About

Over the past few years, many social, political, and environmental conflicts have erupted, seemingly all of a sudden. Such debates are only natural, but the tension and hate that has emerged from each opposing side has demonstrated our society’s mass inability to communicate with those who hold differing beliefs. It has become common for individuals to surround themselves exclusively with those who share their personal point of view. These tendencies result in a relentless cycle, which feed into their own dogmatic perceptions of reality.

Nowhere are these perceptions more detrimental than in the impressionable minds of the community's youth, who are so easily influenced by their environment. This is only furthered by the nature of the current public school system, which oftentimes places more emphasis on standardized achievement than students’ genuine personal progress. Thus, teachers are pressured to simplify their presentation of real-world issues and suppress authentic conversation in the classroom setting. As a result, students are no longer being taught the skills that are essential in communicating meaningfully with one another.