Civic leaders and educators from around the country recently came together for the launch of the 2026 Collaborative Discussion Fellowship, a convening hosted in partnership by the Interactivity Foundation (IF) and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Ithaca Initiative at the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware. Held on January 9, 2026, the convening marked the beginning of a yearlong fellowship dedicated to strengthening the skills and structures that make collaborative, democratic dialogue possible.

The workshop centered around the Collaborative Discussion Project (CDP), a signature initiative of the Interactivity Foundation co-developed by Shannon Wheatley Hartman, president of the Interactivity Foundation. Designed to cultivate the skills, mindsets and structures necessary for meaningful dialogue, the project brings together educators, civic practitioners and institutional leaders committed to improving engagement across differences in classrooms, communities and workplaces. The SNF Ithaca Initiative played a central role in hosting the launch of the fellowship now and into the future. 

“Our partnership with the Interactivity Foundation is a powerful example of how higher education can help advance essential democratic practices of dialogue and engagement,” said Timothy Shaffer, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Chair of Civil Discourse and Director of the SNF Ithaca Initiative. 

“Being able to partner with IF for the launch of the Collaborative Discussion Project Fellowship aligns with the pillars of SNF Ithaca that focus on civil discourse, civic engagement and how we think about these issues within our mediated world—especially as we seek to foster these civic skills with our students.”

Shaffer, along with Jane Case, assistant director of the SNF Ithaca Initiative, attended the convening, not only as institutional leaders but also as Fellows of the Collaborative Discussion Project. 

“One of the things I would like to see… is a real commitment to collaboration and an opportunity to engage thoughtfully in discourse without feeling like we need to change each other's opinions, but that we can understand how to communicate and work together,” Case said, emphasizing the CDP fellowship’s long-term vision for civic engagement.

During the day-long event, Fellows engaged in facilitated sessions designed to establish shared expectations, deepen understanding of the CDP framework and begin shaping individual and collective contributions to the project. Sessions included collaborative reflection on the project’s strengths and opportunities for growth, as well as guided workshops focused on developing independent fellowship projects.

“Our Fellows help us stay connected to classrooms, communities and workplaces, ensuring that collaborative discussion practices are relevant and actionable in real-world contexts,” said Hartman. “We want people to have the skills, mindsets and structures to engage in meaningful discussion, not just debate, to imagine possibilities together and build social trust along the way.” 

For the SNF Ithaca Initiative, the CDP aligns with its broader efforts to embed civil discourse practices within higher education and public life. 

“This work is about how we show up with one another,” Shaffer said. “Democracy isn’t something we inherit; it’s something we practice.”

By hosting the convening, the SNF Ithaca Initiative helped create a space where this select group of national leaders in dialogue and civic engagement could begin a shared learning journey. As the Collaborative Discussion Project Fellowship moves forward, the participation of Shaffer, Case and other Fellows will contribute to the continued evolution of the project and strengthen connections between higher education and the broader civic landscape.