CCVA Retreat
These in-person, half-day workshops, hosted by the Constructive Dialogue Institute, in collaboration with the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics, Humanities Lab and the Cultivating Civic Virtues through Action initiative provides participants with the foundational skills and mindsets of constructive dialogue. Participants will:
learn out-of-the box strategies to proactively foster connection and trust
build skills for engaging across differences
effectively navigate conflict or tension
This workshop is highly interactive and experiential.
Participants must RSVP.
Faculty / Staff
*Invite only. Please email Jordan at [email protected] with questions.
Friday, March 20, 2026
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Skysong, Building 1
Room 201 Global
1475 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85257
Lunch is provided.
Schedule
9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. — Check-in. Coffee and snacks are provided.
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. — Morning session
12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Lunch (provided)
12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. — Afternoon session
Learning objectives
- Learn and practice strategies designed to foster connection and trust among students.
- Be prepared to facilitate activities and exercises with students that build and strengthen their listening, question-asking and storytelling skills.
- Learn key practices for navigating conflict or discord in order to sustain the conversation and promote connection and understanding.
Students
*Open to all students. Please email Jordan at [email protected] with questions.
Saturday, March 21, 2026
10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Memorial Union
Alumni Lounge
301 E Orange St., Tempe, AZ 85281
Lunch is provided.
Schedule
9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. — Check-in. Coffee and snacks are provided.
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. — Morning session
12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Lunch (provided)
12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. — Afternoon session
Learning objectives
- Build your facilitator toolkit – You’ll shift from being just a participant in conversations to someone who can guide them.
- Create campus spaces where dialogue thrives – You’ll learn how to set group intentions, invite everyone’s voice, keep discussions intentional and structure dialogue so it doesn’t spiral off track. These moves help you create spaces on campus where mutual respect and genuine curiosity are the norm.
- Respond to conflict with confidence – When things get tense, controversial or awkward, you’ll be ready. Through practice and scenarios, you’ll try out strategies like asking open-ended questions, listening for values, redirecting with structure and using the BIN framework to move a stuck conversation forward.