Real talk as Community Gabfest pilot continues

Did you see the Community Gabfest announcement in December 2022 and wonder what it was all about?

Why Community Gabfests?

We often hear that one of the ways that you learn best is during informal, ad hoc chats with other practitioners. Then we heard this:

CLN, a literacy support org in Alberta, now runs simple monthly “Community Cafes” for literacy practitioners. Just a simple online meeting, no agenda, where practitioners can chat, vent, brainstorm, etc. I just thought I’d tell you because if there was one organized in Ontario, I’d definitely attend it.

And the Community Gabfests came to be.

What is happening so far?

We’ve held four Community Gabfests and planned two more. At first, we invited a small group while we experimented with the format and the time. We had some amazing conversations and the response was positive. As a participant commented:

It was nice to learn about different experiences from literacy practitioners. The environment was safe and cordial to talk about your experiences with learners.

For 2023, we felt ready to invite the whole Ontario literacy field. We had a good response in terms of registrations. Actual attendance was light but the discussion was thoughtful, thought-provoking and inspiring. One participant said:

This isn’t gab, this is real talk.

What is happening next? 

We would love to learn from and with you at the next Community Gabfest and to hear your feedback about next steps for Community Gabfests.