Program overview
The Dialogue Across Difference Certificate Program is a semester-long elective course for high school juniors or sophomores designed to equip students with the skills, practice, and confidence to engage in meaningful, respectful, and nuanced dialogue across differences.
Through a combination of foundational learning, real-world application, and a final presentation, students earn a Dialogue Across Difference Certificate from their school and ConnectED, signaling their readiness to participate in thoughtful dialogue in school and beyond. Students and college advisors may cite this certificate in college applications to demonstrate leadership, critical thinking, and civic engagement.
The course is available for the Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 semester.
ConnectED partners with participating schools to prepare educators to teach the course. Each participating school provides the teacher, and ConnectED provides the curriculum, materials, and accompanying professional development. Through the curriculum and accompanying PD training, teachers gain the knowledge, tools, and confidence to bring the course to life in their school communities.
Program goals
Develop students’ skills in active listening, empathy, respectful disagreement, and inquiry
Provide students with opportunities to observe dialogue across difference and to practice these principles themselves
Apply skills to real-world topics in thoughtful and structured ways, empowering students to model and facilitate conversations in their own communities
Students will complete a final presentation to demonstrate essential skills in listening, inquiry, and dialogue across differences
Program details
Timeline
The course can be offered for the Fall semester 2026 (September – December) or Spring semester 2027 (January – May). The deadline to sign up for the Fall 2026 course is March 1, 2026.
Target Audience
High school juniors or sophomores
Duration
Semester-long (13 weeks)
Frequency
Weekly class meetings (approximately 60–75 minutes per session)
Certificate
Students receive a certificate in Dialogue Across Difference upon completion.
By signing up for the Dialogue Across Difference Certificate Program, your school commits to offering the semester-long course and participating in the accompanying PD Training prior to the semester.
Professional Development (PD) training
The teacher facilitating the course will participate in four 45-minute virtual professional development sessions, led by a ConnectED Senior Educator, along with an asynchronous learning component. These sessions will take place prior to the start of the course, with timing coordinated in advance with the teacher cohort.
The total time commitment is approximately three hours per week over the course of four weeks, combining both synchronous and asynchronous work. This professional development is designed to prepare educators to confidently and effectively facilitate dialogue across differences in the classroom.
Sign up for the program
To sign up for the Fall 2026 semester, please complete the form below by March 1, and a member of our team will be in touch with you shortly with the next steps.
Questions? Please email Sara Himeles, ConnectED Program Director, at shimeles@connecteducation.org
Reserve your spot
Registration for the 2025/26 program is now closed. Please check back in February 2026 for registration for the 2026/27 program.
Questions? Contact Sara Himeles, Program Director
2025-2026 program
Registration will be opening soon for the 2025-2026 program. If you’re interested in exploring this opportunity for your school, please complete this form, and we’ll let you know when spots become available for new schools.