By Mark Sullivan 

A flagship project of the MIT Center for Constructive Communication (CCC), realtalk@MIT brings members of the MIT community together in guided, small-group conversations aimed at building trust and connections among classmates and colleagues.

In addition to organizing dozens of conversations with incoming first-year students during Orientation Week, realtalk@MIT this academic year convened an undergraduate student assembly on sustainability during Independent Activities Period (IAP); launched DisCourse, a curated dinner experience that transforms the act of dining into an immersive exploration of how we connect through conversation; and partnered with the Division of Student Life on conversations across seven dorms to gauge how students experience residence hall culture.

The larger aim of CCC is to promote healthier public dialogue and amplify a wider range of voices during an age of sharp, partisan divides fed by conflict-driven social media.