Resources
Everything You Need
Download templates, guides, and materials to host your own R&Dinner event. All resources are drawn directly from the Recipe for Process facilitation plan and are freely available to customize for your community.
Materials
"My Ingredient" Placemat
Butcher paper placemat worksheet for each seat — prompts for name, context (school/org/university), and "The thing I know about ed R&D that most people don't is ___."
Recipe Swap Prompt Cards
Structured prompt cards for the First Course paired deep dives: "What problem were you trying to solve?" / "What surprised you in the process?" / "What would you need to take this 10x further?"
Commitment Index Cards
Index cards for the Dessert course. Front: "By [specific date within 3 months], I will ___." Back: "The person in this room I most need to follow up with is ___ about ___."
Provocative Quote Cards
Card-stock quote cards for the dinner table to seed hallway conversation during Break Bread. Includes prompts like "Whose responsibility is the R&D?" and "What if we measured flourishing instead of test scores?"
The R&D Times — Broadsheet Template
Large broadsheet-sized newspaper template for the Vision Sprint. Groups use this to write their 2030 headline, subheadline, pull quote, and ingredients sidebar.
Planning
Materials & Prep Checklist
Complete checklist for the table (placemats, Sharpies, prompt cards, dot stickers), walls (post-its, whiteboard markers, butcher paper), creating (LEGO, pipe cleaners, index cards, magazines), close (commitment cards, QR code, sign-up sheet), and atmosphere (speaker, playlist, timer).
Event Timeline (3-Hour)
Detailed timeline from 5:00–8:00 PM covering the full Amuse-Bouche through Dessert arc, with per-activity timing for 20–30 participants.
Sample Initial Invitation Email
The first outreach email to prospective attendees. Introduces the event, shares the focus question, explains the "three courses" format, and invites guests to bring their half-baked idea to find their other half.
Sample Pre-Event Email to Attendees
A customizable email template to send to confirmed attendees before the event. Includes the event overview, what to bring (ingredient + future object), logistics, parking instructions, and optional pre-reads.
Further Reading
Explore research and insights on regional innovation hubs, learner-centered education, and local R&D strategies from leading organizations in the field, including the Learner-Centered Collaborative.
Collaborative State and Regional Innovation Hubs
How collaborative innovation hubs are transforming education through regional partnerships and shared R&D.
Can Regional Innovation Hubs Create a More Promising Future for K-12 Education?
Exploring the potential of regional innovation hubs to reshape the K-12 education landscape.
Insights from the SoCAL LiNK Regional Partnership
Lessons learned from the Southern California Learning Innovation Network for Knowledge partnership.
SoCAL LiNK Leverages the Power of a Triangle to Transform Schools
UCSD overview of how SoCAL LiNK brings together universities, districts, and communities.
Leading at the Edge: Navigating Uncertainty with a Local R&D Strategy
How leaders can navigate uncertainty by developing local research and development strategies.
What Do We Mean by Learner-Centered?
Defining learner-centered education, including reference to district-embedded R&D cycles.
Getting Started
- 1
Read the Facilitation Guide
Start on the Guide page to understand the full Recipe for Process — five courses across three hours, from the opening "Yes, And..." stoke through the final "Lingering Taste" closing round.
- 2
Recruit 20–30 Participants
Use the Participant Invitation Template to recruit a mix of researchers and practitioners. Ask everyone to bring two things: an R&D artifact from their current work, and a future object (a physical item representing what ed R&D could be).
- 3
Prepare Your Space & Materials
Use the Materials & Prep Checklist. Print the "My Ingredient" placemats, Recipe Swap prompt cards, R&D Times broadsheets, and commitment index cards. Set up a food table in a hallway or adjacent space for the Break Bread course.
- 4
Host Your Event
Follow the facilitation plan from Amuse-Bouche through Dessert. Use colored dot stickers on name tags to enable intentional pairing (gold = researcher, red = practitioner). Photograph everything on the walls at the end of the night.
- 5
Follow Up & Build Infrastructure
Use the post-event feedback form to capture participant insights. Share the visual record of front pages and sticky notes. Follow through on the infrastructure commitments made during the Nightcap — shared doc, mailing list, next gathering.