Practice Pluralism

The Pluralist Lab empowers the next generation of leaders to navigate difference with clarity, courage, and respect. Through immersive workshops, curated forums, and a growing alumni network, we help students, educators, and community members build the skills, habits, and dispositions necessary for civil discourse and institutional leadership in a diverse and divided world.

The Problem We Face

The United States is experiencing a breakdown in productive discourse driven by ideological siloing, institutional incentives that discourage open exchange, and cultural mores that rewards performative outrage over genuine engagement. This inability to have honest dialogue across differences is toxic to the civic infrastructure necessary for sustaining our pluralistic liberal republic. Without that infrastructure, our freedoms and prosperity are in jeopardy. Affectively polarized citizens from the left and right become increasingly willing to sacrifice the legal guardrails of the Constitution and moral-ethical considerations of conscience at the altar of expediency. Whether out of a contempt for fellow citizens, whom they see as not just wrong, but actively evil, or out of fear that the other party will do it to them first, we see a worrying rise in illiberal attitudes and practices across the political spectrum. Our civilization is lost without a citizenry equipped with the tools to reverse these trends, but existing approaches – such as diversity training, debate forums, or calls for civility – are often impotent, or even counterproductive, failing to address the underlying social and epistemic structures that shape how people interpret and engage with differences.

The Pluralist Lab Solution

Pluralist Lab community members reverse these trends of affective polarization in their spheres of influence to create spaces where diverse perspectives coexist and openly compete through honest good-faith dialogue, mutual respect for the equal human dignity of dissenters, and good-willed attempts to hear others’ points of view charitably.

A Community of Confident Pluralists

Students, faculty, and community members outside the academy build the skills, knowledge, and connections needed to navigate deep divides and act as ambassadors for civil exchange. By identifying and equipping potential leaders who have a zeal for meaningful intellectual exploration and love for their fellow citizens, we empower Pluralist Lab community members to champion open inquiry as part of their roles in the network as well as in their personal and professional lives.

How it Works: Contact Theory, Experiential Learning, and Virtue Development.

By fostering repeated, meaningful interactions among diverse viewpoints, we create opportunities to cultivate critical thinking, intellectual humility, and active listening. Over time, these practices become habits, which, in turn, ripple out through our participants’ communities, leading to long-term cultural and institutional shifts that normalize the practice of pluralism in the academy and broader society. To supercharge these efforts, we partner with centers and other institutional entities within universities as well as with organizations like F.I.R.E..

What We Offer

Pluralist Lab Civil Discourse Workshops – Plant the Seeds of Pluralism

The Pluralist Lab Half-Day Workshop equips participants with skills for civil discourse across differences. Through structured and informal sessions, attendees engage with diverse perspectives, fostering understanding and mutual respect. Facilitators guide exercises in reflective listening, intellectual humility, and constructive dialogue. Designed for university students but adaptable for various groups, the workshop serves as a first step toward becoming a “confident pluralist.” Alumni gain access to continued engagement opportunities, building a network that champions open inquiry and viewpoint diversity.

Pluralist Lab Fora – Deep Dives into Issues of Consequence

The Pluralist Lab Forum strengthens participants’ civil discourse skills on complex issues. Bringing together students, faculty, and thought leaders, it fosters open, respectful, and intellectually rigorous conversations. The program features expert panels, structured exercises, small-group dialogues, and informal networking opportunities. Panelists represent a wide range of perspectives and model constructive engagement, helping participants move beyond false dichotomies to explore nuanced disagreements​ and refine their ability to listen across differences, articulate diverse viewpoints, and challenge assumptions. The forum also connects attendees to the Pluralist Lab Alumni Network, fostering a lasting community committed to pluralism.

Facilitator Training – Learn how to Facilitate Pluralist Lab Workshops

The Pluralist Facilitator Training Workshop prepares facilitators to create environments where individuals with differing perspectives can engage in open, respectful, and productive conversations​. Through theory, practice, and feedback, trainees learn the skills to host and facilitate civil dialogue events. Ideal for faculty, administrators, student leaders, and community organizers, it provides hands-on training and resources to confidently lead Pluralist Lab events. Graduates join a network of facilitators with ongoing support and skill-building opportunities.

Alumni Network & Student Fellowships – Stay Connected and Keep Learning

The Pluralist Lab Alumni Network offers ongoing engagement for workshop and forum alumni, fostering civil discourse skills and leadership. Alumni participate in reading groups, writing workshops, and mentorship programs to refine cross-ideological engagement. Those showing strong facilitation and leadership skills may join the Pluralism Student Fellowship, receiving advanced training to host workshops and institutionalize pluralist practices. Fellows access exclusive opportunities like summer residencies, VIP sessions, and accelerator programs. Graduates become Ambassadors for Pluralism, promoting viewpoint diversity in academic, professional, and community spaces.

Have questions?

For more information or to host your own Pluralist Lab, reach out to Devin Scanlon at devin.scanlon@thepluralistlab.org