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School as a Third Place for Parent Community

Familiaris Podcast for Catholic School Leaders

Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about consulting, workshops, and speaking engagements. Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez makes the case that Catholic schools can and should provide a third place for parent friendships and community. Drawing on sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s concept of the “third place” as an informal place to catch up with friends, see familiar faces, and connect with neighbors, she walks through concrete ways schools can build a third place into their existing buildings and events. What You’ll Learn: * What sociologist Ray Oldenburg means by a “third place,” and why he argues American life is missing it, in his seminal work The Great Good Place. * The three groups of characteristics that make a third place work: talk and social connection, physical traits, and the people who show up. * Concrete, no-capital-campaign ways to build a third place into an existing school: receptions folded into events already on the calendar, playground drop-off areas, and comfortable check-in spaces. * Why flexible, self-explanatory spaces work better than ones that depend on a single host or gatekeeper. Resources: The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community by Ray Oldenburg (Chapters 1-2, Thrift Books, Amazon, Bookshop) Join the conversation * Leave a comment and subscribe at familiaris.substack.com * Become a paid subscriber at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe Paid subscribers gain access to monthly collaborative office hours. Office hours are hosted on Zoom and are not recorded. Pop in to ask a question, get feedback on what you’re working on with families, hear what other leaders are doing in their schools. Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about consulting, workshops, and speaking engagements Chapters: * 00:00: Introduction — why a third place for parents * 02:16: Oldenburg’s three places — home, work, and the third place * 04:40: The quote — how American life lost its public “third realm” * 07:03: The three characteristic groups, and where to start * 09:13: Focus on talk and social connection: conversation and playful mood * 11:39: Four physical characteristics of a third place * 13:58: Physical traits in action, and the people who make a place work * 16:20: People composition of a third place: regulars and the social leveler * 18:36: Practical ideas for reception areass, playgrounds, and check-in areas * 20:51: Building flexible, accessible spaces * 23:10: Recap, and a preview of next episode’s focus on regulars * 25:26: Office hours and consulting close God bless! Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios To receive new Familiaris posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Familiaris at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe