Democracy in Dialogue Virtual Exchange Program

Paired groups of youth will explore their own communities in order to share their history, culture, and contributions with each other in a series of virtual meetings. Capstone projects will provide snapshots of this discourse and celebrate each unique role in the American story.

Democracy in Dialogue is designed to support educators who work with middle and high school youth (age 13-18) from across the United States and territories. Facilitators can come from any disciplinary background, including civics, social studies, environmental science, and other humanities classes. We also welcome student support professionals like media center specialists and curriculum leaders as well as informal and out-of-school educators.

Groups from different regions across the United States are paired together to explore their communities using best practices of place-based methodology. Facilitators will co-design their own exchange topic and activities to match the unique interests and characteristics of the two communities. These activities will include Synchronous and Asynchronous work that culminates with a final capstone project.

• Asynchronous Activities: The program will support student interactions and content in an online platform. These activities will create the structure for each community exploration, so both groups will be learning and applying the same inquiry-based skills.
• Synchronous “Live” Sessions: Throughout the course of the investigation, the exchange will offer “Live” sessions where students will share, reflect, and celebrate their communities. These sessions make up the heart of the program.
• Capstone project: This final project allows youth to not only engage in their own local history and culture but to also develop a deeper understanding of communities across the nation. Students will collect and reflect on the voices of their communities through a wide variety of perspectives. They then have the opportunity to share their capstone experience in a showcase session.
• Other opportunities: Relationships often extend well after the end date of a specific exchange. We will encourage and support the on-going collaborations of facilitators, students, and communities.

• Attend a five-day professional training with Smithsonian education leaders in Washington, D.C. scheduled for July 29 – August 2, 2024 (arrive July 28).
• Recruit a minimum of 15 students to participate in a six-week virtual exchange
• Collect and submit Smithsonian's student releases, signed by parents and guardians
• Partner with another facilitator from another area of the country to design, schedule, and lead a virtual exchange for students
• Organize and facilitate regular in-person meetings and community connections for your half of the exchange
• Ensure that final capstone projects are completed successfully
• Attend regular virtual meetings with other facilitators for on-going professional support
• Encourage students to recognize their own existing knowledge of their community as a starting point
• Keep in mind that there are no "right" answers – students may have very different ideas and that is good! Some of the topics explored are challenging. Be prepared to support students in conversation about controversial issues.

• The Smithsonian provides a facilitator training session and make available Smithsonian experts and resources that support individual exchange projects
• The Smithsonian provides instructional coaches for each pair to assist with curriculum design, logistics, and asynchronous activities
• The Smithsonian provides office hours for educators or students by request
• The Smithsonian provides additional support for the online platform as requested
• The Smithsonian celebrates community connections and capstone projects

Each facilitator will receive an honorarium upon the successful completion of the virtual exchange. All costs associated with the training are fully covered. Continued Education Unit (CEU) professional credit is awarded at the conclusion of the exchange.