In a time when fear and groupthink often stifle open dialogue, we’re building a new counter-culture. We’re teaching students the practices of Courageous Conversations at UNC-Chapel Hill and other top colleges (soon to be announced), with plans to spark the movement at dozens more universities this year.
courageous conversations
how did we get here?
When we founded The Nantucket Project in 2010, it was a response to a media world that left us feeling shallow, isolated, and divided. We wanted to build something deeper—a culture rooted in thoughtfulness, connection, and love.
We didn’t talk about “dialogue” or “pluralism” back then, but that spirit has driven us from the start. Today, we remain nonpartisan, proudly multi-partisan, and fiercely committed to open, honest conversation.
When we founded The Nantucket Project in 2010, it was a response to a media world that left us feeling shallow, isolated, and divided. We wanted to build something deeper—a culture rooted in thoughtfulness, connection, and love.
We didn’t talk about “dialogue” or “pluralism” back then, but that spirit has driven us from the start. Today, we remain nonpartisan, proudly multi-partisan, and fiercely committed to open, honest conversation.
our mission is pluralism.
our method is dialogue.
We’ve since formalized this mission through our Courageous Conversations program, developed in partnership with Simon Greer. It’s a marriage of Simon’s proven methodology and our storytelling craft.
Simon’s origin story
After Simon’s Bridging the Gap program expanded to over 200 campuses nationwide, our next collaboration was the American Neighbor dialogue series that brought people together in ten cities along the Mississippi River in the wake of the murder of Geroge Floyd in 2020.
Bridging the Gap
American Neighbor
courageous conversations:
israel and palestine on campus
Courageous Conversations on Campus
Our latest Courageous Conversation program tackles a topic that many have been running away from: the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Launched at UNC–Chapel Hill in the spring of 2025, Courageous Conversations: Israel and Palestine on Campus invites students to do what few are willing to—sit down, listen, and engage across one of the deepest divides in the world.
Through study, skill-building, dialogue, guest speakers, and an immersive trip to Israel and the West Bank, 26 students didn’t just transform their own perspectives—they helped shift the culture of their campus.
Launched at UNC–Chapel Hill in the spring of 2025, Courageous Conversations: Israel and Palestine on Campus invites students to do what few are willing to—sit down, listen, and engage across one of the deepest divides in the world.
Through study, skill-building, dialogue, guest speakers, and an immersive trip to Israel and the West Bank, 26 students didn’t just transform their own perspectives—they helped shift the culture of their campus.
While the course centers on the Middle East, its lessons reach far beyond it. Students gain tools for navigating difficult conversations on any topic—skills they now carry into classrooms, workplaces, and everyday life.
where do we go from here?
We know we can’t do this work alone. That’s why, in addition to our training and campus outreach initiatives, we’re proud to be partnering with some of the leading organizations that promote dialogue on campuses such as Heterodox Academy, Campus Compact and Citizens & Scholars.
Next, we’re scaling up: three campuses will host the program in spring 2026, followed by a 10-day intensive that will train more than 40 faculty members that summer.
To maximize our impact, we’re now opening our methodology and curriculum to the wider world—so that anyone, anywhere, can access the resources we have developed.
These are two key downloads: an article by Simon Greer and Michael Murray, president of the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, on reigniting civil discourse in higher education, and a Handbook that turns their insights into a practical roadmap for action.
What is pluralism? Why dialogue? Watch talks from the TNP stage here.
If you’re interested in bringing Courageous Conversations to your campus, click here.