Constructive Dialogue Institute
Project Title
For a project to embed constructive dialogue in higher education across state systems and individual campuses
Date
Sep. 10, 2026
Duration
24 months
Description
The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is one of the nation’s leading organizations working to help colleges and universities prepare students to communicate, collaborate, and solve problems across differences. CDI combines evidence-based student programming with institution-wide strategies designed to strengthen campus culture, reduce polarization, and build the skills needed for democratic participation and workforce success. This grant will support CDI’s efforts to expand dialogue programming through state higher education systems and individual campus partnerships while exploring how dialogue skills can be integrated into career-readiness pathways. Carnegie funding will provide targeted subsidies to public institutions, community colleges, minority-serving institutions, and campuses serving larger numbers of low-income students that would otherwise be unable to participate. The project will directly support approximately 300,000 students across 40 campuses as part of CDI’s broader effort to reach 1.25 million students nationwide.