CDC, together with the Latino Commission on AIDS and MTVtr3s, will host five local community discussion forums called “Real Talk” throughout 2014 in communities across the country – particularly communities that are most impacted by HIV, including New York City, Houston, Charlotte, Miami, and Los Angeles. CDC will work closely with its partners in each community to customize an interactive and engaging event that meets each individual community where they are to explore the complex issues that may be discouraging open conversations about HIV/AIDS. Each community event is designed to inform, inspire, and model effective conversations about HIV/AIDS for Hispanics/Latinos at the local level. During each event forum, attendees will be encouraged to openly share ideas for normalizing conversations about HIV/AIDS and breaking through potential barriers in their community that challenge HIV prevention efforts.
CDC welcomes any and all organizations to adopt and customize the “Real Talk” program model and host similar discussion forums in their own communities or at their local, regional or national meetings. The resources below can help you start program planning.
“Real Talk” brings together the following key program elements to create an open and engaging environment where Hispanic/Latino communities can share ideas to normalize these often hard-to-discuss challenges, stigmas and cultural barriers about HIV prevention, testing and risks to young Hispanics/Latinos:
Moderator (English and/or Spanish-speaking) to guide the discussion forum and keep participants actively involved and engaged in discussion. Moderators could potentially include a local TV or radio personality, community leader, city or county health department leader, your organization’s outreach or education director.
Streaming of four short episodes of the Sin Vergüenza, an online telenovela series (produced by Los Angeles-based AltaMed) that features a Mexican-American family and friends modeling and addressing difficult discussions that Hispanics/Latinos may have about HIV, with a focus on how to overcome barriers of talking about HIV. These short episodes are often a good way to spark discussion at the event.
Small expert panel (3 to 4 people) for insight and feedback. These experts can help the moderator answer participants’ questions about HIV/AIDS and provide suggestions on how to have conversations about HIV. Ideally, panel members should represent organizations that your participants trust and with whom they feel comfortable sharing questions and comments. Possible expert panelists could include:
Health care provider from a local health clinic, doctor’s office, or local hospital
Outreach coordinator from a local HIV/AIDS service organization or public health department
Psychologist from a community college or Hispanic/Latino-serving community based organizations or private practice
A community member living with HIV
One Conversation at a Time campaign materials and resources can be made available to participants at the conclusion of the program to help continue important conversations about HIV/AIDS in the community.
Creating the “Real Talk” program does require advanced planning. Depending on the size of your program, how you intend to secure participants and who you want to involve as the moderator and expert panelists, allow your organizations three to four months to plan and prepare. Use the following logistics checklist as a guide to start your planning:
Determine target goal for audience attendance – Size can vary but a good general target range for a smaller program is 30 to 50 people and 50 to 75 for larger program.
Select a date and time – Consider when most of the participants work or attend college classes and try to avoid conflicts with other large community or organizational events. Also, allow 60 to 90 minutes before and after the program for people to enter, exit, and network.
Identify and secure three to five expert panelists and a moderator. See "Real Talk" Program Elements for suggestions for types of people who you may want approach.
Research and identify a venue. The program can be set up with a moderator onstage or in the center of the room, if no stage is present, so he/she can be easily seen and heard by all participants. The expert panel can either sit in a section of the audience close to the stage or moderator or on the stage with the moderator.
Consider the number of potential participants so you have the right size venue. Also consider whether the venue possesses sufficient parking, access to public transportation, an area for participants to network or congregate or to hold a reception (optional), and space for information tables.
Confirm that the venue has good lighting, audio and video services, and either a large TV monitor(s) or a place where one can be set up. This will be needed for showing the Sin Vergüenza webisodes and for the moderated discussion.
If you plan to film/record the program, confirm that the venue has the audio and video capabilities and an area where a camera crew can set up their equipment.
Invite participants and promote your event.
If participants are members of your own organization, create a list of the communication channels that can be used to announce and promote the event such as:
Website
social media platforms
e-mail blasts
newsletters
announcements at other organization hosted in-person meetings and events, reminder post cards
event posters and flyer distributed at meetings and posted in organization offices
If participants include members of the community or are not part of your organization:
Identify other community organizations who can help you promote the program through their website, social media platforms, newsletter, e -communication and newsletters
Submit event announcements with time, date, location, and reasons for attendance. Also, request the support of your local radio stations, newspapers and TV stations in promoting the event through their on-air, in print or online media channels
Partner with a few community organizations who can organize their members, clients, etc. and attend the event as a group
Be prepared on the day of the event. Some things you may need include:
Welcome and information tables – Determine the additional resources and information on HIV facts, how to start and have conversations about HIV with family and friends, and other resources you want participants to have as they enter and/or leave the program. Click on the Campaign Materials page to download and print free campaign materials and resources. Consider having space for the following:
Welcome, sign-in sheet to capture attendee contact information for potential post-event follow-up communications
If your organization is interested in having a One Conversation at a Time photo booth backdrop at your event, click on the Contact Us page and submit your request to receive information
If your organization is interested in having a One Conversation at a Time photo booth backdrop at your event, Contact Us and submit your request to receive information
Program signage – A variety of signs will be needed for the event. Depending on staff and financial resources, signs can be professionally printed in color or can be created using staff computers, poster board and marker, etc. When determining the number and content for the signs, consider the following:
Venue entrance
Direction signs if route from venue entrance to the space where the program is taking place is not direct and requires further direction
Direction signs from parking to venue entrance if not direct
Welcome and other information tables
Media or VIP tables or areas
Podium, stage, needs for large campaign posters or other visuals as a background where the screen showing the telenovelas will be.
Volunteer and staff support – Make sure you have enough helpers needed to staff tables and manage the needs of attendees, etc.
