The headlines are disheartening, and campuses across the country are carrying a lot. Students, faculty, staff, and administrators are navigating real pain–and real differences. But the only way out is together. That’s why we created The Bridging Differences in Higher Education Playbook, a free resource that gathers a wide range of insights from researchers and examples from campuses nationwide.
To celebrate the playbook’s launch, we’re hosting a series of six skill-share sessions that highlight practical, replicable strategies to build belonging, without compromising our unique values and identities. Come join us as we grow our skills, our community, and our character.
In these interactive conversations with guest experts and leading researchers, you will:
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learn research-backed, road-tested practices
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meet inspiring educators, administrators, students, and campus leaders
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stay rooted in the empathy, courage, and curiosity that fuel bridging work
We can meet this academic year's hard moments with the practical tools that build connection across differences.
Skill-Share Session #1
Let’s Find Missouri on the Map: Countering Stereotypes and Cultivating Empathy Across the Urban-Rural Divide
October 3, 2025 | 10am PT - 11am PT / 1pm ET - 2pm ET
When Stanford’s Thomas Schnaubelt noticed how little contact his students had with rural life, he tried a simple idea: a “rural life” quiz. It sparked curiosity, checked assumptions—and for student Jeannette Wang, it reshaped her path.
Register
Free! Designed for higher education, open to all.
Skill-Share Session #2
Grounding for the Greater Good: Cultivating Patience to Interrupt Reactivity and Racial Bias
December 5, 2025 | 11am - 12pm PT / 2pm - 3pm ET
"In our culture, higher education is one of the only places where there can actually be real conversations about difficult topics,” says Beth Douthirt-Cohen, a public health professor at University of Maryland, College Park. In 2017, the university brought in Douthirt-Cohen to build the capacity of students, faculty, and staff to engage with differences in power and racial identity in healthy, ethical ways. They found that mindfulness can help us feel connected to our agency. Instead of reacting, we get grounded and find the patience we need to make choices and even interrupt unconscious bias.
Register
Free! Designed for higher education, open to all.
More sessions coming soon!
The Bridging Differences in Higher Education Playbook was made possible through the generous support of the Educating Character Initiative at Wake Forest University and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, with additional funding provided by Einhorn Collaborative.