Discussion Guides & Other Resources
Looking for discussion guides or other materials to help facilitate or organize an interactive discussion program? We have over 30 discussion guides on a wide variety of public policy topics. Our discussion guides are non-partisan, presenting 5-9 different approaches or policy “possibilities” for the topic. You can view them online or download them for free. We also have other discussion resources available without charge, including “how-to” guidebooks on facilitating and other practical aspects of planning and conducting a discussion program.
Planning a Discussion Program?
We may be able to help. We have partnered with a wide range of organizations, including public, private, educational, nonprofit, and other groups, to provide direct in-kind assistance in planning, organizing, and conducting different discussion programs and initiatives. We’re always looking for new partners to work with in developing more and better exploratory and generative conversations. Depending on the particular goals and circumstances of your program, we may be able to help with planning, facilitating, or training facilitators.
Resources for Educators
Interested in using student-facilitated discussions in your classroom or online course? For over a decade, we have partnered with faculty to integrate our discussion process into higher education settings. We have a number of different resources for instructors and students for use in both in-person and online courses. These resources provide practical guidance on implementing student-facilitated discussions and include guidebooks, workbooks, sample syllabi, evaluation forms, and other course materials.
Recent News
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Travis was a top graduate. He had numerous job offers, and he accepted a job with his top choice. All that remained prior to starting what looked like a promising career was a background check. Travis was confident that the background check would go well. It...
Continuous Improvement in Discussions
Paul Washburn was a new Assistant Professor in Political Science. He had left the legal profession when his wife passed away and he became a single father with two teenage children. He inherited a syllabus for a Foundations of the Justice System course, which had...
Just Imagine…Justice (Four)
Trent Taylor was a psychiatric prisoner in a Texas. For six days, prison guards removed all his clothes and locked him in a cell contaminated with fecal matter. Every part of the cell was contaminated: floor, walls, window, and ceiling. The water faucet was even...