Learn more about Third Thought:
About Third Thought
Third Thought Initiatives for Civic Engagement aspires to:
- create, refine, 并维持一套独特的以学校为基础的倡议,邀请年轻人反思自己的经历, learn from the perspectives of others, and take action on issues that matter to them, and
- share models for civic engagement that schools across the country may adopt.
Third Thought成立于2019年,由爱德华·E·盖茨基金会(Edward E. Ford Foundation. Our work is based on the belief that:
- 思想和经验的多样性是智慧的源泉,应该受到重视而不是害怕.
- young people have the desire to be civically engaged members of our communities.
- 新巴黎人注册网站可以信任年轻人领导对话,弥合当今最紧迫问题上的分歧.
- 年轻人有能力创造性地、协作地跨越差异进行工作.
As of 2022, 新巴黎人注册网站维持和扩大倡议的能力依赖于慷慨的企业和私人捐赠. 如果你愿意捐款来支持第三思想的工作, please contact John Holdridge (Director, Third Thought Initiatives for Civic Engagement) by email or at 207.774.7863, ext. 1370.
The New England Youth Identity Summit
The New England Youth Identity Summit brings 将来自新英格兰公立和私立学校的高中生聚集在一起,相互交流和新巴黎人注册网站, to challenge their own ideas and perspectives, and to discover how the world values and needs their participation.
- Read attendee reflections and a blog post from the 2022 Summit
- Visit the website for the seventh annual Summit (April 1, 2023)
- View a selection of previous keynote speakers: Deqa Dhalac • Corey Hinton • Richard Blanco
- Join the Summit email list
The Can We? Project
这是一项振兴民主的实验,其核心是培养高中生跨越差异进行对话的能力. Partners include The Maine Policy Institute, Narrative 4, Camp Sunshine, and a wide range of high schools.
- Read a 2024 Press Herald opinion piece by Maine Academy of Natural Science’s Can We? liaison Evan Coleman.
- Read 温德姆鹰报2024年的一篇文章,内容是与温德姆和波兰地区高中的学生进行一天的对话
- Listen to a 2024 Maine Public story on the Can We? Project and Can We? Connect, our cross school gathering in Augusta
- Listen to a 2023 WGAN Inside Maine radio conversation with Can We? co-founder Lowell Libby and project director John Holdridge
- Read 2022年缅因州教育部的一篇关于温德姆高中参与的 Can We?
- Read a 2022 Portland Press Herald op-ed on Dialogue by former Upper School director and Can We? co-founder Lowell Libby
- Read a 2022 Portland Press Herald op-ed on Can We? by school administrators John Suttie and Philip Rossetti
- Read the 2019 Can We? 南缅因大学数据创新项目项目评估报告
- Listen 在2019年的哈佛播客中,韦恩弗里特学院的教职员工讨论了青年、对话和教育 Can We? Project
- Watch a video about the 2019 Can We? Project retreat
- Watch a video about the 2018 Can We? Project retreat
- Read about the roots of The Can We? Project
Interested in keeping up to date with The Can We? Project? Join our email list.
The Essential Question Behind The Can We? Project:
While our nation faces many urgent challenges, including promoting anti-racism, economic opportunity and equality, environmental sustainability, and social justice for all, 可以说,最紧迫的是需要加强新巴黎人注册网站的民主体制,以便新巴黎人注册网站能够深思熟虑地迎接这些紧迫的挑战, effectively, and fairly. 新巴黎人注册网站美国功能失调的根源是新巴黎人注册网站在身份认同和观点上不断扩大的分歧,这些令人麻痹的分歧提出了一个基本问题,新巴黎人注册网站社会的未来取决于这个问题:
Can we harness the wisdom, compassion, 以及美国人民多样性所固有的力量来振兴新巴黎人注册网站的民主, mend the social fabric, 实现美国对所有人的自由和公正的承诺的真正含义?
In 2018, a team of Waynflete faculty, staff, and community members developed a cross-community response to this challenge. Drawing its name from this essential question, The Can We? Project aspired to engage high school youth as the seekers of answers. In partnership with the Maine Policy Institute, 最初的项目汇集了来自缅因州七所高中的29名学生,他们代表了不同的背景, political viewpoints, and life experiences. Beginning with a three-day weekend retreat, 然后在五个月的时间里偶尔进行合作, 学生们与经验丰富的主持人一起新巴黎人注册网站如何跨越深刻的分歧进行对话, develop a shared vision of a better Maine, and design an interactive forum with political leadership. 学生们被要求质疑自己的想法,相互挑战,并进行合作. In the process, 他们发展了在这个分裂的时刻似乎已经失去的基本民主技能:重视对话, mediating differences, holding elected officials accountable, and working collectively for a higher purpose.
Next Steps:
Following the success of the original 2018 program, Waynflete was awarded a $250,000 matching grant from The Edward E. Ford Foundation. 这笔拨款支持了“第三思想公民参与倡议”的成立,以及该组织的进一步发展 Can We? 项目及其通过自我审视的镜头进行政治对话和公民参与的独特方法, empathy, mediation, and collaboration.
新巴黎人注册网站相信这种模式可以而且应该在全国的学校和社区中复制. 自2018年以来,新巴黎人注册网站一直致力于开发和传播这种模式给新巴黎人注册网站在私立和公立学校的合作伙伴.
2019年,新巴黎人注册网站邀请了来自全国各地的七所独立学校——所有这些学校都致力于公共服务,并对跨越差异的对话感兴趣——通过将学生送到新巴黎人注册网站的第二次务虚会,并将教师和管理人员送到韦恩弗莱特的为期四天的夏季专业发展学院进行合作.
Can We? In the Classroom:
To better connect with a growing number of interested students, teachers, and schools, 新巴黎人注册网站正在扩展成功的周末研修模式,并与缅因州的学校合作,促进全年的研修。”Can We? In the Classroom” curriculum.
新巴黎人注册网站对校内和跨学校课程的新关注将增加学生数量, teachers, and school districts that will be affected by our work. We’re excited to be focusing our energies here in Maine; we believe that we have the potential to bridge the divide between “the two Maines” and to provide an inspiration for our divided nation.
Interested in becoming a Can We? Project partner school? Contact Project Director John Holdridge at
您可以通过向第三思想公民参与倡议捐款来加入新巴黎人注册网站的努力. Click here to make a gift to Third Thought.
The Dialogue Project
Waynflete于2016年启动了对话项目,旨在让对话成为高中学生的重要习惯. In addition to teaching students discrete skills, 韦恩弗莱特为学生提供了许多练习对话艺术的机会, including advisory and whole-school dialogue sessions, The New England Youth Identity Summit, The Can We? Project, The Defamation Experience, 以及由叙事4培训的学生辅导员领导的高年级故事交流活动.
2021年秋季,Waynflete开始了一项为期多年的倡议,将恢复性圆圈作为建设社区的一种形式,对对话方法的关注仍在继续, listening to learn, and repairing harm when necessary.
The Perspective Project
视角项目是一项由学生主导的倡议,其主要目标是为新巴黎人注册网站的校园带来新的视角, 使社区成员能够以新的方式思考,更好地理解自己和他人的信仰. Intrigued, inspired, and concerned by current events in the United States, “透视计划”是由学生们创立的,他们认为有必要发起这项倡议,以便与新巴黎人注册网站社区和国家的领导人进行对话.
Visit The Perspective Project website
Watch recordings of past events
Save the date for upcoming events
Read about The Perspective Project Leadership Team
Give to Third Thought
Make an online gift to Third Thought.
To make a gift by mail:
Waynflete
Development and Community Engagement Office
360 Spring St
Portland, ME 04102
Please note “Third Thought” in the memo line of your check. Thank you!