Campus speaker events can be flashpoints for division—or opportunities for real learning. This playbook gives organizers practical tools to design events that bring people together across differences, even when discussing tough topics.

What You'll Learn

• How to design events that encourage dialogue instead of debates

• Ways to set the right tone before, during, and after controversial speakers

• Practical steps for choosing speakers who model good conversation

• Tools for creating safe spaces where all students can participate

• Methods for turning disagreement into learning opportunities

Who gets to tell the story of your community? For too long, outside voices have shaped narratives about Black and Brown neighborhoods. But a new wave of grassroots organizations is taking back the pen—and the camera, the podcast mic, and the social media account—to tell their own stories and drive real change.

Why This Matters for Organizers

• Stories Drive Change: Narrative power is as important as economic or political power

• Tools Are Accessible: You do not need Hollywood budgets—TikTok, podcasts, and community theater work

• Community Expertise: Those closest to the problems are best positioned to tell the stories

• Proven Strategies: Case studies show what works across different communities

• Funder Interest: Philanthropy is increasingly supporting narrative change work

In a rare moment of agreement across party lines, parents from all political backgrounds share deep concern about the impact of social media and smartphones on their children. This is not a left issue or a right issue. This is a parent issue.

Why This Matters for Your Community

• For Parents: You are not alone in your concerns. Data showing overwhelming consensus across political lines

• For Schools: Evidence supporting phone-free policies that most parents actually want

• For Policy Makers: Rare bipartisan issue where Americans agree on the need for action

• For Tech Companies: Clear signal that parents want better protections for kids online

• For Communities: A unifying issue that can bring people together across differences

Who is having the hardest time:

• Families making less than $25,000 per year

• Only 1 in 3 low-income families say they have fully recovered

• People who couldn't afford to make all the repairs they needed

• Families who lost food, wages, and had to pay for emergency costs

Compare this to higher-income families:

• 8 out of 10 families making over $100,000 say they have fully recovered

• They were more likely to have savings to pay for repairs

• They were more likely to have insurance that covered damage

"The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period."

— Dr. Robert Waldinger, Harvard Study of Adult Development

Highlights

Why it matters: Youth report widespread climate distress; higher severe‑weather exposure aligns with stronger distress and desire for action. Use this to normalize feelings, add supports, and create constructive action pathways.

Use in programs: Pair discussions about emotions with coping tools and a short local action step; invite cross‑viewpoint dialogue to reduce polarization.

Why It Matters

In an era of rapid automation and shifting skill demands, evidence-based solutions are critical to ensure inclusive economic opportunity.

Alignment

The Institute’s data-centric approach complements The Change Lab’s focus on community-led solutions and systems change.

Role in Ecosystem

Acting as a knowledge hub, BGI translates big data into actionable insights for nonprofits, governments, and industry leaders.

In an era of political polarization and economic precarity, Changing Work offers a hopeful and inclusive vision of what work could be. By listening deeply and amplifying voices often left out of policy debates, they help shape a future of work that centers dignity, equity, and democracy.

At a time when so much feels beyond our control, can we shape our future? A seven-year investigation by the Beacon Project at More in Common shows that Americans of all stripes believe that individuals have the power to transcend negative circumstances, or “personal agency.” But they also think that people should be afforded the opportunity to exercise that agency—not just to better themselves, but also to improve their communities. In other words, with agency comes responsibility. We call this “morally directed agency,” and suggest it may be a key to a shared vision of America’s future. In this webinar, lead author Dr. Daniel Yudkin will offer a tour of a large-scale investigation of Americans' beliefs in personal agency, spanning 60,000 people across four countries.

Our findings explore Americans' attitudes around democracy and its state under the Trump administration. We find that Americans agree upon both the importance of democracy and common principles but diverge as to how the Trump Administration’s actions are affecting our democracy. To read our findings in full, go to Shared Ideals, Divergent Realities.

Webinar: 2025 State of Housing in Harris County and Houston
Tuesday, June 17, 10-11 a.m. | Presenting Sponsor: Wells Fargo 

Explore the latest findings from this year's State of Housing report, which will focus on long-term affordability challenges associated with disaster recovery and resilience. A panel discussion with experts James Elliott (Rice University), Elaine Morales-Díaz (Connective) and Jeremy Porter (First Street) will follow. 

More in Common is a nonprofit organization that publishes research, builds strategies, and works in partnership with leaders and organizations throughout the United States. We help these partners bring Americans together across differences to engage meaningfully in our civil and cultural life. 

In addition to the US, More in Common has teams in France, Germany, Poland, the UK, and most recently Brazil.