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Our Program Structure

Today, universities across the United States look for students who can engage thoughtfully with others, handle disagreement, and contribute constructively to campus life. At the Columbia Institute for Dialogue and Civic Practice, we prepare high school students who seek to develop these core academic competencies.

Our Philosophy

Developing genuine dialogue skills requires face-to-face encounters. These situations cannot be simulated, outsourced to AI, or learned through hypothetical scenarios in an online classroom. Our program is built exclusively around real-world dialogue scenarios on and off the Columbia campus. This experience is enriched by opportunities to learn from and interact with members of the Columbia community.

Program Principles

Two students, a woman with long dark hair and a man with short hair and a beard, are sitting at a table in a library, engaged in a discussion with open notebooks and pens. Behind them, there are bookshelves filled with books and a window showing buildings outside.

We build our foundations and advanced courses around guided, live conversations and structured reflection to provide students with the essential tools to develop their disagreement and dialogue competency.

Our class modules enable students to learn to listen closely, articulate their views clearly, and work through disagreement with rigor and respect. They enhance dialogue skills through critical self-awareness and openness to different positions.

Program Information

We offer two course tiers that can be taken independently or stacked during the school year as well as during the summer. All classes are held in person on the Columbia campus.

  • This course is for high school students who want to develop basic competencies in dialogue and disagreement. It includes structured practice sessions that translate into real-world skills, preparing students for college and for being well-rounded citizens. This course is ideal for students who seek enrollment during the high school year (sessions are held on the weekend).

    Type: Weekend Sessions
    Schedule: four Saturdays from 10 AM to 3 PM
    Location: Columbia University, Main Campus (Morningside Heights)

  • Our advanced course is an intense two-week summer bootcamp that includes training components from the Foundations Course and adds important research skills to the topic of dialogue and disagreement. Students will learn how to build a research portfolio on critical issues. Students who enrolled in the Foundations course are eligible for a reduced tuition rate.

    Type: Intensive Two-Week Bootcamp
    Schedule: Monday-Thursday, 10 AM to 3 PM
    Location: Columbia University, Main Campus (Morningside Heights)

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UPCOMING

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Foundations of Dialogue Course
March 7, 14, 21, & 28, 2026

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