Training Guides for
the Head Start Learning Community:
Community Partnerships:
Working Together
| Contents | Preface
| Introduction
| Module 1
| Module 2
| Module 3
| Module 4 | |
Overview
You must be the change you wish to see.-Mahatma Gandhi
Purpose
Community Partnerships: Working Together offers training opportunities for Head Start staff who want to make a difference in the lives of children and families by forging collaborative initiatives. This guide is built on two premises:
- We must do a better job of creating environments in which families can successfully carry out their responsibilities and succeed.
- We have neither the capacity nor the resources to do the job alone. The complex challenges families face in today's society can only be resolved through collaboration.
Audience
Target audiences for this guide's training program are:
- Head Start program managers and coordinators, in their work to build strong community partnerships and enhance the collaborative skills of staff.
- Head Start staff directly involved in services to support families.
- Head Start parents and other volunteers, in their vital roles as collaborative partners.
- Community leaders, consumers, child and family advocates, and service providers, who are potential partners in collaboration.
Head Start Program Performance Standards call for grantee and delegate agencies to take affirmative steps to establish ongoing collaborative relationships with community organizations to promote the access of children and families to community services that are responsive to their needs, and to ensure that Head Start programs respond to community needs.
The Performance Standards refer specifically to community partnerships as vehicles for collaboration. This guide's activities are designed to expand upon and reinforce the community partnership role of staff. That role, as stated in the Performance Standards, involves engaging, planning, and working with other agencies to improve, share, and enhance services, staff, information, and funds.
Organization
Community Partnerships: Working Together is part of a series of training guides developed to build the family support capacity of Head Start staff. As a technical guide, it focuses on the knowledge and skills staff need to be full collaborative partners in community efforts to help families develop, nurture their children, and experience success.
By completing the activities in this guide, participants will achieve the following guide outcomes:
- Work actively with other agencies and community members to improve community conditions, services, and resources for children and families;
- Demonstrate the skills necessary for forming and sustaining collaborative relationships; and
- Participate in strategic planning processes aimed at resolving complex community issues.
Module 1: What Is Collaboration?
This module distinguishes collaboration from the many other ways people work together. Activities point out the benefits of collaboration, connections between collaboration and Head Start Program Performance Standards, and the stages and milestones of the collaborative process. In addition, tools for assessing the local Head Start program's need and readiness for collaboration are presented and discussed.
Module 2: Elements of Success
Successful collaboration requires more than merely a decision to work together. Certain elements are found in a successful collaboration and contribute to its achievements. In this module, staff recognizes the elements that contribute to successful collaboration, review decision-making strategies, and plan effective meetings.
Module 3: Challenges of Collaboration
Challenges and conflicts are inherent to the collaboration-building process. In this module, staff examines typical collaborative challenges and potential sources of conflict among partners. Activities offer staff the opportunity to practice strategies for dealing with both.
Module 4: Practicing the Collaborative Process
In this module, participants assume an active role on a planning team. The module initially focuses on the first two stages of collaboration: getting together to explore how to improve community conditions and/or services, and building trust and ownership. This module also looks at the third stage of collaboration, developing a strategic plan. In practice activities, staff apply a strategic planning approach to the development of a collaborative initiative and are encouraged to "take action" by bringing their shared vision to life. In addition, ongoing evaluation and self-assessment tools-critical to the collaborative process-are discussed.
Follow-up training strategies, or Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice, are located at the end of each module. These activities help participants review key information, practice skills, and examine their progress.
Training options are provided in this guide so that management teams can respond to the different learning styles of staff. Some local Head Start agencies may want to provide the guide's training program in the workshop format; others may want to use the coaching format; and still others may want to use a combination of both. These training strategies are described in the Definition of Icons section.
The Continuing Professional Development section lists activities that agencies may find useful for reinforcing and expanding the collaboration skills of staff members.
A Resources section describes books, journals, information systems, organizations, and audio/visual materials that offer in-depth information on topics covered in this guide.
Trainer or Coach Selection
In planning this guide's training program, management staff should carefully select the person or persons who will conduct the workshop and/or coaching activities. Trainers and coaches should be experienced in facilitating training sessions and in organizing or leading collaborations on behalf of families with young children. Other criteria to consider in trainer/coach selection are backgrounds in family-centered services, community organization, interagency agreements, and/or service system reform. Candidates may be found in colleges and universities, Head Start state collaboration projects, local Head Start programs, United Way agencies, and grassroots coalitions.
Instructions
Before conducting the activities in this guide, prepare for the training event by reviewing the following:
- Familiarize yourself with the key concepts and background information. These sections provide a conceptual framework to support successful training delivery.
- Plan on completing all the module activities in either the coaching or workshop format to achieve the module's outcomes. While each activity is written to stand alone, most activities are sequential and build on previous material.
- Evaluate the activities and handouts to determine their appropriateness for participants. Activities are written for staff who regularly interact with families. However, if you find that some activities do not match staff training needs, feel free to adapt the activities and corresponding handouts.
- Use the time frames identified for each activity in the At A Glance only as a guide. Time will vary depending on the group size and experience level, the needs of the group, the trainer's ability, and the flow of the discussion.
- Review with participants the agency's policy for maintaining group and family confidentiality before delivering all training sessions.
- Involve staff in identifying Head Start parents and volunteers, governing board members, policy groups, community leaders, business leaders, child and family advocates, and service providers who are potential partners in a collaborative effort. Extend invitations to them to join Head Start staff as participants in the modules' workshop activities. Workshop activities in Module 4 are particularly well-suited for a mix of participants. However, don't overlook possibilities for inviting potential partners to any of the workshops.
Definition of Icons
| Coaching |  |
A training strategy that fosters the development of skills through tailored instruction, demonstrations, practice, and feedback. The activities are written for a coach working closely with one to three participants. |
| Workshop |  |
A facilitated group training strategy that fosters the development of skills through group interaction. These activities are written for up to 25 participants working in small or large groups with one or two trainers. |
| Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice |
 |
Activities assigned by the trainer immediately following the completion of the module to help participants review key information, practice skills, and examine their progress toward expected outcomes of the module. |
| Continuing Professional Development |
 |
Follow-up activities supporting continued staff development in the skills addressed in a particular training guide including:
|
| Modules | Activity | Time* | Materials |
| Module 1: What is Collaboration? |
Activity 1-1: Understanding Collaboration (W) | 60 minutes | Handouts 1, and 2, Labeled Newsprint, Newsprint, Markers, Tape |
| Activity 1-2: On the Road to Collaboration (W) | 120 minutes | Handouts 3, 4, and 5, Newsprint, Markers, Tape | |
| Activity 1-3: Collaboration and Head Start (C) | 90 minutes | Handouts 1, 3, 4, and 6, Labeled Newsprint, Newsprint, Markers, Tape | |
| Module 2: Elements of Success |
Activity 2-1: Successful Collaboratives (W) | 75 minutes | Handouts 1, 2, and 3, Newsprint, Markers, Tape |
| Activity 2-2: Effective Meetings (W) | 90 minutes | Handouts 4, 5, 6, and 7, Newsprint, Markers, Tape | |
| Activity 2-3: Preparing for Collaboration (C) | 90 minutes | Handouts 2 and 3, Newsprint, Markers, Tape | |
| Activity 2-4: Effective Meeting Planning (C) | 120 minutes | Handouts 4, 5, 6, and 7, Newsprint, Markers, Tape | |
| Module 3: Challenges of Collaboration |
Activity 3-1: The Challenge Can (W) | 75 minutes | Handout 1, Empty Can, Index Cards, Labeled Newsprint, Newsprint, Markers, Tape |
| Activity 3-2: Managing Conflict (W) | 75 minutes | Handouts 2 and 3, Newsprint, Markers, Tape | |
| Activity 3-3: Preparing for Collaboration's Challenges (C) | 90 minutes | Handouts 1 and 3, Newsprint, Markers, Tape | |
| Module 4: Practicing the Collaboration Process |
Activity 4-1: Dream House (W) | 120 minutes | Handouts 1, 2, and 3, Newsprint, Markers, Tape |
| Activity 4-2: Recruiting Partners (W) | 140 minutes | Handouts 2, 4, and 5, Newsprint, Markers, Tape | |
| Activity 4-3: Starting a Collaboration (C) | 90 minutes | Handouts 3, 4, and 5, Newsprint, Markers, Tape | |
| Activity 4-4: Strategic Planning (W) | 300 minutes | Handouts 6, 7, and 8, Newsprint, Markers, Tape | |
| Activity 4-5: Forming a Strategic Planning Team (C) | 90 minutes | Handouts 6, 7, 8, Newsprint, Markers, Tape | |
Copyright © 1998 Head Start Publications Management Center
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