Thinking Through Complexity: A Workshop for Civic Collaboration & Systems Thinking with Dr. Lori Britt

​Dr. Lori Britt, a longtime dialogue educator and current Visiting Fellow with the Interactivity Foundation’s Collaborative Discussion Project, has developed a new systems thinking activity to help groups better understand the complexity of civic issues. Designed for use with the CDP Toolkit, this activity supports participants in mapping connections, identifying intervention points, and finding pathways to meaningful action. NCDD members are invited to join an upcoming workshop on July 17 to explore and test this tool firsthand. Read more in the blog post below.

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In the field of dialogue and deliberation, we often encounter people who care deeply about civic issues—but who struggle to act, simply because they can’t see the full picture. As many NCDD members know, making sense of complex, interconnected systems is not easy.
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That’s where Dr. Lori Britt comes in.

Expanding Dialogue through Systems Thinking

A longtime champion of dialogue-based learning, Dr. Britt is Professor and Director of the School of Communication Studies at James Madison University. She’s also a 2025 Visiting Fellow with the Interactivity Foundation’s Collaborative Discussion Project (CDP)—an initiative that many in the NCDD network have worked with or used in their own communities.

As part of her Fellowship, Lori is developing a new CDP Toolkit activity designed to introduce systems thinking into collaborative discussions. This tool helps participants explore the web of factors surrounding community issues, identify who is affected, and locate promising points for action. The activity builds on familiar CDP methods and modules, but brings a systems-level lens to enhance deliberative insight.
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Early pilots—such as a recent workshop exploring the challenges faced by the ALICE population (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, but Employed)—show just how powerful this approach can be. In one session, participants discovered that when individuals begin to earn slightly more income, they risk losing access to vital support programs before they are truly financially stable. Mapping that insight made new interventions possible. “We need to extend resources for a couple more years,” Lori explains, “so people don’t just fall right back in.”

A Toolkit Shaped by Dialogue

Many NCDD members will recognize Lori Britt from her years of involvement in dialogue-based education, including her longstanding collaboration with the Interactivity Foundation—an NCDD member organization. Since the early days of the Collaborative Discussion Project, Lori has played a central role in shaping the CDP Toolkit’s structure, developing its modules, and helping facilitate broader use in classrooms and communities.

From co-organizing the original toolkit framework to leading facilitator trainings, Lori’s contributions have helped grow the CDP into one of the most accessible and adaptable resources for civic discussion. “I incredibly value the open access nature of the Toolkit,” she notes. “It brings everything together in a way that makes it coalesce—and gives people a meaningful experience.”
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The new systems thinking activity continues that tradition, offering a fresh tool for those working to make dialogue more actionable and inclusive. Whether you're a teacher, organizer, or facilitator, this activity is a practical way to support group learning and generate thoughtful civic collaboration.

Join the Upcoming Workshop

​NCDD is excited to share that Lori Britt will be offering a special workshop this July to preview her new systems thinking activity. Hosted by the Interactivity Foundation, this hands-on session will give participants the chance to experience the activity, explore how it might be adapted for different contexts, and walk away with insights to apply in their own work.
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As Lori puts it, “It’s amazing. I think it’s just so replicable. It’s a good contagion that we have—and we need good contagions right now.”

Workshop: Thinking through Complex Issues to Support Civic Action with Dr. Lori Britt
Date & Time: July 17, 2025 | 1:00–3:00 PM ET
Cost: $40.00
Register here: https://www.interactivityfoundation.org/a-good-contagion-lori-britt/
This is a great opportunity for anyone in the NCDD network to expand their facilitation toolkit, deepen systems awareness, and connect dialogue with action. Spots are limited—register now to take part in this dynamic workshop.

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