Face-to-Face and Heart-to-Heart-Thursday, November 3, 2022
Engaging in Dialogue about Issues Affecting Today’s Youth
TSA’s signature event Face-to-Face and Heart-to- Heart returned on Monday, October 3, and will continue on Thursday, November 3.
At our first event, an audience of parents, grandparents, educators, and community members came together to listen and laugh with social sexuality educator Cindy Pierce, as she talked about having difficult conversations with young people. “I have new information…” is a line she has used with her own children to broach subjects ranging from porn and social media to respecting boundaries. “Start early, but it’s never too late” was another piece of advice for engaging youth in discussions about their lives. Cindy talked about the benefits of car rides as places to bring up potentially awkward topics, where eye contact isn’t demanded and everyone is a captive audience. Cindy has been a consistently entertaining and informative speaker and she certainly delivered on this evening.
Next, join us on Thursday, November 3, 2022, 6:30–8:30pm, to hear Giavanna Munafo, who will lead participants in developing skills on “Moving from Debate to Dialogue.” Audience members will practice listening and discussing controversial topics in ways that center understanding and compassion. This event is geared toward both teens and adults.
From Debate to Dialogue: Listening to Understand
- Session 1: Disability: “words will never hurt you” Nov 3, 2022
- Session 2: “To Have and Not To Have: U.S. Wealth Inequality and Us” Dec. 1, 2022
These sessions will introduce the elements of the “Debate to Dialogue” listening dialogue circles process. Debate to Dialogue is a model that was developed to break through our tendency to listen in order to: be right, answer, question, advise, etc.
Cycles of sharing (or passing) in small groups focus first on immediate responses to a brief video, then on responding to prompts about the topic. They finish with an open dialogue cycle. This experience is meant to provide a tool participants can use to address potentially divisive topics or respond to conflict related to equity and justice.
Bio: Giavanna Munafo’s work is dedicated to advancing excellence through equity and inclusion. Giavanna has developed and facilitated strategic planning and training initiatives for clients such as American Jewish World Service, the National Women’s Studies Association, the Bernice A. Ray Elementary School, the Vermont Studio Center, Phillips Exeter Academy, and Emory University. Prior to becoming a consultant, Giavanna served as director of training and educational programs in the Office of Institutional Diversity & Equity at Dartmouth College. Giavanna holds a BA and a PhD from the University of Virginia and an MFA from the University of Iowa, and she taught writing, literature, and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies courses to undergraduate students for over 35 years.
Please contact Christa Wurm for more information at cwurm@sharonacademy.net
The next event is planned for December 1, 2022, 6:30–8:30pm. Additional events are in the works for February and March 2023.
We are grateful to the Vermont Children’s Trust Foundation for funding the series.