Students find common ground through Bridging the Divide Program

Students recently engaged in a Bridging the Divide event at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Bridging the Divide - sponsored by the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership - is a program that brings students of different ideological backgrounds together for small group conversations about current political issues. Rather than reaching a consensus, the goal is simply to increase engagement and understanding between people with different opinions.

Amanda Dent, a senior history major from Baraboo, Wisconsin, leads the program at UW-Platteville. She facilitated the event in Introduction to Politics classes, taught by Nancy Hammermeister, lecturer of political science.

"I was happy to have Amanda bring Bridging the Divide into my classroom," said Hammermeister. "I use small group discussion frequently so was pretty confident the students would be enthusiastic participants."

Students sat in groups of mixed political ideology to share ideas and thoughts, while discussion guides helped them work through questions.

"We are currently exploring the topic of Political Ideology," said Hammermeister. "I stress to students that their political leanings cannot be 'wrong;' they are based on their experiences. Overtime they may change their views as their life experiences change. Having civil dialogue with classmates is a comfortable and safe way to confront new ideas."

For more information about the Bridging the Divide Program at UW-Platteville, contact Dent at [email protected].