Unify Challenge College Bowl: Students Engage in Meaningful Conversations

​The Unify Challenge College Bowl is a nationwide event designed to foster thoughtful dialogue among college students with different perspectives. Through one-on-one virtual discussions, students tackle pressing issues such as mental health, gun laws, and immigration, aiming to understand diverse viewpoints. With over 14,000 participants from 205 schools, the program encourages civic engagement, helping students reconsider their views and boost voter participation. Read the blog post below and learn more here. 

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Release: Sign Up for the Spring 2025 Unify Challenge College Bowl!

The Unify Challenge College Bowl is a virtual intercollegiate event where thousands of students are paired into one-on-one conversations across differences. (So, a conservative student from a community college in Texas might be matched with a liberal student from a four-year public university in Illinois.)

For about an hour, the pair discusses 16 hot-button issues like mental health, gun laws, immigration, and free speech on campus. The students share their points of view, find common ground, and discover that they can have a respectful conversation without conflict.

After taking the Challenge, students rate the experience highly and report an increased interest in participating in civic life. With 10x growth in three years, the College Bowl has hosted more than 14,000 students from 205 colleges to date.

One student that was involved in the College Bowl says, " My participation in Unify America's College Bowl provided an opportunity to engage in respectful dialogue with peers of differing viewpoints, showing that civil discourse is possible even when disagreements exist. As the 2024 election approaches, it’s essential to promote respectful conversations and civic engagement to foster positive change." 

When students dive into the Unify Challenge College Bowl, they meet face-to-face with a fellow student who they might never get to know in real life. Our College Bowl partners include traditional four-year colleges and universities, military academies, community colleges, religious private schools, and HBCUs.

​What students really think:
This fall, the nonpartisan nonprofit Unify America partnered with leaders and professors from 105 universities across the country to offer the 5th biannual Unify Challenge College Bowl. Over seven nights, thousands of student participants across 40 states joined the virtual Unify Challenge to share perspectives across differences and strengthen their civic muscles. 

Since its inception in October 2021, the Unify Challenge College Bowl has brought together 167 colleges and universities, 285 professors across 40 states, and over 8,100 student participants. As they navigated the power of constructive dialogue in a safe and inclusive environment, their experiences yielded remarkable results, as captured in their own words:

• 63% said they feel more hopeful about the future of our democracy. (Compared to 14% feeling hopeful before the Unify Challenge College Bowl)
• 84% rated the experience an 8 or higher (on a 10 pt. scale)
• 68% said the Unify Challenge helped them consider new perspectives they hadn’t considered before
• 86% said they felt "totally" heard, and not judged when they shared their opinions with their partners.
• 64% said they are more likely to share their point of view on political or current events in class or on campus.
• 80% said that across party lines, Americans are united when it comes to goals for the country. (Compared to 45% before the Unify Challenge College Bowl)
• 72% said they wish they had more opportunities to talk openly about these topics.
• 55% said they are more likely to vote in upcoming elections.​

​​The College Bowl gets high marks:
​For educators and administrators dedicated to depolarizing campus communities and nurturing leadership skills, the Unify Challenge College Bowl offers a turnkey educational experience that can be seamlessly integrated into the classroom. Professors and staff need only spend under 30 minutes reviewing and sharing tailored materials and instructions with their students, while the dedicated Unify America team handles the rest. Across many disciplines and fields of study, professors and collegiate leaders integrate the Unify Challenge into their course work to foster civic skill development. In fact, 98% of college faculty surveyed said they would participate in the program again. We do the heavy lifting for you. You'll receive:

• A customized landing page for your school (view example)
• Classroom materials for your students
• A facilitation guide with example assignments for students
• Live help for students during their Unify Challenges
• Data and impact reports

Register & learn more here: https://www.unifyamerica.org/college-bowl