Application process has closed for the 2025-2026 cohort.
Call for Dialogue Facilitation Fellows
The practice of dialogue is vitally important during times of polarization, contentious debates, and community fragmentation. Facilitated dialogue across differences is one way we can begin to explore shared and conflicting perspectives and experiences, ask difficult questions, bridge divides, and envision new possibilities for meeting the challenges facing our campus communities.
As announced, the overarching goal of the recently launched Intergroup Dialogue Initiative (IGDI) is to encourage facilitated small-group conversations across diverse values and perspectives to foster understanding and bridging of different, and sometimes conflicting, points of view. Our first area of focus is to strengthen the capacity of faculty and staff to lead, facilitate, and engage campus communities in difficult and heartfelt small-group conversations through storytelling, listening circles, or dialogue groups. These practices can help foster understanding across differences, develop dialogic skills, and forge deeper and stronger ties among members of our community.
Dialogue Facilitation Fellows Program
The Dialogue Facilitation Fellows Program provides an opportunity for full-time faculty, staff, and administrators to develop and hone their skills for facilitating meaningful conversations in a range of settings, including classrooms, residence halls, workplaces, departments, and community events. We will bring together a cohort of 20 Dialogue Facilitation Fellows who will be trained, coached, and supported through a year-long community of practice as they co-facilitate storytelling, listening circles, or dialogue groups with students, faculty, and/or staff.
The Dialogue Facilitation Fellows’ role begins with a three-day Institute in June 2025 and continues throughout the 2025-2026 academic year. The fellowship program entails four interconnected components:
- Preparation: Training, practice, coaching, and reflective activities
- Ongoing support and sustained engagement in a Community of Practice across the 2025-2026 fellowship year
- Co-Facilitation of one-time storytelling circles, listening circles, or dialogue groups during the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters. Fellows will be paired with a co-facilitator and work from a facilitation guide that can be adapted to different contexts.
- Continued involvement with IGDI efforts beyond these initial first-year activities
Learning Program and Outcomes
Throughout the fellowship year, participants will:
- Cultivate understanding and skills to guide and facilitate a range of dialogic practices involving various segments of our UMass Amherst community (e.g. storytelling, listening circles, dialogue groups).
- Learn and apply concepts, tools and skill sets including how listening, voicing, self-knowledge, inquiry and reflection, and advance preparation can support generative conversations across differences.
- Work in co-facilitation pairs to plan, facilitate, and reflect on their practice; engage in team development through self-assessment and goal setting, gain feedback from peers and participants.
- Understand the role of the facilitator in holding space for difficult and meaningful dialogue.
- Join a community of practice that will amplify and extend the use of dialogic practices to meet the hopes and challenges present in our community through dialogue group facilitation, mentorship, coaching of new facilitators, and/or by supporting spaces for dialogue as needs emerge.
Eligibility and Selection Criteria
The Dialogue Facilitation Fellowship is open to faculty, staff, and administrators in full-time positions who:
- Are available to participate in all scheduled training, activities, and time commitments listed here.
- Have the support of their department chair or direct supervisor to complete all Fellowship components and expectations.
- Are particularly interested in facilitating storytelling circles, listening circles, and/or dialogue groups with students, faculty, and/or staff.
- Have some prior experience participating in or facilitating small-group conversations across differences. This experience can either be formal or informal; and either at work or in other community settings.
- Are committed to fostering a dialogic, inclusive culture in their home department, school/college, and/or broader campus community beyond the fellowship year.
Fellowship Compensation
- The Dialogue Facilitation Fellowship is a rewarding and intensive experience. In recognition of the commitment necessary, the IGDI will provide a $1500 stipend*
- Funds will be distributed in two installments: 1) after the 3-Day Summer Institute in June 2025 and 2) at the conclusion of the fellowship in May 2026
*In accordance with Collective Bargaining Agreement language, if applicable, value could differ.
Fellowship Components and Expectations
Dialogue Facilitation Fellows will:
- Participate in all scheduled training, coaching, and co-facilitation activities (see table below)
- Complete advance preparation assignments before the three-day June Institute and each Community of Practice meeting, which may include short readings, videos, self-assessment tools, and reflection activities.
- Continue actively engaging with IGDI efforts and apply their learning beyond the 2025-2026 fellowship year, which may include co-facilitating dialogic groups for our campus community and contributing to the training of future Fellow cohorts.
- All training, meetings, and activities will be held in person except for the initial Orientation on May 23, 2025