Articles

Before Your Students Walk Back In, Pause

June 18, 2026

Educators can prepare for tough fall conversations by helping students pause, question social media content, and build evidence-based understanding.

The Pope, Gandalf, and the Last Civic Spaces (Classrooms!)

May 28, 2026

AI is changing how students learn, communicate, and form beliefs. Or Initiative explains why classrooms remain vital civic spaces for truth and dialogue.

Young People Know Their Feeds Are Broken. Here’s What They’re Asking for Instead.

May 20, 2026

Young people know social media feeds distort what they see. Learn how classrooms can help students build digital discernment and discuss tough topics with care.

What Educators Say About Teaching “Tough Topics:” Why It Matters Right Now

May 14, 2026

Teachers want to address tough topics, but need support. Learn why civil discourse in classrooms matters now as students face polarized news and digital feeds.

Information asymmetry: When knowing and caring more about a topic disadvantages kids

May 6, 2026

When students know and care more about hard topics, classroom guardrails and shared evidence can help them discuss complex issues with trust and care.

What do kids do when their media literacy skills fail them? They use “majority rules”

April 30, 2026

Teens often rely on “majority rules” when media literacy fails, trusting repeated claims online even when algorithms distort what they see.