​The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is hosting American Democracy Project (ADP) at Compact26 on March 15-16, 2026, in Chicago, strategically scheduled before Campus Compact's annual meeting to strengthen coalitions and share strategies across organizations committed to democratic engagement and civic learning in higher education. ADP, which has worked with nearly 300 state colleges and universities for over 20 years to prepare informed, active citizens who engage constructively across different viewpoints, is seeking proposals by January 5, 2026 for poster sessions and ignite talks showcasing innovative campus projects on topics ranging from election reform and student voice to digital civic engagement, navigating difference, and sustainability as democratic practice. The conference promises facilitated discussions, opportunities to shape ADP's future, professional development for civic educators, and space to build community, embodying NCDD's principle that addressing complex democratic challenges requires bringing diverse voices together through sustained relationships and shared commitment.

Project Liberty Institute and Georgetown University's Tech and Public Policy program held a two-day Workshop on Deliberation, Governance and Decentralized Social Networks in November, exploring how AI-assisted deliberation can help online communities govern themselves democratically by enabling meaningful deliberative decision-making entirely online in hours or minutes at modest cost. McCourt Public Policy students tested three online deliberative tools—deliberation.io, Online Deliberation Platform, and Frankly—through mock content moderation deliberation, with survey results showing the process encouraged listening and understanding, followed by sessions examining legitimacy criteria for digital deliberation and self-governance needs of decentralized networks. Three key insights emerged: a robust ecosystem of deliberative tools already exists with the challenge being tailoring them for specific communities; deliberation must be inclusive, transparent, and yield binding decisions regardless of format; and deliberative tooling design must remain human-centered even when incorporating AI assistance, representing important progress for practitioners navigating how digital tools can extend rather than replace traditional deliberative values.

​In a recent article for the Nonprofit Quarterly, Chicago-based civic educator and arts activist Tom Tresser made a compelling case for why arts and culture organizations should follow a proven model for civic engagement—one that the far right has successfully employed for over 50 years. Drawing on his experience as a former actor, theater manager, and arts activist, Tresser outlined practical strategies for using creative spaces to build community power and deepen democratic participation.

Raj Vinnakota, president of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, emphasized during his December visit to the University of Wisconsin–Madison that civil discourse and collaborative problem-solving are essential skills for navigating work, community, and democracy, highlighting the institute's Civic Preparedness coalition of 45 colleges and universities committed to advancing civic dialogue on campuses. Vinnakota argues that college campuses hold unique potential for students to develop civic dialogue skills through practice and experimentation, yet fear of swift social consequences creates a chilling effect that requires intentional spaces where conversational risks can be taken across orientation programs, residence halls, and curriculum. The institute's Civic Vibe Check found that 90% of young people ages 10-24 want to engage and help solve community problems but roughly half don't know how, representing a gap between motivation and capacity that educational institutions can address through pathways, mentorship, and support while emphasizing principles of affirming inherent humanity, becoming comfortable with non-closure, and bringing humility and genuine curiosity to exchanges.

​Colorado State University's newly launched Colorado Democracy Prize awards $5,000 annually to student groups whose work brings community members together across lines of difference, facilitated by CSU's Center for Public Deliberation as part of President Amy Parsons' commitment to strengthening democracy through summits, First Amendment education, and dialogue across viewpoints. The prize provides a scaffolded approach where student teams attend grant-writing workshops, three to five finalists receive $1,000 seed grants with ongoing guidance to implement their ideas between March 2026 and January 2027, and winners are selected based on creativity in addressing barriers to dialogue while deepening democratic engagement. Associate Director Katie Knobloch articulates a vision resonating with NCDD's values: democracy is not something that happens outside of us or only at the national level, but something we practice daily as community members, offering practitioners an inspiring model of institutional investment that trusts students to design and lead meaningful civic engagement work.

​Dinner and a Fight/Dialogue (DaaF/D), developed by Fighting to Understand and adapted from Arizona State University's Hot Topics-Cool Heads method, creates structured spaces where community members engage in productive dialogue over shared meals to address divisive local challenges. The 2.5-hour format balances informal relationship-building during dinner with a unique deliberative structure where five volunteers occupy chairs labeled from "Agree-strongly" to "Disagree-strongly," creating a live demonstration of diverse perspectives that normalizes disagreement and models respectful dialogue across difference. DaaF/D has demonstrated real-world impact in communities like South Haven, Michigan, where it was combined with the digital platform Polis to address contentious short-term rental issues, helping residents move past entrenched positions toward a shared understanding while developing practical skills in constructive dialogue and collaborative problem-solving. Read more in the blog post below.

The Sustained Dialogue Institute (SDI) offers a proven five-stage dialogue process created by former U.S. diplomat Hal Saunders, defining dialogue as "listening deeply enough to be changed by what you learn" and shifting the practice from conversation to genuine transformation. SDI's effectiveness has been demonstrated in high-stakes contexts including the decades-long Dartmouth Conference between the United States and Russia and Tajikistan's civil war peace agreements, with the approach now adapted to engage approximately 125 campuses worldwide through monthly virtual skills sessions on listening, curiosity, self-awareness, and empathetic perspective-taking. The organization also provides workplace trainings and supports community dialogue in the United States and Latin America, offering dialogue and deliberation practitioners methods grounded in both theory and real-world impact that align with NCDD's commitment to strengthening democracy through inclusive engagement and collaborative problem-solving.

Donna J. Fickes, a hospitality educator at James Madison University, reframes hospitality as an essential civic practice that strengthens democracy through everyday interactions, particularly as Americans navigate politically tense holiday gatherings. Her approach connects traditional hospitality behaviors—creating welcoming environments where people feel seen and safe—with democratic skills needed in family dinners, neighborhood interactions, and public spaces. Fickes offers practical recommendations aligned with NCDD's mission: approaching differing viewpoints with curiosity rather than combativeness, using simple gestures of welcome to counter polarization, and cultivating micro-hospitality habits like listening and making space for others. By positioning hospitality as an accessible civic skill set rather than just service industry expertise, she demonstrates how civic engagement can be woven into daily life, emphasizing the relational foundation that makes productive dialogue and deliberation possible beyond formal forums.

Civic Learning Week 2026, taking place March 9–13 with a National Forum in Philadelphia, highlights the urgent need to equip the next generation with the knowledge and skills for active participation in a self-governing society. Framed by the nation’s 250th anniversary, the week brings together educators, students, policymakers, and community leaders to emphasize the essential role of civic learning in fostering critical thinking, cross-perspective dialogue, and informed action. By bridging classroom education with real-world democratic practice, Civic Learning Week strengthens the capacities that underpin healthy communities and effective governance, while its cross-sector partnerships provide a national platform for collaboration, innovation, and renewed commitment to civic education.

Team Democracy, founded in the wake of January 6 by former whitewater rafting leader Ken Powley and partner Chris Newlon, seeks to counter America’s deepening partisan divides by strengthening shared democratic values rather than enforcing political agreement. Drawing on the co-founders’ bipartisan partnership, the organization advances three interconnected initiatives: Principles for Trusted Elections, which promotes fair and transparent voting; a Civics Credentialing Program that equips citizens for informed participation; and R.A.F.T., a dialogue-based effort that brings people with opposing political views together to build understanding and trust. Their work aligns with broader civic engagement efforts by emphasizing structural integrity, civic education, and human connection as essential elements of a healthy democracy, offering practical tools and strategies for bridging divides in communities, organizations, and families alike.