Welcoming Dr. Kelly Siegel-Stechler as Director of the Collaborative Discussion Project
Want to get more involved with the CDP? Become a Collaborative Discussion Coach and join our growing community of 150+ coaches! Register now for our July or September 2025 Coach Training!
Dear collaborative discussion friends,
We are excited to welcome Dr. Kelly Siegel-Stechler as the new Director of the Collaborative Discussion Project (CDP). We’re excited to learn with and from Kelly as she steps into this new role. Please join us in giving her a very warm welcome to the CDP team!
We would also like to share a quick reminder that registration is now open for our July and September Collaborative Discussion Coach Trainings. The training is designed to help you become better equipped to use activities from the CDP Toolkit in your work and become certified to offer your own Collaborative Discussion Certificate Program. You will be joining a growing community of coaches (150+) who award certificates in collaborative discussion (800+). Register today for one of these trainings!
Welcoming Kelly as the new Director of the CDP
At a time when public discourse can feel more divisive than productive, the need for spaces to practice thoughtful, inclusive dialogue is more urgent than ever. The Collaborative Discussion Project supports educators, students, and community members in doing just that—by building the discussion skills and habits of mind that we call “collaborative intelligence”.
As Director, Dr. Kelly Siegel-Stechler will lead the next phase of the CDP’s growth—supporting our coach training and certificate programs, collaborating with partners across sectors, and developing new tools and strategies to bring collaborative discussion into more classrooms, campuses, and communities.
Kelly brings deep experience in civic education and engagement. She was most recently Senior Researcher at Tufts University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), where she studied civic development in K–12 education and youth participation in public life. Her work to date has focused on expanding equitable access to civic learning opportunities, ensuring that young people are supported in developing the skills they need to engage meaningfully in democracy.
Kelly earned her Ph.D. in Education from Johns Hopkins University. She has worked with the Institute for Education Policy, co-founded the nonprofit Foundations for Leadership, and led youth programming with the Louis August Jonas Foundation and the United Nations Foundation.
We're thrilled to have Kelly on board and eager to grow alongside her as she takes on this new position. Let's all extend a heartfelt welcome to her as she becomes part of the CDP team!
Want to join our growing community of CDP Coaches? Register for the July or September 2025 Coach Training
July 2025 Coach Training
When: 12 pm – 3 pm (eastern) on July 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25
Where: Online via Zoom, with small group breakout sessions
How much does it cost? $495
When is the deadline to register? Sunday, June 22, 2025
September 2025 Coach Training
When: 6 pm – 8 pm (eastern) on September 4, 11, 18, 25, and October 2
Where: Online via Zoom, with small group breakout sessions
How much does it cost? $495
When is the deadline to register? Sunday, August 3, 2025
We are able to offer a discounted price due to the generous support of the Interactivity Foundation. Our programming should never be cost prohibitive. Please contact us if a scholarship is needed.
If you are interested but these dates don’t work for you, don’t worry. We will keep you posted as future trainings are scheduled. We are also open to offering cohort trainings. Please reach out and we can explore possibilities.
Want to learn more? Sign up for a free webinar
Join us for an Introduction to the CDP Toolkit Webinar, where you will learn more about:
Our free toolkit of activities designed to build and support collaborative discussion skills and mindsets
Collaborative Discussion Coach Trainings and becoming a CDP Coach
How our current CDP Coaches use the toolkit in their classrooms, communities, and workplaces
All are welcome! Register for an upcoming webinar:
If you want to continue to receive these weekly messages that highlight toolkit activities and upcoming events, please remember to subscribe to our free newsletter.
Looking forward to collaborating,
The Collaborative Discussion Project Team