Socrates Cafe Materials

Socrates Cafés are dialogues inspired by the work of philosopher Christopher Phillips. Socrates Cafes begin with a question that forms the basis of discussion for the gathering.   While any question can provide a topic for discussion, in my experience the best questions for students are those queries that are both  “timeless and timely ”i.e., those questions that  are important in students’ daily lives while at the same being questions that are not time-bound- that is to say, those questions that people have asked before us and will continue to ask in the  future. We have been  holding Socrates Cafe discussions  at our school since 2010; we train students to  facilitate these discussions with parents, peers and community members. 

 A Socrates Cafe  is an opportunity for participants to learn from one another, to work collaboratively and to delve deeply into questions, issues or materials.  It is grounded in inquiry, deep curiosity and the belief that “none of us is as smart as all of us.” These conversations are constructivist and transformative, as participants work to create meaning by employing active listening, critical thinking and tolerance for different perspectives. A successful dialogue is one that leaves participants with more questions than answers. On this page there are links to  some of the materials we  use to  prepare  students  to facilitate these school-community partnerships.