100% of respondents shared that they would recommend the program to their colleagues, with reasons spanning the program’s experiential learning model and overall design, opportunities for relationship and community building, the personal and professional development they experienced, and a desire to build the skills of their colleagues.

Program Overview 

Carolina Dialogue Across Difference (CDADP) is an 8-month certificate program for staff & faculty from across campus interested in learning strategies to address challenging conversations in the workplace and the classroom.  Participants engaged in the program will learn about Intergroup Dialogue (IGD), experience dialogue, and ultimately receive facilitator training aligned with their professional goals and work environments. At the conclusion, participants will have been trained in IGD and when ready, can act as co-facilitation partners with UODI staff and as peer facilitators in their respective communities.  

The Carolina Dialogue Across Difference program is broken down across three levels all of which are covered over the course of the program. See below to learn more: 

Level 1. IGD Foundations  

• The first level of the CDADP is focused on building the cohort community and introduction to the traditional IGD model  

Level 2. Dialogue Circles  

• The second level of the CDADP takes participants through an IGD experience. This involves activities that address social issues and engagement in dialogue about contentious topics.  

Level 3. Facilitator Training 

• The third level of the CDADP provides participants with the opportunity to deepen their facilitation skills and to design and co-facilitate a “dialogue across difference” session for their CDADP colleagues.  

“This is the first environment that I can think of in years where I’ve seen people with very different levels of comfort about topics that
many find challenging and that people can remain engaged in/with.”

Learning Outcomes 

• Experience informed dialogue, guided by a combination of personal experience and supplemental resources    
• Learn how to address group conflicts through dialogic experiences  
• Develop facilitation skills like multi-partiality and affirmative inquiry that can be used personally and professionally 
• Deepen facilitation skills through experiential learning including designing and co-facilitating a dialogic experience for your colleagues 

“Seeing real time growth in empathy of others was something that added to my knowledge
but also helped me to see this as more possible than I believed.”

Applicant Profile 

CDADP is open to all faculty & staff at UNC who want to develop their skills as a facilitator and learn more about IGD. Looking for participants with various levels of experience in facilitation and who are passionate about engaging in productive conflict and building bridges with people from different backgrounds.   

Seeking a diverse cohort with representation across social identities including, but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, disability status, nationality, geographic origin, language use, first generation, veteran/military, and political ideology.    

Responsibilities & Commitments  

Participants will be expected to attend monthly meetings on Thursdays from 9:00AM -3:00PM with an optional 8:30AM coffee & tea break.   

Dates 

• September 7, 2023 | 9:00AM-12:00PM, optional 8:30AM breakfast  
• September 21, 2023 | 9:00AM-3:00PM, optional 8:30AM coffee 
• October 5, 2023 | 9:00AM-3:00PM, optional 8:30AM coffee 
• November 16, 2023 | 9:00AM-3:00PM, optional 8:30AM coffee 
• December 7, 2023 | 9:00AM-3:00PM, optional 8:30AM coffee 
• January 11, 2024 | 9:00AM-3:00PM, optional 8:30AM coffee 
• February 8, 2024 | 9:00AM-3:00PM, optional 8:30AM coffee
• March 7, 2024 | 9:00AM-3:00PM, optional 8:30AM coffee 
• April 18, 2024| 9:00AM-3:00PM, optional 8:30AM coffee 
• April 25, 2024 | Closing Event: Receipt of Completion, 2:00PM-4:00PM   

“It’s the most thorough, skill-building, effective, and engaging professional and
personal development that I’ve been able to engage in at any one job.” 

Application Timeline & Information  

Applications for 2023-2024 are closed.

Stay tuned to know more about next cohort! 

Please reach out to Ari Weinbaum (amwein@unc.edu) or Cloe Liparini (cloe@unc.edu) if you have any questions.