The materials were excellent. Reading them ahead of time helped me understand positions that differed from my own, and I recognized that issues were often more complex than I had anticipated. The discussion format of sharing the strongest and weakest arguments for both sides encouraged reflection. Participants usually chose different arguments which deepened my understanding of the issues and respect for opinions different from my own.”
This spring the DCI will be hosting its tenth round of D Teams! The focus of the teams’ discussions will be on three public health issues — the opioid epidemic, lessons learned from the pandemic, and healthcare reform. Read more below to learn more — Registration for Spring 2025 D Teams is open until January 30, 2025 (Know you want to sign up? Register here.).
What are D Teams?
D Teams are small teams of about 6-10 people that meet three times per semester in order to discuss contentious topics in productive ways, and to pave the way toward catalyzing creative solutions to difficult problems in the public sphere. D Teams may meet in person or virtually.
A few things make the D Team experience unique compared to other discussions about controversial topics. First, D Team discussions are facilitated by a DCI Fellow who has been trained in the kind of facilitation that leads to good discussions. Second, D Team participants get access to deliberation guides designed specifically for each topic that they discuss. And third, D Teams provide an opportunity to connect meaningfully with others beyond one’s immediate social or professional circle. You can learn more about the background and structure of this program here.
It was my first DCI experience, and I was not sure quite what to expect. I was one of 2 non-students on our team, and part of the draw to participate was to hear and learn from current students how they think and feel about such a difficult, complex, politically-charged topic. It was an enlightening and encouraging experience; I came away more hopeful, and impressed by the DCI initiative.
—D Team Participant
What are the topics of discussion for Spring 2025?
For our Spring 2025 D Teams, we are planning to focus on several public health issues. The overarching question is how should communities and societies best think about how to protect and promote the public’s health while also balancing other social values.
Our plan is to start the first session with on one of the most pressing public health issues facing societies around the world — the opioid epidemic. Over 80,000 Americans died from opioid-related causes in 2023, over 60 million struggle with opioid addiction worldwide. What more should be done — by governments, public health agencies, corporations, or individuals — to reduce the harmful effects of opioid addiction, if anything?
Teams in their second session will move to a discussion of pandemic preparedness and what we have learned from our collective response to COVID. As we think about the effectiveness of that response — from vaccine development to lockdown orders to masking requirements — how should we prepare for the next pandemic? What should we do differently or the same in the future?
We will end the Spring D Team series with a discussion about healthcare systems more broadly. Thinking about healthcare in the United States as well as in other countries, what changes, if any, are needed to our healthcare system that will enable it to more effectively, efficiently, and equitably prevent and treat health problems?
Why did we choose these topics?
The DCI solicited feedback on potential topics that were suggested by the DCI Fellows and former D Team participants via a survey that was shared within the Davidson community and the DCI’s online community — our blog and newsletter subscribers and Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X followers. These topics were among the top choices that our survey respondents were interested in discussing, and they are all timely in their own ways. Finally, although the topics are substantively different, they all present an opportunity to engage with pressing public debates that are ongoing in the United States and around the world.
I was very grateful to have this kind of opportunity to have these conversations in a context where I knew I shared something with all other participants even though we are in many different stages and paths in life.
—D Team Participant
How do I sign up?
Registration for Spring 2025 D Teams is open until January 30, 2025. Sign up today and help us build a better democracy, one conversation at a time.
