Grappling with the Discomfort of Pluralism: An NAIS Civil Discourse Lab in Partnership with Close Up Foundation
Registration for Grappling with the Discomfort of Pluralism, an NAIS Civil Discourse Lab in Partnership with Close Up Foundation, is now open.
Grappling with the Discomfort of Pluralism: An NAIS Civil Discourse Lab in Partnership with Close Up Foundation
July 28–30, 2025
Arlington, VA
Nurturing and cultivating a thriving school community and culture is both a deeply fulfilling and immensely challenging endeavor for school leaders. The past few years have made this even more complex, as school leaders are now tasked with guiding their communities through intricate political and social landscapes. At this year’s Civil Discourse Lab, school leaders will explore best practices and the principles of open inquiry and discourse, while examining how efforts to foster inclusivity and broaden perspectives connects to preparing young people to participate in a thriving, diverse, and pluralistic democracy.
Developing a set of core deliberative skills is an essential part of educating young people to be active and engaged participants in our democracy. This requires a willingness and ability to communicate across differences, to empathize with and see things from the perspectives of others, and to weigh the impacts of political outcomes on all members of the democratic community. How can school leaders create conditions for critical engagement with multiple perspectives, respect for the opinions of others, and a willingness and intellectual courage to explore opinions that teachers and students might find uncomfortable?
Participants in the 2025 Civil Discourse Lab will explore such questions as:
- What are the foundations of open inquiry and discourse? What does this look like across a school community? How do we equip faculty with the tools to bring this type of dialogue into the classroom?
- How can school leaders support and build a proactive culture of deliberation, discourse, and good faith engagement?
- How do we equip school leaders to navigate the changing landscape while staying true to their missions regardless of the political climate?
- What skills do students and teachers need to navigate and participate in a pluralistic democracy?
- How can we help young people learn to communicate across differences and acknowledge that alternative perspectives have value?
Audience
The Civil Discourse Lab will benefit school heads, assistant heads, division heads, communications directors, diversity directors, and social studies department leaders, among others. Schools are encouraged to attend as teams of up to four participants.
Add-On Opportunity
Civil Discourse Credential: Educator Certification
- Wednesday, July 30, 1:00–5:00 PM
- Thursday, July 31, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
Close Up, in partnership with Mastery Transcript Consortium, is enhancing the impact of its civil discourse programming by creating a Civil Discourse Credential for high school students. This national credential will recognize students who have demonstrated mastery across three key domains: Digital Citizenship, Communication Across Difference, and Analyzing Political and Social Issues.
If you’re a student-facing educator, you have the opportunity to join a supplemental two-day (July 30-31) training following the Civil Discourse Lab to introduce this credential to your students. The training will focus on a range of communication and analytical skills and civic competencies to develop democratic citizens capable of active participation in a large, complex, media-driven democracy. As part of the pilot, the training cohort will gather (virtually) on a monthly basis throughout the 2025-26 school year to share feedback on implementation, gain additional skills, and help inform the Civil Discourse Credential.
AUDIENCE: This pilot program is intended for educators who have the ability to implement the credential within a classroom context in the 2025-2026 school year. Educators will need to dedicate class time for deliberative discussions and student work sessions to complete projects.
Registration Information
Registration for Grappling with the Discomfort of Pluralism: An NAIS Civil Discourse Lab in Partnership with Close Up Foundation is now open. The registration fee includes breakfast and lunch each day, as well as a happy hour one night. Dinners are not included and will be on your own. Hotel accommodations are not covered by the registration fee, but we have reserved a block of rooms and information will be sent to participants shortly after we receive their registration. Plan for your own travel, transportation, or parking expenses.
| Registration Pricing | Early Bird Pricing (Through 4/29) |
Standard Pricing (On or After 4/30) |
| Civil Discourse Lab Only | $1,825 | $2,100 |
| Civil Discourse Credential Only | $1,575 | $1,800 |
| Civil Discourse Lab + Credential | $2,900 | $3,325 |
*Contact us for more information about the benefits of NAIS membership, including discounted event pricing.
Schedule
The program will begin at 12:00 PM ET on Monday, July 28, and will conclude at 12:00 PM ET on Wednesday, July 30.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations must be received in writing at institutes@nais.org. Cancellations received up to 30 days (June 28) before the program's start date will be fully refunded, less a $75 administrative fee. Cancellations received less than 30 days prior to the program will not be refunded.
Contact Information
Please contact institutes@nais.org or 202-973-9700 with any questions.