A new multi-year effort to promote the health, positive development, and well-being of children has been established in the midwest Great Lakes region. The working name of this project is the Kellogg Pre-Birth through Age Three initiative. The first phase focuses on cross-site participation in the development of an overall design. Phase 2 will involve site-specific planning and early implementation, and phase 3, scheduled for January 2000, will consist of full-scale and long-term implementation. Nine sites have been invited to join in this effort. This guide contains planning suggestions for phase 1 of the initiative, focusing on the community discussion and reflection process. Several types of discussion methods are described, and suggestions are given for implementing some of these approaches. Determining who should be responsible for coordinating community discussion and reflection processes is also explored. Four charts summarize details of some community discussion approaches: (1) study circles; (2) the National Issues Forum; (3) community convenings; and (4) focus groups. Questions to help guide planning are suggested. (SLD)