Name
Block 2: Integrating Constructive Dialogue Training With Voter Engagement
Date & Time
Tuesday, April 1, 2025, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Location Name
International 3
Focus Area
Bridge building, dialogue, and discourse to support an engaged democracy
Session Type
Promising Practice (two 20-minute sessions per block)
Description

We will present the implementation and results of a collaborative project preparing students at an urban minority-serving institution (MSI) for civic participation. The Center for Community Learning & Leadership supports service-learning and student leadership across disciplines. SJSU Votes is a nonpartisan voter registration, education, mobilization, and civic engagement initiative managed by political science students. Concerned about escalating polarization, we partnered to foster constructive dialogue skills and conflict management as preparation for civic engagement. Constructive Dialogue Institute's Perspectives curriculum was piloted in courses, including Political Participation. Concurrently, students engaged in outreach activities involving local and national dialogues with students and community members. Building on national results, qualitative findings suggest combining dialogue training with engaged community outreach builds relational, intellectual and leadership skills.