Start lunch and learn programs with your colleagues to make the most of your lunch break with an educational, team building experience. Are you wondering how to get started? Read on to learn ideas for hosting a successful virtual lunch and learn with your remote team.
A lunch and learn is a voluntary, informal event that takes place during a typical lunch hour and aims to combine a learning event with team building experiences, professional skill and personal development workshops, presentations, and more. Since these informal sessions take the place of your employee's and staff members' free time, they typically aren't as rigorous as a standard seminar or training session.
Typically, lunch and learn sessions last between 45 minutes to an hour. These lunch breaks are a fantastic way to get your remote teams across departments together to socialize while the entire team learns new skills together!
Lunch and Learn programs can be incredibly beneficial in encouraging connection and collaboration within your team. Plus, your team will walk away with new personal life skills and professional development tools! However, in order to see these positive outcomes, your lunch and learn program needs to be effective and not waste your employees' valuable free time.
Here are the main tenants to planning a valuable Lunch and Learn event:
Ready to host an informal event that connects and inspires the whole team? Here are some of our favorite ideas for diversity and inclusion activities that make the perfect Lunch and Learn events.
History of Black Cinema Class is a lecture-style presentation covering tons of lesser-known facts about Black Americans in the film industry. An engaging and entertaining host will take you through a multi-media presentation rich with interviews, photos, and videos showcasing how Black cinema has transformed —- from the Golden Age of Hollywood to today!
From the actors on screen to the writers and directors behind the camera, this class will certainly engage employees interested in movies, pop culture, or Black history!
Why is this a great idea for lunch and learn sessions? This is a great way for employees to kick back and engage with an interactive lecture that blends pop culture history with diversity, equity, and inclusion learning goals. Plus, employees will have the opportunity to ask follow-up questions on Black History and culture during a Q&A.
How to get started 👉 Broaden your horizons with a History of Black Cinema Class!
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This class explores identity through the language and history of Chinese calligraphy. It offers a unique opportunity for your team to learn more about themselves and their fellow teammates!
Participants will have the chance to share the meaning behind their name and the ways their name has shaped their life. Afterward, your host will facilitate a team-wide conversation about what they love most in the world and what has the most impact on them. Using this knowledge, everyone will create a Chinese name that resonates with their own identity.
Why is this a great idea for lunch and learn sessions? In this class, employees learn about their colleagues in a more unique way than the typical icebreaker. Plus, the opportunity to share gives participants a chance to brush up on their public speaking and communication skills!
How to get started 👉 Learn more about your colleagues with Identity Through Chinese Calligraphy!
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In a fun and educational lecture-style setting, this experience explores Black history and the ways the contributions of Black Americans have greatly impacted America as a whole. This class covers topics such as jazz and gospel music, the Civil Rights Movement, Black artists, politicians, and more!
Why is this a great idea for lunch and learn sessions? There's always room to promote a more diverse and inclusive workplace. A class that explores and celebrates the contributions and culture of a subculture is an important way to show employees you're always committed to DEI, making your workplace a safe space for all.
How to get started 👉 Champion change-makers in a Black Cultural Impact Class!
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Bring the museum to your employees in an interactive art-history lecture that covers works of art by famous women, such as Yayoi Kusama and Alma Thomas. While your team enjoys lunch, an engaging art historian host will walk you through the halls of famous art installations from all over the world, exploring how women are depicted in the art world, from past to present.
Why is this a great idea for lunch and learn sessions? When was the last time your team got to take an educational field trip together? In this experience, your team will get the chance to engage in a discussion about women's representation and art around the world, as well as ways museums are ramping up their own inclusivity efforts, which is something we can all learn from!
How to get started 👉 Travel to museums around the globe in Exploring Women in Art!
Perhaps you have someone specific you’d like your team to learn from! In that case, inviting a keynote speaker to address your team is a perfect idea.
Keynote speakers are the most effective when they can invigorate their audience by delivering an engaging speech, particularly in a relevant field where they've excelled or gained major life experience.
Why is this a great idea for lunch and learn sessions? Bringing in a speaker from outside the company's leadership is a great way to shake things up and present relevant information in a new light, through lively anecdotes and a passionate, authentic presentation.
How to get started 👉 Bring in new food for thought with a Lunch Party!
What's better than getting together with your colleagues for some connection, education, and free food? If your company doesn't already have some Lunch and Learn programs on the company calendar, now is a great time to start.
Ready to book your event in just a few clicks? Make the most of your lunch break with Confetti!
What's an easy way to provide lunch to remote employees?
Sending your employees an online gift card that they can use on delivery from local restaurants, Uber Eats, or Doordash. That way, everyone can order lunch with their dietary restrictions and preferences in mind.
What are the benefits of a Lunch and Learn?
Lunch and Learn programs can serve as informal training events on anything, including wellness and emotional health, ways to better work-life balance, stress management, time management skills, professional development, and more! Because of the informal setting, Lunch and Learn initiatives aim to educate while encouraging team engagement and connection.
