Applications are now open for the 2024 Braver Angels Convention. Apply Now.
Apply now for the 2024 Braver Angels Convention.

Braver School Communities

Depolarizing America one community at a time.

The Braver School Communities initiative engages high school and middle school students, parents, teachers, staff, administrators, and school board members in bridge-building efforts.
A primary goal of this initiative is to depolarize America’s school communities and to ready the next generation for a more civil politics. Braver Angels has shown that it can help Americans of all ages improve their listening skills, speaking skills, and “political empathy” in the context of cross-partisan discussion and disagreement. We’re ramping up our efforts to bring these skills to our younger generation—especially high school and middle school students capable of complex interpersonal exchanges. We know that the patterns children develop from an early age can stick with them for life, so helping students gain these skills early in their education can keep them from falling into the toxic patterns modeled for them by others in our public life, and can help create the kind of future leaders we need.

What We Do

We offer programs for school communities, including high school and middle school students, parents, teachers, staff, administrators, and school boards. If you’d like to bring our programs to your school community, please connect with our team.

Presentations:

Introduction to Braver Angels

Workshops:

Introduction to Braver Angels
Depolarizing Within
Skills for Challenging Conversations
Common Ground Workshop
1:1 Conversations
Fishbowl Exercise
Humble Conversations
Seminar Experiences

BridgeUSA High School Chapters:

We also collaborate with BridgeUSA whose High School Chapters bring constructive dialogue to high school communities across the nation, focusing on teaching students how to engage in political discussion and have productive conversations on hard topics through empathy and open-discussion.

High School Debates:

Braver Angels and BridgeUSA have engaged students in high school debates throughout the country.

Workshops:

Managing Difficult Conversations with Colleagues and Constituents

Outcomes for Participants

Essential Skills

Ways You Can Help

We’re seeking trained Braver Angels Moderators, Organizers, and Ambassadors as well as Braver Angels members with skills such as team building, communications, writing, marketing, graphic design, video editing, data entry, and data management. If you’re a Braver Angels member interested in joining our team, please contact us.

Help bring the message of Braver Angels to your school community. As a trained Ambassador, you’ll be well-prepared for offering formal presentations or for impromptu conversations with administrators and others about the benefits bringing Braver Angels bridge-building work to your district.

Help organize workshops and other events for your school community. As a trained Organizer, you’ll learn the logistics of working with Moderators and other team members to bring Braver Angels’ programs to your district.

Help deliver existing workshops for school communities and help create new programs.

 

Other ways Braver Angels members can help is by sharing this with your school community, and with other Braver Angels members who may be interested in joining our team or spreading the word to their networks. To make your outreach efforts more effective and connect you with others who may already be working in your school community, please contact us.

Connect with our Team

Please reach out to braver-schools@braverangels.org to get started.

FAQ

Braver Angels Support