I am co-teaching this semester to high school seniors from across the country. To create a foundation for our study, we examined tribalism, political polarization, and the concept of the elephant and the rider. As part of that unit, we used six lessons and the quizzes of the college version of Perspectives. Perspectives proved to be a very efficient and effective way to help cultivate the habits of mind we sought in our class. Anecdotally, we saw that the lessons reinforced the class norms and were cited frequently in class discussions and in student writing.

You might be interested in what happened in class the day after the election. The students were evenly split between those who were pleased with the results and those who were not, with several in the latter group really unsettled. My co-teacher and I began the class by asking each student to share a hope and a fear for the country and then just let them talk. They carried on a conversation without any other input from us that was notably honest, vulnerable, and respectful. It became clear that regardless of political identity, our students all hoped for strident divisions and hyper-partisanship to end. They see the destructive effect and want none of it. All in all, just the kind of mindset we had hoped to cultivate and that I believe CDI Perspectives is designed to promote.

"All told, we found it to be incredibly productive and very richly rewarding. Good things are happening on our campus and around the country because of schools’ partnerships with CDI."

I thought I'd just use [Perspectives] for work primarily, but actually, the first time I used it was with my roommate.

Perspectives teaches, we want you to understand yourself, but also hear this person . . . Even when I go throughPerspectives, I can apply it to my marriage. It's not just for students. I can apply it to communicating with my supervisor.

Inviting Virginia Tech students to engage in challenging conversations revealed a divide—some came armed with facts to "win," while others aimed to convey impact, without delving into understanding people or their opposing views. CDI provided a foundation for meaningful dialogue, emphasizing listening over winning. This shift has nurtured empathy, understanding, and forged connections across differences. The Perspectiveslessons have proven instrumental in our inclusion and belonging initiatives, and I anticipate an even more significant impact in the future.