Training & Certifications
We train staff, faculty, and student leaders to facilitate difficult conversations — in and out of the classroom. Register for virtual sessions or contact us to bring live training to your campus.
CDI Leadership Institute
A multi-day leadership institute for college presidents and their key staff to learn culture change practices to improve the state of discourse on their campuses.
Join the kickoff event for the 2025 cohort in Washington, D.C., October 28-29, 2025!
Responding to Campus Crises: Strategies for Today and Resilience for Tomorrow
Designed to equip higher education leaders with best practices for responding to large-scale conflicts on campus, this day-long training will teach a framework for crisis management. Participants will
learn to strategically generate swift action plans to contain various
forms of campus conflict, including disruptive protests, incidents of
hate or harm, and expressions of outrage from stakeholders such as
students and faculty. CDI facilitators will cover advanced
communication, tension de-escalation, addressing stakeholder concerns
under pressure, mitigating future ruptures, and how to re-establish and
sustain trust. Available as a private training, you can contact us about hosting a session for your team.
Enroll in a 2025 Cohort
Dialogue Facilitation Certification
Our dialogue facilitation certification is a 20-hour live, virtual program that will empower faculty and staff with skills to confidently facilitate difficult conversations on campus as they arise. This certification program will equip you with key facilitation techniques and conflict navigation strategies so that you can support students during high-pressure moments, regardless of the situation. After successfully completing the program and demonstrating competency, you’ll receive a certification in dialogue facilitation from CDI. The cost of this certification program is $2,500 per participant.
Foundations in Facilitating Dialogue
This virtual half-day training provides faculty, staff, and student leaders with a foundation in how to facilitate dialogue about controversial topics. You'll learn key facilitation skills, gain strategies to create a culture of trust and connection amongst students, and practice navigating interpersonal conflict when it arises. The cost of this training is $250 per participant.
Other Higher Ed Offerings
Our research-based offerings are designed to complement our training and certifications.
Blended Learning Programs
Perspectives — our research-backed blended learning program —
uses psychology concepts and interactive scenarios to equip students,
staff, and faculty with the skills for conversation, collaboration, and
problem-solving across ideological differences.
Campus-Wide Offerings
Our customizable campus package will provide you with a roadmap and
expert support to infuse the principles and practices of dialogue into
your culture at every level — giving your campus a shared language, set
of norms, and skills to navigate differences.
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