Pennsylvania high schoolers from different communities across the Commonwealth will come together for a moderated discussion on prompts, drawn from topics suggested by students, covering a range of political and cultural issues. This event is organized through Can We Talk?, Committee of Seventy’s program to promote productive civil dialogue across difference.
The event will be held on Zoom from 12:30 to 2:30 on Thursday, Nov. 20. The forum is open to any students in grades 9-12 in public, religious and private schools. Teachers are invited to observe.
Format: During the event’s short opening session, we’ll review the goals and ground rules for Can We Talk? Then students will be divided into Zoom breakout groups of 5-8 students, each with a trained Can We Talk? moderator who will guide the discussion.
Each breakout will have a list of 10 discussion prompts, drawn from topics suggested by students, covering a range of political and cultural issues. Prompts will be rigorously neutral, inviting multiple points of view. Each moderator will help his/her group choose topics and have deep, civil discussions on the ones they choose. Some of the moderators are Gen Z-ers who took part in recent college Can We Talk? events, loved them and decided to be trained in how to lead breakouts.
We’ll bring everyone together for a brief concluding session where we’ll compare notes on what generated buzz in the different breakouts.
Students who’ve participated in past Can We Talk? forums have called them “enlightening,” “eye-opening,” “invigorating,” “super cool” and the “best political conversation I ever had.” Participants also tell us they relish the chance to meet and talk with students from different areas and backgrounds.
Each school can send up to 10 students to the forum; we leave it up to teacher(s) to decide whom to invite. Every student chosen must fill out the online Survey Monkey sign-up form. That’s the only way to get the information on how to sign onto the Zoom on Nov. 20.
To participate, students will need:
- Permission to miss class that afternoon.
- A working laptop (preferably) or at least a recent model smartphone.
- Access to good wifi.
- A quiet place to sit while taking part in breakouts. Headphones or EarBuds highly recommended. Students from a given high school are likely to all be sorted into different breakout groups, so they can’t just sit in front of one screen together.