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The Intergroup Dialogue Project (IDP)

is an academic initiative grounded in theory and practice that creates

community across difference 

through critical dialogue.

What

Our mission is to empower people to engage in critical dialogue by facilitating participants’ development of individual and collective skills, knowledge, and capacity in the following areas:

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Human Connection

Strengthening our innate capacities to connect authentically with ourselves and others.

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Social and Personal Identity

Exploring the ways in which our unique identities, perspectives, and experiences inform how we connect and communicate with others, and how they are related to broader dynamics in society.

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Intergroup Communication

Collaborative communication in which we broaden our perspectives, challenge preconceived notions, build relationships, and develop mutual understanding.

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Collaborative Change

Leveraging dialogue skills and frameworks to achieve greater collaboration, connection,  and engagement across differences within our communities.

How

IDP strives to impact the entire Cornell community and to support its ever-evolving needs by building capacity through our pedagogical frameworks and resources, educational offerings, and research. 

Pedagogical Frameworks and Resources

IDP’s pedagogical frameworks and resources help thread critical dialogue into teaching and learning processes, advising and mentoring practices, and other educational contexts ranging from residential life to orientation for incoming faculty and students. To aid all those at Cornell wishing to engage in critical dialogue, IDP provides a range of resources and support, including communication tools, facilitation materials, coaching practices, and content designed to facilitate growth in IDP’s development areas (human connection, social identity development, intergroup communication, and strategic change).

Educational Offerings

IDP educators and scholars develop and lead scaffolded programs and courses for students, faculty, and staff, rooted in core intergroup dialogue processes. These offerings focus on human connection, social identity development, intergroup communication, and strategic change. Through both group and one-on-one consultation sessions, we develop curricula for use beyond IDP’s own offerings, customized to the unique needs of each group. Our model relies on small-group settings co-facilitated by trained peer facilitators who create an intimate environment in which participants are able to be curious, vulnerable, and reflective.

Research

Our work is grounded in existing research that encompasses a range of topics including intergroup contact, humans’ innate capacity for connection, and social change. We collect qualitative and quantitative data from students, staff, and faculty participating in IDP’s programming, and these data enable us to conduct our own program evaluation work, communicate with partners about successes and areas for growth, and contribute to existing scholarship about diversity education.