Constructive Dialogue Institute

Educational tools: cdi develops research-based educational tools, resources, and frameworks to equip schools, universities, and workplaces with a shared language and practical set of skills to build inclusive cultures and engage constructively across differences. We offer different versions of our tools that are tailored to the various audiences we serve. Our primary offering, perspectives, is a blended learning program that distills rigorous behavioral science research into practical skills that help improve learners' communication, sense of belonging, and openness to diverse perspectives. To date, more than 100,000 learners have completed perspectives.

Trainings and workshops: to complement our online educational tools, we also offer live trainings and workshops to teach the skills and concepts of Constructive Dialogue. We offer various trainings geared towards different stakeholders on college campuses that range in duration and focus. Our trainings include (a) a leadership Institute for college presidents and their key staff to learn culture change practices to improve pluralism and Dialogue on their campuses; (b) a daylong training to provide higher ed administrators with best practices for responding to large-scale conflicts on campus and for rebuilding trust and community in the aftermath of a rupture; (c) a 20-hour certification program to equip student-facing staff with the skills to mediate conflict and facilitate difficult conversations about any topic, and (d) a half-day training for staff, faculty, and student leaders to equip them with the skills to facilitate meaningful conversations about contentious issues in curricular and co-curricular settings.

Research and thought leadership: as a research-focused organization, cdi is committed to conducting rigorous academic research on an ongoing basis to evaluate the effectiveness of our products. In 2022, cdi completed two randomized controlled trials (rcts) to measure the efficacy of the perspectives blended learning program. Both rcts demonstrated that perspectives leads to statistically significant improvements in intellectual humility, affective polarization, and conflict resolution skills.the organization also conducts and disseminates original research to contribute to the field of bridge-building and Constructive Dialogue. Our research has appeared in 7 peer-reviewed academic journal articles, and we have published 7 white papers.