Joann, Blanca, Cheryl and Deborah

New York, New York
After watching Oprah's second education discussion, a prospective principal, an educator, a small business owner and parents of children who attend both public and private schools met at a local movie theater to see the documentary Waiting For "Superman." 

On the agenda: See the film. "All of us were excited to participate in the Meetup; none of us had ever met with strangers before in this way," says Blanca, a Meetup attendee.

Up next: "I offered to assist the parents with their children if they needed tutoring. Joann and I expressed interest in holding public forums that would invite the community to hear from charter schools, public schools and private schools in Brooklyn so parents could be informed about different philosophies and approaches," says Deborah, the Meetup organizer.
Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
On October 2, 2010, current and former Wisconsin educators, as well as people who said they experienced poor teaching as children, gathered to discuss the state of America's public education system.

On the agenda: "We discussed individuals possibly becoming trained on the Orton-Gillingham Method so that we could utilize those skills to develop students' reading ability at the elementary level. There are also individuals willing to volunteer their time in my classroom," says Cynthia, a Meetup attendee.

Up next: "We are hoping to generate more interest among the rest of the group that signed up to participate and plan to meet once again on the first Saturday in November to brainstorm some things we can do in our community," says Calliope, the Meetup organizer.
Buffalo

Buffalo, New York
On September 29, teachers, parents, charter school leaders, former school board members, prospective teachers and prospective parents gathered to talk about the education crisis in Buffalo and across the country.

On the agenda: "It was an incredible opportunity to hear these stories, and we all realized that there is not a 'silver bullet' answer to this crisis, but with all of us putting our minds together and promising to put our students first, we can improve the school system and close the achievement gap," says Allie, the Meetup organizer.

Up next: This group plans to schedule another Meetup in a few weeks.

How to plan a Meetup in your community