Learn skills and knowledge to improve your ability to facilitate difficult discussions about political and social issues with the DCI!
DCI most recently hosted its series of Deliberative Facilitator Training Workshops Sunday, August 31, 2025 and Sunday, September 7, 2025 from 1:30 to 5:30 pm to help participants learn specific skills that will improve their ability to both listen and deliberate with another and to facilitate such deliberations.
These workshops enable participants — students, staff, faculty, and community members — to become better facilitators of both formal and informal deliberations. Those who completed the training are eligible to facilitate the DCI’s Deliberative Forums. They also help faculty explore ways they can incorporate deliberation more directly into their courses.
Participants learn skills and knowledge that improve their ability to facilitate difficult discussions about political and social issues with the DCI.
The Deliberative Citizenship Initiative is excited to host this deliberation facilitator training open to all Davidson students, faculty, and staff, as well as to members of the wider community. The 8-hour training, spread across two days, equips participants with skills and knowledge to improve their ability to facilitate difficult discussions about political and social issues among people who may have different backgrounds, values, and perspectives.
Such facilitation requires a commitment to ongoing learning and practice, but the DCI hopes this training lays the foundation for well-trained facilitators to begin fostering more honest, respectful, and productive discourse in their communities.
Participants in the training can expect to:
- Explore deliberation as an alternative to the non-constructive cross talk that has come to dominate our public discourse
- Learn how to host and organize welcoming and well-defined deliberative events
- Learn facilitation approaches and skills that help deliberation participants adopt deliberative dispositions and skills that enable meaningful deliberations
- Become better facilitators of both formal and informal discussions of difficult topics
- Establish a community of individuals dedicated to creating more productive discourse
Successful completion of the training program will involve some pre-reading as well as full and active participation in group discussions, deliberation simulations, and other learning activities. Participants who fully complete the training program will be certified and encouraged to serve at least once, schedule permitting, as DCI Deliberation Facilitators for deliberative forums and other deliberation-involved events. Participants will also be able to translate the skills they learn to a variety of other contexts – from informal conversations among friends and family to contentious discussions within the workplace.
The training program sessions is usually held at Davidson College’s Hurt Hub. Registration is required, and both sessions are required for completion of the program. Given the limited space, please only sign up if you can attend BOTH sessions.
The training will take place in-person at Davidson College, but a limited number of off-site individuals will also be able to participate through virtual and breakout room integration. However, in-person participation is highly recommended.
Stay tuned for information about when the next training will be held, and check out the links below for recaps of past training workshops. Please feel free to contact the DCI at dci@davidson.edu with any questions about the training program.
Fall 2025 Facilitator Training
Fall 2024 Facilitator Training
