I was introduced to the Living Room Conversations (LRC) model by a friend and colleague working in student engagement at [Northern Illinois University] NIU, and it sparked the idea of using it as a tool for connecting students—not just with the material, but with each other. Before bringing LRC into the classroom, I tested it with a group of friends from my book club. We selected a topic we likely wouldn’t have discussed otherwise, and our conversation took us to a deeper, more meaningful place than I anticipated. This experience assured me that bringing LRC into the classroom would be beneficial for students.

I first used LRC in the Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems course. In this class, I divided students into small groups for the semester, with each group taking turns leading discussions on topics such as food, health, unity, and sustainability. The students commented on how the conversations allowed them to connect with the subject matter in a more meaningful way. The ability to engage in dialogue with their peers, exchange perspectives, and even challenge each other’s thinking created a learning experience that resonated beyond textbooks and lectures.

Here are some reflections from the class:

• “Everyone was given a space where they could freely communicate and provide their own opinions without fear of being interrupted. Sometimes it is hard to find a space where you can openly say your opinions and ideas without someone interrupting or harshly criticizing you. The world seems to get more divided, and these environments are harder to find. The rules established by the website allowed everyone to express their thoughts and respond to others respectfully.”
• “Based on this conversation, a personal goal is to try to interact with more cultures. I haven’t had many interactions beyond my own culture, and I think this is a good step toward broadening my understanding of the world.”
• “It would be fun to do more of these conversations, especially with my brother who has very different views than me and the rest of my family.”
• “I learned that we think similarly about social equity despite having different viewpoints.”
• “I really enjoyed the living room conversations. The most meaningful thing I learned was other people’s opinions on topics I’m interested in. I found common ground with many classmates and realized we share many concerns. These conversations changed my perception of group members, as I feel I got to know them better. Most importantly, we discussed issues that affect everyone and raised awareness of climate and food issues.”

In 2024, we introduced the LRC model to a class of Environmental Science students. The main goal was to foster a sense of belonging, which is crucial for creating an environment where students feel comfortable and engaged in their learning. Through these conversations, students connected with the material in ways that felt more relevant and personal, leading them to find different ways to engage with the course content.

What has surprised me most is how easily students open up when given the space to engage in meaningful, respectful conversations. It’s not just about learning the material—LRC helps students process and internalize it in ways that foster empathy, build community, and encourage critical thinking. The conversations have had a significant impact, not only on students’ ability to engage with their studies but also on their interpersonal connections and growth as individuals. It’s rewarding to watch them step into leadership roles as they facilitate conversations and to see how their communication and interpersonal skills have developed.

After using LRC in the classroom, we wanted to expand the community-building potential for students in the Environmental Studies major. We held a small, in-person conversation with just four students, and they left the conversation feeling heard and valued, with a renewed sense of connection—not only to their peers but to the topics they were studying.

We see the potential of the LRC model to create opportunities for NIU students to engage in meaningful dialogue. In an era of growing social isolation and division, especially among young adults who often feel disconnected and disempowered, we hope to foster a sense of belonging and empowerment through these structured, respectful conversations on topics that matter to them. In using the LRC model in the newly proposed NIU Cohesion Project, students will be guided in exploring diverse perspectives, gaining communication skills, and developing empathy.

The NIU Cohesion Project will center around using Living Room Conversations as a core method for bringing students together to discuss issues that impact them both personally and academically. By engaging in these conversations, students will not only learn about the topics at hand but also about each other, fostering connections that help build a stronger, more cohesive campus community. We hope the long-term impact of the NIU Cohesion Project will be the creation of a lasting culture of dialogue and mutual understanding on campus, empowering students to navigate differences constructively and build relationships grounded in respect and empathy. Through these shared experiences, the project will help cultivate a more cohesive and compassionate campus environment, where students feel a deepened sense of connection and responsibility to one another.

For anyone looking to bring Living Room Conversations into their classroom, I would wholeheartedly encourage you to try it out. The first step is to create a safe, open space for your students to speak and listen to each other. It might feel daunting at first, but once you see the students’ engagement and the positive impact on their learning, it will be clear that this is an approach worth adopting. My advice would be to start small—perhaps with a few students—and allow the conversations to unfold naturally. Let your students lead the discussions and encourage them to share their personal experiences and ideas. Over time, you’ll witness a stronger sense of community within the classroom, and more meaningful, impactful learning outcomes.

In the end, Living Room Conversations aren’t just about fostering dialogue; they’re about creating connections—connections with each other, with the material, and with the broader world around us. The NIU Cohesion Project will bring these conversations into the center of campus life, giving students a powerful tool to understand each other, build relationships, and foster a stronger sense of belonging. As educators, it’s our role to provide the spaces where these connections can flourish. If you’re looking to build a more engaged, cohesive classroom, LRC is a tool worth exploring.

Asian-American: a term set to define a vast group of more than 3 billion people from across the continent of Asia, across various cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Asian and American; American and Asian. Yet we’re still somehow not enough for Asians or Americans.

Declan:

Whilst I do live in Asia, I find that my experiences differ heavily from those around me. Perhaps that is because being an AAPI implicates being a minority or an immigrant, it involves a long history of our people being pushed away from the public eye as a result of institutional racism that runs deep in the veins of American society. But racism and colorism are not exclusive to America. I have encountered my own problems in Japan for my mixed ethnic background. The majority of students at my school are Asian, having grown up in Asia, and spoken their native languages for the majority of their life. To many of them, I am just ‘not Asian enough,’ as if the heritage that I carry and the experiences I’ve had are simply not enough. 

Hidden in the background or foreground of community and media, stereotypes tend to be what define “us” collectively than us individually or truly. Instead of appreciation of our diverse culture and incredibly savory foods for example, we are often met with the mocking of our accents, personification by those that do not look like us, or glorification of the notion that we are “smart because we’re Asian.” Rather than understanding the struggles gone through by our parents and ourselves, we go through life with clenched jaws holding in our tears and fears, as we are expected to assimilate– as if we weren’t all foreigners to this nation once upon a time.

Living Room Conversations offers a way to feel truly seen and heard. It has always been a place of comfort and vulnerability, working to truly bridge divides through a series of intergenerational and extensive range of topics.  We were excited to participate in the IG Live and hear the differing perspectives and experiences faced by other Asian-Americans who may have felt just as displaced and disassociated from identity as we have been. The biggest takeaways from that conversation were representation, acceptance, self-appreciation, and love.

Representation: Having grown up in America, we rarely see anybody that looks like me. Our small group conversation on Instagram brought to light how much our media is being transformed to include a wider variety of people that look like us: South Asians, East Asians, Middle Eastern… all types of Asians. That’s something we especially hope for as well – that no matter the industry, the magazine, the movie, we start to see darker women, natural bodies, freckled and acne-filled faces and highlight what true beauty is – in every woman and man no matter how they look or if they fill the preconceived standards set by society.

Acceptance: Oftentimes, racism comes from within. Even in our own communities, we make fun of other Asian cultures, making fun of their accents, their foods, their faces, etc., pushing what we consider to be “another group” unrelated to ourselves. Acceptance begins in ourselves, in our families – one of the hardest things to do – and our own societies before we expect others to treat us the same way that we want to be. 

Self-Appreciation: We struggle to appreciate ourselves perhaps due to constantly changing beauty standards and unrealistic expectations that are set by magazines, movies, songs, etc. However, recognizing that differences will exist and that the part of my identity that comes from Asia. Either it is wearing cultural clothing with confidence, or enjoying an ethnic wedding. These things may seem simple, but often being ridiculed for our customs from a young age it harder to appreciate our authentic selves. But the key to bringing our goals forward is to accept and appreciate ourselves first. 

Love: Love is a feeling of sincerity-whether that be romantic love, platonic love, or self-love. A community where we have shared conversations allows me to feel sincere appreciation for the shared experiences that we go through as Asian-Americans living in a western world. A world where we can talk to those who have had similar obstacles and appreciate them as people- I define that as love. 

It’s conversations like these that allow us to connect with others on a deeper level. And it’s conversations like these that allow us to reclaim our identity as individuals and as members of a community.

Water is both critical and scarce across the desert southwest and a topic that touches on the lives of everyone in the communities. We are Water brings a traveling exhibition and interactive educational programs to libraries in rural, Indigenous, Latinx, and rural communities in the Southwestern United States. Hosted in public and Tribal libraries, the exhibition creates a place for communities to share their connections to water and explore multiple ways of knowing water. Using the exhibit display as the community hook, partner libraries engage visitors in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and  Math) activities and events that are designed to inspire dialogue and community learning around water topics and connect with community partners to bring engaging learning experiences to the communities. 

[Photo 1: A young boy plays with the We are Water connect four game. Credit. Daniela Pennycook/CIRES] 

[Photo 2: Community members discuss the We are Water ‘Be a Water Manager’ scenario-based activity.  Credit: Daniela Pennycook/CIRES] 

Water Stories  

Community voices and stories are the foundations for the We are Water program. To honor multiple ways of knowing and to elevate community knowledge about water, our team works with community members at each host site location to record local water stories. From Third Mesa in Arizona to the San  Luis Valley in Colorado, these stories highlight the diverse perspectives and experiences of people living in the Southwestern U.S. and enable visitors to learn about water from people in their community and region. Stories range from memories about water to reflections about water’s cultural connections. 

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Quotes from two water stories illustrate the character of these community stories from people with different backgrounds and cultural experiences, but they each touch on the importance and care for water. 

“Just because water comes in abundance from the faucet doesn’t mean it’s abundant.” — Trisha  (Chochiti, Ohkay Owhingeh, Kewa, NM) 

“I had to teach myself how to irrigate 760 acres, and that’s when I began to love the land and love the  water like never before.” — Reyes (San Luis Valley, CO) 

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Stories are integrated throughout the We are Water exhibit and programs. For example, visitors can listen to the community stories through the exhibit “story wall” or in the online gallery and they can gather and share community stories about water through the Be a Water Historian kit. Storytelling activities, such as scenario-based games, artwork, and observational science, enable visitors to further share their perspectives, experiences and knowledge, and tell their own stories about water in their communities.

[Photo 3: A visitor listens to a water story at the We are Water exhibit in Bayfield, CO. Credit: Pine River  Library] 

Living Room Conversation guide: Water and Life 

The ‘Water and Life’ conversation guide is the newest addition to the exhibit extension activities. The conversation guide provides a structured way for community members to come together to share,  listen, and learn from each other all centered around water in their community. These community conversations provide a unique opportunity to share reflections about water as a vital topic to the shared environment and community health but is rarely discussed. This new We are Water conversation guide is centered around questions that encourage reflections about people’s relationship with water – for example, what is a memory about water or what are your hopes and concerns about water in the community? The guide also includes a prompt for participants to think about what might be missing in the community conversations about water. The thoughtful scaffolding of the guide provides a  conversation template and guides groups to a communal reflection on what water means in their community. A guide for the facilitator is included.  

[Photo 4: Water and Life conversation guide] 

The conversation guide was developed in collaboration with our partners at the Colorado State Library,  Western Water Assessment, and Living Room Conversation staff, and is publicly available on the LRC  website in both English and Spanish. The We Are Water host site librarians attended a training about how to conduct a living room conversation, and three sites will be using the new Water and Life conversation guide later this year. As host libraries and the public will use the program to facilitate community conversations about water, individuals will hopefully develop common interests, awareness  and appreciation for the different viewpoints and will work together toward a water future they want for their communities.  

From the Living Room Conversation staff: 

Each one of us has a profound relationship with water. This conversation guide prompts us to explore the impacts water has on our life, those around us, and our quality of being. This Earth Day, we invite you to try out the Water and Life conversation guide and “dive deeper” into discussing this remarkable source of life we all share.

This year’s theme for Women’s History Month is ‘Celebrating Women Who Share Our Stories’. To celebrate, we the women on our team gathered to answer a few questions from our conversation guides:

• How have stories about history impacted you? Who has been an impactful female historical figure in your life? (History and Society: https://livingroomconversations.org/topics/history_society/)

• What examples of female leadership did you grow up with? Who were your female role models? (Women + Leadership: https://livingroomconversations.org/topics/women_leadership_and_power/)

• What personal experiences, if any, do you have with gender inequality? (Women and Society: https://livingroomconversations.org/topics/women-in-society/) 

Here are some of the responses:

Joan: Biographies and autobiographies of women are one of my favorite ways to have a window into history and culture- Wild Swans, Daughter of Persia, Eleanore Roosevelt, Woman of Egypt……

(anonymous): I am in awe and admiration of some of the more current historical figures — those that are making an impact in the recent past, such as Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Hilary.  Both are bright, amazing women that didn’t let the opinions of men hold them back.  They pushed forward to show their brilliance, compassion and common sense even in the midst of adversity.

Becca: For me personally, it’s been a long journey of recognizing what gender inequality looks like in practice. I’ve experienced little things like people speaking to my husband and not acknowledging me as well as bigger things like struggling with imposter syndrome or feeling out of place in predominantly male spaces. I am so appreciative for women who speak up and tell their stories. In a way, they give voice to my own experiences, thoughts, and feelings. As a mother of four boys and one girl, it’s so important to share these stories. Whether I realized it growing up or not, I have always been drawn to stories about women. I remember the brief mentions as a child of Sacagawea, Joan of Arc, and Harriet Tubman in school and wanting to know more. I love discovering more names and stories and adding my own experience to women’s history.

Cassidy: As I have grown and become involved in women’s health issues, I have come to greatly admire the former supreme court justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, so much so that I named my dog after her The way she was so outspoken about women’s rights and fought diligently to reduce instances of gendered prejudice and discrimination is very inspirational to me.

Sushila: Although not listed as historical figures, authors of women’s history have made the most impact on me as they opened a world not taught in my 20 years of formal education. Riane Eisler’s The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future answered my questions about why half the world’s population’s contributions were not included in our world narrative. Her more recent books, Nurturing Our Humanity: How Domination and Partnership Shape Our Brains, Lives, and Future and The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics present how we can shift from humanity’s destruction to a sustainable caring world if we connect the value of women and the earth we live on to our actions and economic choices. Women’s stories reveal the alternatives to a masculine dominated world narrative. Some of my favorites: Man Made Language by Dale Spender, When God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd (I replicated her pilgrimage in Crete), and Untie the Strong Woman by Clarissa Pinkola Estés.

Anaïs: Even though history is about what has happened in our past, we are still uncovering and discovering so much about it, which makes history feel just as mysterious and changeable as the future. Especially when history is taught from a single story perspective — which has often been the case in American history — and coming to relearn history from the perspectives of those who have been intentionally silenced and shut out. Having to reshape our ideas of what has been traditionally taught impacts our identity in ways that can be empowering and/or devastating, depending on who and what you’re reading about. As a woman of color, relearning history carries both disappointment and empowerment. As far as impactful female figures in my life, growing up, I have always admired Harriet Tubman. The courage and bravery it took to not only pave the way to free herself, but going back to free others, is a way of heart that I carry within me to this day. I also deeply admire Sojourner Truth, famous for her “Ain’t I a Woman” speech. Like Harriet Tubman, she escaped from slavery to freedom with her infant daughter. Truth reminds me that our voice carries power, resonance, truth, and to be bold in our truth. Lastly, I also want to recognize Josephine Baker, who was a dancer, singer and actress. I just recently found out about her when someone commented on one of my dance videos, “Channeling that Josephine Baker”. I had to look her up immediately and was just in AWE. Her expression is wildly unhinged, daring, bold, and free. I can see so much of myself in her expression and am deeply inspired by her work.

What’s your story? How would you answer some of these questions? We’d love to know how women, history, and gender inequality have impacted you. Happy Women’s History Month!

Consciously or unconsciously, our communities contribute to our identity and sense of self. While each of us has our own unique identity, whether a community is one that “bridges” or “others” plays a crucial role in the formation of a healthy identity and ultimately, a healthy community.

Othering is a pattern of exclusion and marginalization based on having identities that are different from the norm. As John A. Powell, the Director of the Haas Institute at UC Berkeley says, “Othering is not about liking or disliking someone. It is based on the conscious or unconscious assumption that a certain identified group poses a threat to a favored group.” What is the norm or the favored group, though, is simply a social construct where arbitrary lines of separation are drawn based on differences. They may believe “these people think differently than me,” “they threaten my way of life,” “they cannot be trusted,” and, sometimes, even “they are less than fully human.” Often we see these perceived differences and othering manifest in politics, race, and gender. However, in acknowledging the inevitability and richness of differences, people who bridge instead of “other” may observe“they may think differently than me, but they are worth listening to,” and “they deserve to be part of the conversation, even if we disagree,” and “my life is richer because of our connection.”

In the mission statement of Living Room Conversations, the emphasis is on bridging; conversations for connection not for the purpose of persuasion, but rather, for sharing experiences and deepening our understanding of other perspectives. Not only do Living Room Conversations prioritize and encourage participants to provide each other with common courtesy and respect but also to actively seek people who share different perspectives to join in conversations. Through bridging, Living Room Conversations exemplify the creation of a community that fosters not “saming” but “belonging.”

One time, I entered into a conversation with someone about happiness. Both of us agreed that happiness is important, but the other person thought my reason was superficial and elevated her own view about happiness, leaving little room for my perspective to stand. The existence of one perspective does not eradicate the possibility of another. I felt judged and disrespected in spite of our agreement about the overall importance of happiness. 

Another time, I disagreed with a person about whether schools should expand the scope of Latin texts written by men and, for example, include more Latin texts written by women. There was little common ground between our two points of view. I felt quite intrigued by her largely opposite perspective. I appreciated how she gave me time to talk until I finished and listened carefully to what I said throughout; I could feel that she strived to understand my perspective. Even though in the end she was not much swayed, her respect for me allowed me to offer my respect to her in a mutual way, and the conversation was much more fruitful and satisfying.

When I participate in a Living Room Conversation, I remember that all the participants read the conversation guidelines, which emphasize respect for all. It isdue to such emphasis and the resulting atmosphere that I feel that even when I do not agree with another participant, I am able to express my thoughts freely and receive something even more valuable—an alternative perspective that can broaden my scope. Providing respect for others is a way of providing respect for oneself, opening up the door to different voices so that we can disrupt our preconceptions and, instead of judging, understand both ourselves and the world around us in a better light.

By Fengrui (Sophia) He

As inevitable navigators of society and the internal mind, we are all , right at this moment, going through experiences that shape our values and political beliefs. For teenagers, schools are a major part of their lives and play an indispensable role in the shaping of these values, whether intentionally or not.

A high school student myself, I go to a Catholic girl’s school. For one of our assignments, we are asked to write about any issue we care about and deliver a speech. One student chose the topic of abortion and expressed her own views during the speech. During and after the speech, many students among the audience expressed disagreement with her views and were even in disbelief that she brought it up. The issue of abortion entails many aspects, including religion, which within the context of my school, might be more sensitive. One student even confronted her, though not intending to start a discussion of the subject matter itself. The “news” then spread to more people, and there seemed to be a clear majority of those who opposed her views, and the minority.

I realized that the world I see on a daily basis is so limited when compared to that of the entire society. It might make it hard to be exposed to opinions that are different from our own, as we both influence and are influenced by the limited amount of people around us. In addition, a lack of mutual openness in discussion might contribute to this further by creating a stark divide between a majority and a minority in a certain environment, leading to political polarization.

Although already a problem in itself, political polarization in a school setting might lead to the silencing of one voice in comparison to another. Such lack of diversity might steer one’s beliefs in a more singular direction, especially when they are still in the process of formation, since the teenage years are when values start to substantiate. More importantly, people whose beliefs are influenced by their environment might not be conscious of such an external force.

Considering this situation, before being able to trust the liberal or conservative perspective, the precondition is to be exposed to beliefs different from their own, and above all, to have an open heart that allows for those differences. Such efforts are hard enough, and increasingly so, beyond the school sphere; sometimes, it is not because there are no different voices, but because people refuse to listen to them. However, in school settings, the situation is perhaps even more dire, because there might be a lack of different voices in the first place. I believe, though, that different voices always exist.  It is just a matter of whether we have the eyes to see them.

Through my past experiences participating at Living Room Conversations, I was able to learn about the perspectives of people who differ from me in terms of race, gender, age, and so many more aspects. The conversation guides and agreements provided a relatively  safe space where people, despite possessing different ideas, listened to one another with respect. With these motivations in mind, today, as a member of the Youth Council at Living Room Conversations, I, together with the whole Youth Council team, aim to bridge across the differences both among the younger generations and with other groups of people. We hope to get closer to our vision where all different voices join together in polyphony like a choir, where we welcome instead of reject differences, and where, through learning about ours, we learn more deeply about ourselves and the values we truly care about.