC will provide a QR code that each participant will be asked to scan in order to gather name, email address, suggestions for future topics, consent to potentially use a photo on DJEC social media accounts, and consent to record if the conversation happens via zoom.

Following the meeting
If on zoom, the conversation should record automatically. If in-person, please arrange a time for someone from DJEC to retrieve the recording device.

Finally

Thank you for your willingness to be a community partner with the Denver Journal of Education and Community.

VIRTUAL COMMUNITY DIALOGUE HOSTING PROCEDURE

• Determine a date and time for the community dialogue.
• Ensure that you have reliable access to the internet.
• Distribute an invitation to the community dialogue, aiming for 8-12 participants. You have the option of using a DJEC invitation if you choose to do so. If you prefer to invite participants through some other means (social media, web-based invitation, text message, etc.), you are welcome to do so. In any case, please be sure to acquire a list of attendees. The DJEC invitation will be sent to you via email if you choose to use that resource.

• Find out about language interpretation needs. Communicate these needs to the DJEC representative one week before the meeting, to the best possible extent.

1.  Instructions for use of the Zoom platform (https://learn-zoom.us/show-me)
2. A guiding question for the dialogue (usually emailed to you)

• As a host, your responsibility is to welcome participants and to describe the process of the community dialogue in order to ensure equal footing for all involved.
• Welcome each person whom you’ve invited to the conversation (as well as those who may have joined unexpectedly).
• Remind the participants that they are being recorded (please record the session) during the Zoom meeting; however, they will not be identified in the writing. Encourage them to participate (gentle encouragement) by letting them know that they may participate but state that they do not want to be quoted directly in any DJEC writing informed by this conversation.
• Once it is time to begin, read aloud the question to the group. If necessary, remind participants to speak up a bit, though this is best communicated at the start of the dialogue, so as not to interrupt the discussion.
• Once the conversation wraps up (typically, this should be after about an hour), let participants know that the meeting is over and that they are welcome to log off of the Zoom.  Be sure to thank them for their participation in this important work.

• The Zoom platform should automatically record the Zoom meeting, and it will either prompt you to download it to your desktop, or in the cloud. We recommend downloading it to your desktop, then either save it to Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. and email the link to the audio file (.m4a) if it’s larger than 20 MB. The files are located in the Zoom resources folder on your hard drive.
• Please be sure to leave the meeting. Thank you for hosting on behalf of the Denver Journal of Education and Community.

PHOTO AND CONSENT TO RECORD FORM
(you can cut and paste this content and send them to the link below)

For valuable consideration received, I (you) model (photoshoot & recording participant) hereby grant to (Denver Journal of Education and Community) the absolute and irrevocable right and unrestricted permission to use, re-use, display, distribute, transmit, publish, re-publish, copy, or otherwise used (as it pertains to this project), either in whole or in part, either digitally, in print, or in any other medium now or hereafter known, for any purpose whatsoever and without restriction, images are taken of me, or in which I may be included; to alter the same without restriction in perpetuity and to copyright the same. I understand and agree that the Photographer may or may not use my name in conjunction with the images as he or she so chooses.

I hereby release and discharge the Denver Journal of Education and Community, and his or her agents, representatives, and assignees from any and all claims and demands arising out of or in connection with the use of the photographs or film/video footage, including without limitation any and all claims for invasion of privacy, right of publicity, and defamation. I represent that I am over the age of eighteen (18) years and that I have read the foregoing and fully understand its contents. This release shall be binding upon me, my heirs, legal representatives, and assigns.

This agreement is being made and entered into under the laws of the State of Colorado and shall be governed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of said state. This agreement embodies the entire agreement of the parties (model “Photo Shoot Participant” and Denver Journal of Education and Community). No modification of this agreement shall be of any effect unless it is made in writing and signed by all of the parties to the agreement.

• Dialogue Interest Form
• Download the PDF version