The National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI) has secured two federal grants—a K-12 civic education award in partnership with James Madison University and a $2.7 million U.S. Department of Education investment in higher education civil discourse—expanding deliberative democracy programming to roughly 2,000 educators and 80,000 students nationwide. The K-12 initiative will update Historic Decisions Issue Guides, develop materials tied to America’s 250th anniversary, and provide ongoing teacher training and coaching. The higher education grant will create anchor campus networks, launch a faculty fellows program producing annual materials, and implement evaluation frameworks to strengthen civil discourse, intellectual humility, and collaborative problem-solving. Together, the initiatives advance deliberative practice across K-16 education by equipping educators with dialogue tools and building institutional capacity to prepare students for democratic engagement in polarized environments.

Pomona College has launched a campus-wide dialogue initiative in partnership with the Sustained Dialogue Institute to strengthen the community’s capacity for constructive conversation across differences. Framing dialogue as a shared, practice-based process rather than debate, the initiative provides ongoing training in listening, empathy, self-awareness, and conflict resolution, informed by Gallup Survey findings and supported by monthly virtual sessions and tailored workshops. By embedding civility, inclusive leadership, and respectful exchange into institutional culture and partnering with organizations such as Bridging the Gap, the program aims to equip students, faculty, and staff with the skills needed for democratic participation, collaborative problem-solving, and thoughtful engagement with complex social, political, and cultural issues beyond campus.

​The Interactivity Foundation has selected 11 fellows for its 2026 Collaborative Discussion Project, bringing together educators, civic practitioners, and researchers from diverse institutions to strengthen democratic engagement through structured dialogue. The cohort advances the practice of collaborative intelligence, which emphasizes building on the strongest elements of differing perspectives rather than engaging in adversarial debate. Fellows are developing and refining practical tools, training programs, and accessible resources that help communities address complex public issues with curiosity, openness, and respect. By translating academic research into real-world civic applications—such as facilitation trainings, webinars, and community conversation frameworks—the fellowship strengthens the infrastructure for democratic discourse, aligning its work with the nation’s 250th anniversary and prioritizing equitable access to dialogue resources.

​The National Issues Forums Institute has announced new board leadership following its final Board of Directors meeting of 2025, electing Hollie Cost as Board Chair and Linda Seals as Vice-Chair. Both leaders bring deep experience in civic engagement, community-based problem-solving, and institutional leadership, shaped by careers spanning higher education, local government, and extension-based public service. Having served on the NIFI board through a period of growth and strategic renewal, Cost and Seals are positioned to provide continuity while advancing the organization’s mission to strengthen democratic practice through deliberation and action. Their election comes as NIFI expands national partnerships during the country’s 250th anniversary, signaling an emphasis on moving beyond dialogue toward measurable community impact while maintaining the organization’s long-standing commitment to nonpartisan, inclusive civic participation.

James Madison University has received a $2.72 million U.S. Department of Education grant to expand its Better Conversations Together program nationally, bringing JMU’s total recent federal investment in civil discourse work to nearly $5 million and positioning it as a national leader in civic engagement. Selected as one of only 16 universities nationwide to receive this highly competitive funding, JMU will use the grant to reach 40 anchor institutions across at least 40 states, train faculty through a deliberative pedagogy fellows program, and serve an estimated 30,000 students. Managed by the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement, the initiative focuses on building students’ capacities for democratic participation through skills such as deep listening, intellectual humility, and constructive deliberation across differences, while supporting faculty with training, revised deliberative materials, and rigorous evaluation. Grounded in James Madison’s vision of deliberation as central to democratic self-governance, the program offers a scalable model for strengthening civic infrastructure and democratic practice across higher education.

Campus Compact and New America’s Political Reform Program have launched a pilot initiative to bring civic assemblies to community colleges nationwide, adapting a deliberative democracy model typically used by governments to higher education settings. Using representative sampling, these assemblies convene students, faculty, staff, and community members to learn from experts, deliberate on shared challenges, and develop actionable, consensus-based recommendations. The program provides end-to-end support—from topic selection and process design to facilitation and implementation—offering colleges an inclusive alternative to traditional feedback mechanisms. By embedding these structured, equity-centered processes into campus governance, the initiative positions community colleges as vital civic infrastructure while helping leaders address policy, resource, and student needs through genuine co-creation and trust-building.

​The Nevins Fellows program at Penn State's McCourtney Institute for Democracy addresses civic disengagement by offering students eight-week paid internships at organizations that bring people together to solve community problems, beginning with a Democratic Leadership course that reframes democracy as collaborative practice rather than electoral politics. The program intentionally recruits students from diverse fields, including engineering, sciences, and business, demonstrating that democratic renewal requires all citizens' skills while teaching facilitation techniques and connecting participants to hyper-local problem-solving work that restores individual agency and proves meaningful change is achievable. With a vision to create a collaborative national network of similar campus programs, the initiative counters isolation and cynicism by showing that small local actions contribute to broader democratic renewal, supported by funding that removes financial barriers to participation. By shifting focus from abstract despair to concrete action and affirming the necessity of engagement itself, this work directly supports NCDD's mission of strengthening democracy through inclusive dialogue, developing civic leadership capacity, and fostering collaborative community problem-solving across diverse populations.

​The Spring 2026 NCDD Intern Cohort offers students and emerging professionals a learning-centered, fully remote internship opportunity with applications due Friday, January 30, across roles in Communications, Democracy Engagement, Digital Systems, Grant Writing, Membership Engagement, and Program Development. The flexible program, requiring one to fifteen hours weekly, treats interns as collaborators on meaningful projects while providing hands-on nonprofit experience, mentorship from experienced practitioners, training in dialogue and facilitation, and professional networking opportunities in a culture that emphasizes transparency, sustainability, and meeting people where they are. Through a cohort model blending independent work with optional weekly calls and peer connection, participants gain clarity on how their interests intersect with community work and civic engagement while developing skills in collaborative leadership and democratic practice. By offering structured learning combined with genuine flexibility and care for interns' wellbeing, this opportunity directly supports NCDD's mission of developing the next generation of dialogue and deliberation practitioners.

​Essential Partners is demonstrating how structured dialogue can revitalize civic learning and rebuild students’ capacity to engage across deep differences, as illustrated by sociology professor Catherine Simpson Bueker’s experience at Emmanuel College. After participating in an Essential Partners training, Bueker integrated Reflective Structured Dialogue into her classroom, enabling students to discuss contentious issues with honesty, empathy, and mutual respect—an experience students consistently identified as the most impactful part of the course. By pairing civic knowledge and skills with the development of “civic muscle,” students practiced listening, sharing lived experience, and understanding opposing perspectives without pressure to change their views. Bueker’s cross-campus dialogues with students in politically contrasting regions further show how this approach counters polarization and siloing, offering a powerful model for educators and practitioners seeking to strengthen democratic engagement through dialogue.

NCDD is accepting applications for remote, flexible internships in Communications, Democracy Engagement, Digital Systems & Infrastructure, Grant Writing, Membership Engagement, and Program Development. Internships are designed to support learning, community building, and hands-on nonprofit experience. Before applying, we encourage you to review our Intern FAQ, which answers common questions about time commitment, structure, and what to expect from the intern cohort experience. Applications are submitted through our Intern Cohort Application Form and require a PDF resume upload. The application deadline is Friday, January 30. Read more in the blog post below.