Appreciative Inquiry and the Listening Sessions: A Process that Works

Poster

Speakers:
Mary Emery North Central Regional Center for Rural Development

Jim Goodwin
Western Rural Development Center

The most immediate activity of the National Coalition for Rural Entrepreneurship has been the creation of the regional and national dialogue of policies and practices in support of rural entrepreneurship. The Regional Rural Development Centers have organized over 25 listening sessions across the country. The participants in these listening sessions use the process of Appreciative Inquiry and the World Café to create a dialogue to listen and to learn from one another and expand their network. From these listening sessions also has developed an agenda for local action, statewide, regional, and national efforts. Dr. Mary Emery, North Central Regional Rural Development Center, and Jim Goodwin, Western Regional Rural Development Center, are key facilitators of these listening sessions. They have developed the agenda and the key questions that participants engage in the discussion. They will lead the NACDEP participants in this skill-building workshop through the process of Appreciative Inquiry and the World Café. This experiential learning by educators of this field activity will contribute to a broadened perspective of how one generates input through this outreach activity and organizational effort. The result is a very focused set of notes that help everyone understand what works, what programs, activities and resources are available, what needs to be undertaken to create a more entrepreneurial-friendly community, and what actions and strategies need to be undertaken to bring these about.