The Interactivity Foundation, a valued NCDD Sustaining Partner, is empowering young people through their Path to Purpose initiative. This includes the newly launched Path to Purpose: Making a Difference journal and a free companion User Guide for educators, mentors, and parents. These resources offer step-by-step discussion plans, adaptable teaching strategies, and reflection prompts to help guide youth in discovering their values and creating meaningful change. Whether you're an educator or community leader, you can access these tools to inspire purposeful action. Read more in the blog post below.

NCDD Network Partner, National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM) and NCDD Member Org, Living Room Conversations recently announced the new tool, The School Community Toolbox. They are seeking facilitators and school representatives for its first open call to participate in join the training program and utilize the toolbox. This program trains participants to address community challenges and improve school-community dialogue. Graduates receive certification in collaborative problem-solving, a chance to join a national training team, and endorsements from NAFCM and LRC. With limited spots and special pricing, this comprehensive training enhances community understanding. Apply by the deadline March 12th to support better communication in education. Read more in the blog post below!

NCDD Member Organization, Healthy Democracy, recently shared an article on a citizens' assembly in Deschutes County, Oregon, brought together a diverse group of residents to deliberate on youth homelessness. Participants, selected through a lottery, engaged in structured discussions and expert-led panels to develop policy recommendations. The initiative demonstrated how ordinary people can navigate complex political issues effectively, fostering constructive dialogue in contrast to the usual polarization seen in public discourse. Read more in the blog post below and on Healthy Democracy's site here.

NCDD friends, the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, is offering an incredible opportunity for D&D organizations to host an intern from their Nevins Democracy Leaders Program. The Nevins Fellows program, presented by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, provides students with hands-on experience at organizations dedicated to bridging divides and fostering collaboration. Through coursework and immersive internships, students develop the skills necessary to facilitate conversations and work toward bipartisan solutions. Applications for the Summer 2025 cohort are now open, with a Friday, February 17 deadline. Learn more in the blog post below and on their website here. 

Fort Collins is collaborating with several organizations to conduct a civic assembly process for determining the future use of the former Hughes Stadium site. Key partners include the Healthy Democracy Fund, The American Public Trust, CSU’s Center for Public Deliberation, the Straayer Center for Public Service Leadership, and the Local Policy Lab. These groups aim to ensure the process is inclusive, representative, and focused on depolarizing discussions, engaging underrepresented voices, and fostering collaborative problem-solving. Read more in the blog post below!

Democracy in the Digital Age Summer Institute
June 22–27, 2025 | Stanford University | Palo Alto, CA

How does technology impact our society and politics? What policies do we need to ensure that technology plays a productive role in our future? During this weeklong institute, hosted in partnership by Close Up and the Deliberative Democracy Lab at Stanford University (DDL), students will explore how rapid changes in technology impact our democracy and elections, the global environment, education and learning, and labor and the workforce. You’ll hear from tech innovators, policymakers, academics, and advocates to evaluate a variety of policy options at the intersection of technology and society, and produce a youth report with recommendations on how to make social media more democratic. All attendees will be eligible for a Certification in Civil Discourse through Close Up and DDL. Complete the interest form here.

Join an info session on January 30th, 2025 at 12pm EST, 10am MST! Register here.

​The "Five Practices for Better College Discussions" workshop series began on September 25th, offering college students tools to enhance collaborative communication skills. Led by IF Collaborative Discussion Coach Cuda Zmuda, the session introduced exercises to help students communicate openly, compromise, and build on each other's ideas, even with new people in a virtual setting. Sydney McKee, a high school senior, found the experience eye-opening, noting it helped participants move beyond "selfish communication." The series continues on November 20th with a focus on moving beyond binary thinking, offering skills valuable for academic and personal success. Read more in the blog post below. 

NCDD members, the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement, encourages thoughtful dialogue about democracy, beyond just voting, especially during uncertain election outcomes. The center advises reflecting on personal biases, practicing patience, and fostering empathy by actively listening and respecting diverse perspectives. The guide suggests fostering a “brave space” for open, respectful conversations, emphasizing collaboration over competition to reduce polarization. It also highlights the importance of media literacy in evaluating information sources and offers faculty, staff, and students a framework for engaging in meaningful discussions about democracy and public issues. Read more in the blog post below!