College students can’t handle hard conversations? These students prove otherwise.

We’ve all seen the headlines. “College students are too fragile”, “They can’t handle disagreement”, “You can’t say anything on campus anymore.”

The truth? Students across the country are engaging—with courage, curiosity, and skill:

Hosting dialogue dinners
Moderating campus debates
Facilitating peer workshops
Turning tension into connections

Students are rewriting the story and shaping the future of civic life on campus.

Jack Siegel ’25 (University of Virginia) launched a student-led civil discourse initiative after a tragic campus shooting. 
“I was watching these two people who I thought would just be at each other’s throats, but I did all this work of intention–setting with them, and got them to get to know each other a little better, and all of a sudden…they’re agreeing with each other on things, and they’re listening with intention.” 

Annie Bernstein ’27 (Claremont McKenna College) attended a campuswide initiative—Open Academy—which develops values of critical thinking, mutual respect, and leadership for every student.  

“I first became interested in fostering dialogue after participating in Hands of Peace, a three-week-long program for engaging in discussions concerning the Israel-Palestinian conflict. I’m excited to work with the Open Academy to foster a culture of understanding and mutual respect regarding controversial issues.” 

Timothy Page ’25 (Ohio Wesleyan University) participated in a campuswide initiative where every student, faculty, and staff member had access to civil discourse training. 
“The training really enforced the importance of active listening, asking clarifying questions, and engaging in good faith discussion, rather than debate.” 

See more of what students are doing on campuses in Unscripted Campus Conversations and the 2025 Impact Report.