"It's evident you disagree with my perspective": Universities instruct students on the art of comprehending diverse viewpoints
In a time when societal divides seem increasingly widespread, several colleges and universities across the United States are taking steps to bridge these gaps. One such initiative is the Bridging the Gap program, a college-focused initiative aimed at developing communication skills across different races, religions, cultures, politics, and worldviews.
Launched in 2020 by Simon Greer, a progressive community organizer and entrepreneur, the Bridging the Gap program is a nonprofit, independent news organization with a focus on inequality and innovation in education. The program, organized by a Kentucky-based nonprofit, aims to help students develop ways to communicate with people of diverse backgrounds effectively.
Rebecca Russo, Interfaith America's vice president of higher education strategy, has stated that there is a dramatic increased interest from students, faculty, staff, and administrators in bridging divides in constructive ways. The program seeks to bring together students from ideologically diverse campuses and teach them basic skills like listening, giving feedback, sharing their stories, and navigating difficult conversations.
The Supreme Court's affirmative action ban could increase the pressure on institutions to ensure students from different backgrounds have meaningful interactions. Groups like Bridging the Gap face new scrutiny and potential challenges due to laws curbing college diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in some states. In Kentucky, for instance, Tomarra Adams, Bellarmine University's chief DEI officer, has expressed concern about potential difficulties for programs like Bridging the Gap due to proposed anti-DEI legislation in the state.
The Bridging the Gap program is structured around constructive and meaningful dialogue, teaching questioning techniques, creating safe spaces for cross-cultural exchange, incorporating experiential and reflective exercises, and promoting collaborative and inclusive educational practices. These components aim to encourage conversations that promote empathy, respect, and clarity across diverse social and cultural perspectives, help students ask thoughtful questions, create environments where participants can explore different viewpoints safely, facilitate self-reflection and practical communication strategies, and integrate emotional intelligence and cross-cultural communication skills across the curriculum.
The impact of the Bridging the Gap program can be seen in the experiences of students like Kevine Niyogushima, a Bellarmine sophomore studying communications. Niyogushima, who immigrated to the U.S. from Tanzania, has expressed that the program has made her want to reach out and listen to everybody's story, and she feels more open to connecting with people beyond her close friends.
Another student, a Bellarmine junior, shared their experience of growing up in a predominantly white town with a father who was openly racist. The student realized the troubling nature of their father's worldview after meeting people from different backgrounds in college. Gabrielle Fomby, a sophomore at Louisville's Bellarmine University, shared an experience from fourth grade science class that affected her perception of her skin color.
Since its launch, more than 50 colleges and universities have participated in Bridging the Gap initiatives. The program in Kentucky partners with Interfaith America, a Chicago-based nonprofit. Bridging the Gap is one of at least a dozen such initiatives launched at colleges and universities since 2020. As these programs continue to grow and evolve, they offer hope for a more inclusive and understanding future.
- The Bridging the Gap program, a nonprofit organization focused on education and self-development, aims to reduce inequality in higher education by teaching students effective communication skills across diverse backgrounds, ideologies, and cultures.
- The program's focus on innovation in education, as revealed by its structured dialogue, questioning techniques, and inclusion of experiential exercises, could potentially contribute to the general news discourse on fostering empathy, respect, and clarity in education and self-development.
- As more colleges and universities adopt initiatives like Bridging the Gap to promote education and innovation that bridge societal divides, they stand to contribute significantly to the creation of a more inclusive and understanding future.
