At North Carolina Campus Engagement (NCCE), dialogue is both a vital skillset and a way of thinking.
NCCE is a network of colleges and universities committed to educating students for civic and social responsibility, partnering with communities for positive change, and strengthening democracy. One of their core initiatives is the Student Dialogue Ambassadors (SDA) program, where campuses select undergraduate students to be trained in facilitating meaningful dialogues, and who then go on to deliver dialogues and even train others.
The SDA program isn’t about a one-off training or single conversation—rather, it aims to create a domino effect where students learn to listen, connect, and lead. The 2024-2025 cohort was the first to benefit from a Collaborative Discussion Project Certificate Program—and it certainly won’t be the last.
The 2024/2025 SDA Cohort
Each year, NCCE works with a selection of campuses from its statewide network. Schools nominate students they believe can hold complexity, build bridges, and ask good questions. Once selected, those Student Ambassadors begin a year-long journey that includes intensive training, faculty mentorship, dialogue facilitation, peer education, and a reflective capstone project.
“We’re looking for those bridge builders out there who are ready to sit in that gray space between polarities to bring people together,” explains Program Coordinator Sam Delap (she/her). “It’s a unique skill set that can be taught, though it’s helpful if it’s pre-existing.”
In the most recent cohort, Student Ambassadors from more than 15 campuses ran dialogues on everything from consent culture to campus unity, homelessness to racial dynamics. Each Ambassador must facilitate a minimum of four dialogues on their topic, as well as a peer-to-peer dialogue training. The goal, as Sam puts it, is to “create a foundation for a more dialogic campus”.
“The goal is for them to really create a foundation for a more dialogic campus—the hope is that even after the students are done, the essence of the program can continue.”
Choosing a Certificate Program
After completing IF’s Collaborative Discussion Coach Training in May 2024, Sam immediately saw how it could support the SDA program. “A lot of the activities in the Coach Training seemed really applicable to the type of student programming that we do—there was a good amount of overlap,” she notes.
The SDA program already included several dialogue models and tools, such as the National Issues Forum Institute’s Deliberative Dialogue Model, Living Room Conversations, and locally developed approaches. Students also have the option to co-design their own formats based on campus needs.
The CDP approach complements these other models: rather than focusing on decision-making or bridging divides, it supports sustained exploration, imagination, and collaborative meaning-making. It invites participants to sit with complexity, ask better questions, and build toward shared understanding over time. Particularly, it helped respond to a student desire for more structure and learning opportunities: “Some of the student feedback was like, ‘this was great, but we would really love more opportunities for continued skill-building’,” explains Sam. “When we found there’s a facilitation certificate component to [the CDP], we were like, ‘oh my gosh—that’s exactly what we were looking for!”
Sam reached out to the CDP Team at IF, who support CDP Coaches in designing and delivering customized certificate programs. Together, they developed the IF/NCCE Dialogue Facilitation Certificate, a co-branded offering that emphasizes hands-on facilitation using CDP tools, reflective practice, and sustained learning. Students who completed the program received a certificate and digital badge, which many found meaningful for both their resumes and their sense of growth.
“Being able to pair learning with a certificate was something that a lot of students were really excited about. It gave them a chance to keep building skills in a way that was productive—and something they could put on their resume.”
The Impact
“Students said ‘can we please have more of these?’”
SDA participants responded strongly to the experience. Many were surprised at how the CDP activities created space for honesty, vulnerability, and real connection. “Students have such a craving for that kind of conversation on their campus,” adds Sam. “Ambassadors were surprised at how much these conversations were really needed.”
For Sam, IF’s support made a real difference: from her own initial CDP Coach Training that modelled CDP values and processes, to the adaptable resources in the free CDP Toolkit, to direct support from the CDP Team in developing the Certificate Program—it all helped deepen and build on what was already working. “Our hope is that it will create a space where other students are inspired,” she says. “We’re grateful to IF for giving us the tools to help make that possible.”
Want to run your own cohort training or certificate program?
As a CDP Coach Training, Sam of NCCE was trained and given resources to support the development of their CDP Certificate Program. The next available CDP Coach Training is open in September, and you can sign up for that or any other of our events at https://iftalks.org/Events.
If you want additional support in creating a custom program, or even delivering it, IF also provide custom CDP cohort trainings. From faculty and university ambassadors in the US to young leaders in Haiti, these cohort trainings have a meaningful impact on participants and their communities. Participants leave with greater confidence, stronger facilitation skills, and real-world experience in supporting inclusive, constructive dialogue.
Tailored to your needs and context, custom cohort trainings can last from one to five days and include:
- Guided training in the Collaborative Discussion Toolkit
- Hands-on activities, followed by practical facilitation debriefs
- Team-building and skill-building sessions to support long-term impact
- Support to develop and deliver your own Collaborative Discussion Certificate Programs
As a result, participants gain an understanding of discussion that goes beyond the basics; experience designing and facilitating inclusive conversations; familiarity with a range of dialogue models and activities; and confidence using the free CDP Toolkit to lead structured sessions.
Ready to start? Get in touch to explore how we can tailor a cohort training for your campus or community.
More ways to collaborate
👉 Contact us for support running a cohort training or workshop for your team or group
👉 Attend online training in September to become a CDP Coach and deliver customized certificate programs
👉 Start using the free Collaborative Discussion Toolkit
👉 Join a free webinar for an Introduction to the Toolkit
👉 Subscribe to the Collaborative Discussion Project newsletter for Toolkit activities, tips and tricks every Monday
👉 Donate to the Interactivity Foundation to keep supporting valuable dialogue work and programs
