On February 25, 2025, Dr. Diana Hess, distinguished scholar, educator, and co-author of The Political Classroom: Evidence and Ethics in Democratic Education, held a workshop at the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center. The event included nearly 50 public, private, and charter school educators (P–20) as well as a discussion with high school students from UH Laboratory School, Punahou, and McKinley High School.
Part of a Hanahau’oli School professional development series, the workshop addressed what teachers can do to help students participate in high quality discussions of controversial political issues. Open to all K–12 educators interested in adjusting and applying the framework and strategies to their unique classroom settings, the workshop was designed to help students build the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to participate in democratic education.
Dr. Hess is a professor of Curriculum and Instruction and the senior leader of The Discussion Project and Deliberation Dinners at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is also the principal investigator of a mixed-method study of The Discussion Project funded by the Mellon Foundation and the Chancellor and Provost’s Office of UW-Madison. The Discussion Project is a professional development program that aims to help instructors create inclusive, engaging, and academically rigorous discussions in higher education courses and in secondary schools.
Participant Testimonials
“Diana not only shared valuable, actionable information, but modeled it in the course of this workshop.”
“So many great teaching ideas & strategies!”
“I like the passing, content, interactive nature of the experience, meeting new people and walking away with two new strategies to try.”
“This was one of the best workshops I have attended. I appreciated the balance of information distributed and pedagogical approaches and methods. The most useful part was being provided activities that have been used and implemented in classrooms, as well as ideas. I also enjoyed practicing these skills during the workshop as it will make me more confident in implementing them in my classroom. The timing was perfect – just enough time to engage and practice skills without it feeling over-indulgent.”
“I also really liked the location of the workshop. The centrality of the space made it easy to join and attend sessions.”
“This is a PD opportunity that is relevant and actionable. Being given the opportunity to learn from Dr. Hess, educators, and other community members is a valuable experience, making it worthwhile to leave my students with a substitute! I also appreciated Dr. Hess’ efforts to have participants move around and work with participants other than our colleagues.”
“I gleaned so many tips and pointers on the logistics behind constructing good discussions. The presenter modeled these so effectively!”
“It was well designed and well facilitated. I appreciated the high percentage of time we were engaged in activities, discussion, and experiencing exercises we could then easily apply in our own practice. Also, lunch was delicious!”
