Ibis Collaborative
Opening New Worlds through Discussion Forums in Your Community
In an era characterized by significant divisions on both domestic and global fronts, Ibis Collaborative fosters community, connection, and mutual understanding through discussion groups with “golden agers.” By delving into current events, analyzing news, and exploring history, Ibis enhances understanding, bridges divides, and stimulates learning and intellectual growth.
All current in-person groups are in the Chicago area (independent living centers and public libraries), while Zoom groups include participants from across the country.
Click here to read participant testimonials.
We are drawn to the Ibis because they thrive as a part of a community. At its core, Ibis Collaborative is about fostering engagement and community through learning and exploration.
Ibis Session Format
Ibis Programming takes place in your community – where you live, work, meet friends, worship, or even where you went to school (we have a group of graduate school alums). Programming can be in person, virtual, or hybrid - your choice! Together we form a group that meets as often as you wish, with the topical focus and theme of your choosing.
We create a meeting format that works best for you, customizing it together. We then tweak the approach as we go along. We work with you to answer the questions below (and others too).
Do you want to meet weekly, bi-monthly, monthly?
Do you want the sessions to be in person, video conference (such as Zoom) or hybrid?
Do you have thoughts on topics you want to cover? For example, do you want to focus on current affairs, or the historical background of an issue, or its role today? Or a combination of both? The descriptions of some of our current programs below gives you an idea of the type of programming we offer now (though again, we are flexible and want to work with you on the best content approach for your group).
What approach do you think would work best — freewheeling discussion, a presentation with discussion or a hybrid format?
We help our participants master the use of podcasts, audiobooks, and online articles to supplement and guide our discussions.
Currently all sessions are facilitated by Ibis Collaborative Founder Sally Sachar.
We seek to enlist and train other facilitators, so if you are interested, please reach out to Sally at sally.ibiscollaborative@gmail.com.
Discussion Group Topics and Resources
We host groups focused on current events, and on key historical or current leaders and major issues of our day.
Current Events: Finding relevant information from reputable news organizations can sometimes be a challenge. And even then, the “sound bite” approach to reporting means that issues are covered superficially at best. Ibis Current Event communities select current events that the members want to dive into through healthy and invigorating discussions. Community members are given external sources (articles and podcasts) to consume and sharpen their knowledge, and hear from experts to enrich the conversation.
Issues/Leading Historical Figures/Events: There are some topics and individuals that cannot be fully understood or appreciated without in-depth discussion. Topics have included climate change, AI, NATO and its recent expansion, historic laws such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and in-depth looks at Supreme Court rulings. Ibis also explores leading figures, including living notables such as Liz Cheney and Nikki Haley, or people from recent and distant history such as Sandra Day O’Connor, LBJ, and President Teddy Roosevelt. Ibis conducts in-depth sessions on community-selected topics, sometimes with the support of external subject matter experts.
Examples of Topics Discussed
Many major Supreme Court cases
What is gerrymandering and how does it work?
What are the core elements of Supreme Court reform being considered now?
What is the Senate filibuster?
What are unlikely (unexpected) political alliances and why are these rarer now?
How does the US electoral college work?
What is NATO, what has driven its expansion, and how is it decided who can join?
Understanding key dynamics in US elections
What is the debt ceiling and why does it matter?
How are federal level appropriations supposed to work and why is the system broken?
Examples of Resources Utilized
“LBJ and the Great Society” podcast series
“If You Want Something Done” by Nikki Haley
Podcast series’ by Pulitzer Prize winning historian, Jon Meacham, “Hope Through History” and “It Was Said”
“History This Week” podcast
“Throughline” podcast about Frederick Douglas
“The American Experiment” by David Rubenstein
“Deja News” and “Ultra” podcasts by Rachel Maddow
PBS Newshour - “Brooks & Capehart” and “Politics Monday”
“Last Archive” podcast on the Scopes Trial
San Francisco City Arts and Lecture Interview with Doris Kearns Goodwin on her book "Leadership in Turbulent Times"
“BBC Sounds - Great Lives”: Golda Meir”
“Oath and Honor” by Liz Cheney
“Ultra” by Rachel Maddow (seasons 1 and seasons 2)
Each community works with our team to set its own format, cadence and focus.
Examples of current programs — reflecting the format, length, frequency and focus that each community seeks.
Weekly Zoom Sessions
Weekly Zoom sessions with congregants of a North Shore (Chicagoland) Reform synagogue. Each week the group discusses a topic agreed upon ahead of time. There is no formal presentation but rather Sally facilitates an hour-long discussion focused on materials that she has distributed ahead of time. Our sessions are very interactive. Any one who wants to speak up with a question or insight does so!
Zoom Election-Focused Programs
We have two bi-monthly Zoom groups focused on the candidates and issues dominating the 2024 election, as well as historical dynamics relating to elections. Each is a 10-part series meeting twice a month. We have one group that includes 1986 graduates of of the Harvard Kennedy School (initiated by a member of that class) and another called Wise Opinionated Women (WOW) that includes politically engaged and experienced women.
Weekly In-Person Sessions
Weekly (or monthly) in-person sessions at three different independent living communities - in Chicago, Lincolnwood IL and Deerfield, IL. Sally facilitates a discussion with participants on the top current events topics of the week as well as occasional special sessions where she dives deeply into a single topic. She offers a PowerPoint presentation to help provide background points and visuals, utilizing many (and varied news sources). Occasionally the groups decide to tackle a particular topic, in which case Sally offers optional materials that may be helpful to read ahead of time. She also provides suggestions of special resources for members to read to stay abreast of current events.
