| “The great thing about Pollyanna Teen Council is that it’s run by teens, for teens. We’re moderated by a bunch of great adults, but at the end of the day this council is meant for us, and we can customize and shape it into a space based on the problems we deal with as socially conscious students.” - Mira As a lifelong New Yorker, I know gridlock when I see it. Lately, our society is becoming defined by the gridlock in our ideologies, affiliations, and relationships. As Ezra Klein recently wrote in his piece, Why We’re Polarized: “We are so locked into our political identities that there is virtually no candidate, no information, no condition, that can force us to change our minds.” On May 5, 2024, the Pollyanna Teen Council deeply considered our cultural gridlock. We hosted Tori Larned, Senior Communication Manager for Starts With Us, an organization devoted to creating dialogue and “overcoming a culture of division.” The title of the session was Making Space for Differing Opinions. It featured Teen Council leaders and members engaging with Tori on questions such as: - What are some effective tools/boundaries for conversation both within and across political lines?
- How can students navigate others' political opinions in a school setting? Especially when those views are extreme?
- How can schools offer a space for open discussion of contentious issues for both sides to share opinions?
The conversation that ensued ran counter to our current zero-sum tendency to ask our students to develop an argument, be able to defend it, and win the conversation. Tori encouraged our teens to enter every conversation with three C’s: curiosity, compassion, and courage. She highlighted that all meaningful conversation asks us to question our beliefs and use our different lived experiences to support each other through challenging conversations. In acknowledging the differences, we find the way to common ground. I left the conversation thinking, “These are the kids for whom I am most hopeful in college. These are the gridlock-busters; the ones who care about the conversation itself and how it affects our ability to learn from each other and live together.” Pollyanna’s mission has always been to help build stronger, more inclusive communities. The Teen Council positions students to be leaders within their communities by engaging with experts across a range of topics and disciplines. As you think about how you will ask students in your schools to navigate challenging conversations in the 2024-25 school year, I hope you will consider a school membership in Pollyanna’s Teen Council. We have a special group of guests already scheduled for next year and we welcome the teens in your community! Warmly, Casper Casper Caldarola Founder | |
| Pollyanna, Inc. is a New York not-for-profit corporation 501(c)(3). © 2024 Pollyanna info@pollyannainc.org | |
