Transforming School Culture Through Reflective Structured Dialogue

More than ever, educators and school leaders need effective tools to help their communities resist the toxic influence of polarization. By fostering compassion, curiosity, and authentic relationships, Reflective Structured Dialogue can interrupt polarized dynamics while transforming a school community’s norms, making constructive conversations possible across differences of values, perspectives, or identities. 

This two-day, in-person workshop equips administrators, educators, and school leaders to design and facilitate healthier dialogue in co-curricular contexts. This training will equip participants to lead conversations about difficult topics—such as diversity, belonging, and inclusion; global conflicts; race and history; or gender and sexuality—among school community members, including students, parents, teachers, administrators, and elected officials. 

In this workshop, participants will:

• Gain a basic understanding of what makes dialogue across deep differences difficult as well as skills to support more constructive conversations across differences
• Understanding how preparation, inquiry, reflection, and conversational structures can break dysfunctional patterns of communication and build constructive cycles
• Build competence and confidence to facilitate and intervene in groups to support authentic and respectful communication or mutual understanding
• Acquire a framework for integrating dialogic norms into the life of the community

For more than three decades, EP’s research-based Reflective Structured Dialogue approach has transformed conflicts across the country and the world. It has helped people build trust, understanding, and connection around divisive community issues, amid organizational conflict, in classroom discussions, and in everyday conversations. 

Participants in this workshop will also become members of EP’s Community of Practice. Members receive exclusive access to peer learning opportunities, skill-building webinars, resources, office hours, learning exchanges, and gatherings, as well as a series of enrichment emails sent to reinforce workshop learning and encourage the application of RSD in their context.

A light breakfast, lunch, coffee/tea, and snacks are included with registration. Early-bird registration closes May 25, 2024. 

Accreditation and Continuing Education

Essential Partners provides a certificate upon completion of the workshop that can be used to support a request for professional development credits.

Scholarships

Essential Partners provides a limited number of partial or full scholarships for each workshop it hosts. A member of the staff will inform applicants of their decisions six weeks before the workshop date; applicants will confirm their acceptance by registering online. Scholarships are granted based on two criteria: financial need; and potential for impact on a community level.

Fill out this form to apply for a scholarship.

Cancellation Policies

If you must cancel, please do so as far in advance as possible. Cancellations are subject to a $25 administration fee plus an additional $25 to process credit card refunds (if you paid by credit card). Refunds will be issued to the original payment method.

To receive any refund your cancellation must be made at least two weeks before the workshop date. Essential Partners is under no obligation to offer any refund or credit if you cancel within two weeks of an event or workshop. If you need to cancel due to a medical emergency or other emergency reason, please call (617) 923-1216 or email training@whatisessential.org as soon as possible.