Last week, a cohort of GFA faculty were hard at work during our Civil Discourse Summer Institute. This initiative, led by the Civil Discourse Committee—a subgroup of our larger Academic Committee—aimed to weave the principles of civil discourse into GFA’s daily practices, promoting a culture of respectful dialogue and understanding.
To get the conversation started, faculty first attended the NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) Civil Discourse Lab. This event was designed to help educators create a comprehensive community-wide action plan to navigate the U.S. election season and beyond. The insights gained from this event enriched our program significantly.
Returning to campus, attendees discussed the importance of encouraging thoughtful discussion, deep listening, and respectful disagreement within the classroom environment. They worked together to develop resources and strategies to be implemented across all school divisions in the upcoming year:
"We wanted to develop a set of deliverables that build community through classroom culture and open the floor for students to express themselves," said Chris Meatto, Upper School teacher and Civil Discourse Summer Institute attendee. "We focused on intentionally integrating GFA’s core values into our teaching philosophies, helping our students engage in inquiry work and preparing them to be good citizens in the world.”
The Civil Discourse Summer Institute underscores GFA's commitment to empathy, curiosity, and excellence. By creating a range of resources—including lesson plans, case studies, and guidelines for effective civil discourse—our faculty are given tools to further partner with our students, to engage in meaningful dialogue and approach differences with an open-mind. This initiative is a significant step towards making GFA an environment where civil discourse is not just taught but lived every day.
"It feels so good to know that GFA is making civil discourse a part of its identity,” said Isabelle Dumoulin, Middle School teacher and Civil Discourse Summer Institute attendee. “It is truly a part of who we are as a school, and that is not as common as you’d think.”