Grant supports new Perspectives program fostering dialogue among students and campus leaders
The College of Wooster received a grant from the Constructive Dialogue Institute supporting the College’s use of Perspectives. Part of Pillar II: Reignite our Mission and Vision of the Framing Our Future strategic action plan, the new program is supporting the goal to foster student capacity for intercultural dialogue. The Center for Belonging and Intercultural Dialogue is working to implement Perspectives with staff and students and Sarah Sobeck will implement the program for faculty. The learning program explores psychological concepts that explain how the mind processes information. It teaches practical skills for dialogue through real-life scenarios and interactive activities and includes three, peer-to-peer exercises and two quizzes. The training will first focus on incoming first-year students, student leaders, and student facing staff.
All first-year students will complete Perspectives Learning Track 1: Pre-Orientation completion of lessons 1-2; and a facilitated peer-to-peer conversation which was heald during new student orientation. The class of 2029 was the first class to see Perspectives. Resident assistants, peer health educators, and three Athletics teams have already completed track 1. Dialogic workshops will also be hosted within identity groups for all constituents to highlight diverse experiences. The CBID is also working with various teams that could benefit from Constructive dialogue to improve team working relationships. The team includes Jake Marion, Kayla Campbell, Lin Hillis, Sarah Sobeck and Christie Harris.