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Dialogue Across Differences

A bold, schoolwide commitment to cultivating a culture of respect, curiosity, and courageous leadership
Students at dinner with Professor Paola Uccelli

In a moment when classrooms and communities everywhere are mirrors of society’s divisions, Dialogue Across Differences affirms a simple but powerful truth: respect, dignity, and shared purpose best live in practice. Dialogue Across Differences equips our community with the skills, mindsets, and opportunities to engage constructively across perspectives, identities, and experiences.

Our Approach

With three pillars — Train, Practice, Engage — we build the foundation for dialogue and perspective-taking through structured learning experiences, public events, and storytelling, and create opportunities to practice and reflect in real-world contexts.

Leadership and Partnership

At the heart of Dialogue Across Differences are our students. This initiative calls on their pedagogical skills, professional experiences, entrepreneurial energy, and leadership to shape and guide its direction. Through efforts like the Courageous Conversations Fund, students can apply for grants to pilot projects that create new channels for dialogue and exchange.


"Our charge as educators is to engage in dialogue such that differences are not a barrier to progress, but the very means by which it is made." – Dean Nonie Lesaux


This is shared work. It thrives through partnership among peers, with faculty, and with the communities we serve. Together, we will strengthen HGSE’s tradition of open inquiry and build a culture where difficult conversations are opportunities to learn, connect, and lead.