Harnessing the power of conversation
to enhance our lives and communities.

Are you ready to get people in your community talking?

The Forum's Kindling Conversation program provides themed toolkits, training, and funding to Alaskans interested in hosting short, thoughtful community conversations that connect people across differences and foster inclusive, active, and resilient communities across our state.

PROGRAM CONTACT

Taylor Strelevitz
Conversation Programs Manager
[email protected]

How It Works

Toolkits
At the bottom of this page, you'll find a list of topics with links to toolkits that provide springboards for discussion, a facilitator guide, and all the resources you will need for hosting a conversation in your community.

Training
If you would like to learn how to design your own conversations and to develop and practice your facilitation skills, check out our Facilitation Workshops.

Funding
Individuals, tax-exempt organizations, and schools in Alaska are eligible to receive a $250 stipend to help defray the cost of hosting a conversation. Applications must be submitted at least 1 week prior to a scheduled event and recipients must host their community conversation within 3 months of receiving notification of funding.

Eligibility:

  • The community conversation must be at least an hour long and have at least five participants apart from the facilitator/host.
  • The host must acknowledge the Alaska Humanities Forum in event promotion and during the event itself.
  • The host must submit a short final report within 3 weeks of the completion of the conversation. This final report includes attendance information, evaluation surveys to be completed by conversation participants, and a brief (<500 words) reflection by the facilitator. Photographs are encouraged but not required.

> Apply for a stipend.

Conversation Topics and Resources

Below is our current list of topics, each containing a guiding question, conversation guide, and springboard as resources for you to use in hosting a conversation. Don't see the topic you're passionate about? Send us a suggestion! We're adding new topics all the time.