We are excited to profile Jes Friedrichs, IF’s new Education Director. See our brief interview below about her vision to expand our Collaborative Discussion Project and our Coach Trainings. We are thrilled that Jes is joining our team here at IF!
Q: What excites you the most about joining the Interactivity Foundation?
Jes: Our mission of strengthening democracy through discussion is more important than ever. As an educator and a social worker, I care about honoring the dignity of every person in our society. And I know that the only way we’ll ever achieve anything together is by learning how to communicate and collaborate, even when we come from very different backgrounds and opinions.
Q: You have served as a Collaborative Discussion Coach and as a Fellow. How do you see yourself serving in this
Jes: Moving into this role, I have a chance to make a bigger impact with the communities IF serves.
I’m excited to pull back and take a bird’s eye view at how all of our education initiatives flow together and consider where we might have new opportunities. Having been a Coach and a Fellow, I’m also really looking forward to working with the other individuals in our network. The work our coaches and collaborators are doing in their communities inspires me and will help to inform where IF goes in the future.
Q: How do you plan to expand Coach Trainings and Certificates?
Jes: One of the areas I’m most passionate about is expanding our audience. I’m always asking who might be missing from the room and why? If we keep asking that question, I think it’s going to lead us to some very exciting new programs. We want to meet our participants where they are at so we’ll also be expanding training in-person as well as virtually through our forthcoming IF Academy online.
Q: Why is the Collaborative Discussion Project so valuable? What can people learn from the training and becoming a CDP Coach?
Jes: The Toolkit is full of free, ready-to-use activities for anyone facilitating discussions in classrooms, communities or workplaces. The Coach training is a chance to see the activities in action so folks can envision how they might use them in their specific context.
During the training, meeting the other coaches from across the nation (and sometimes the world) is also incredibly valuable to expand one’s network. And finally, after becoming a coach, people can design and offer a Certificate in Collaborative Discussion to members of their community.
I went through all these steps myself and they improved the classes I taught and the work I do in the community so I know how valuable they will be to others.
Q: Where do you see the dialogue and collaborative discussion field moving to in the future?
Jes: I’m excited for the future of this field – there is real energy and momentum about bridging our differences in U.S. society right now. Seeing that gives me hope for the future!
Register now for our Collaborative Discussion Coach Training: June 1–5, 2026 | 12:00–3:00 PM Eastern | Online (Zoom)
Register now for our Collaborative Discussion Coach Training: July 13-17, 2026 | 12:00–3:00 PM Eastern | Online (Zoom)
