Civil Discourse Accelerator
In tandem with the public launch of Or Initiative in February 2026, we will recruit up to four developers, technologists, and/or designers as the inaugural Civil Discourse Accelerator Fellows.
Civil Discourse Accelerator Fellows will create innovative, evidence-based tools that integrate with Or Initiative's evolving curricula. Proposals will be competitively evaluated based on user focus and alignment with Or Initiative’s mission. Each Fellow (or small team) will receive up to $50,000 in project support over two years, mentorship from Or Initiative leaders and Advisory Board members, and access to youth and educator co-design partners.
This competitive program will not only support students and educators; it will support the development of the next generation of ed tech creators committed to solving real problems with and for young people, not on them. We envision a new model for supporting talented ed tech designers in developing AI-driven, “tech for good” that directly serves the needs of students and educators.
Priority Focus for 2026–28
Or Initiative’s first technology-enhanced learning pilots will begin with tough topics where students and teachers have asked for support. We will support projects that create new resources related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and rising antisemitism in the U.S., as part of a broader commitment to rigorous, multi-narrative civic learning. Strong proposals may also connect to adjacent challenges, such as AI-era misinformation, climate crisis and migration narratives, and/or youth digital wellbeing. Applicants should make clear how their interactive tech and digital media tools will work in authentic learning settings.
Fellows will engage in a co-design process of participatory workshops with students and teachers, formative research on user experience and developmental appropriateness, and iterative testing of their designs in classrooms. They will be mentored regularly by Or Initiative staff, Advisory Board members, and partners. Fellows will end Year 1 with a functioning prototype and a design brief that articulates its research foundation, intended learning outcomes, and metrics for student and educator impact.
Fellows’ prototypes will move into pilot implementation and evaluation in Or Initiative’s partner schools. Fellows will conduct classroom-based testing and gather mixed-method data on usability, student engagement, and learning outcomes related to digital reasoning, civic efficacy, and evidence-based discussion. In the final quarter of Y2, a convening at Chapman University will bring together educators, researchers, technologists, and funders to showcase the prototypes, share early findings, and help shape the burgeoning national conversation on building teens’ civil discourse capabilities in a digital era.
By combining youth-centered co-design, evidence-based curriculum, and cutting-edge media/tech innovation, the Civil Discourse Accelerator’s Fellows Program will be a national model for what ethical, student-driven civic ed-tech can look like. Together with our partners, we will seed a new generation of tools—and toolmakers—ready to meet the needs of students and teachers navigating the most urgent challenges of our time.
Applications for the initial cohort of the Civil Discourse Accelerator Fellowship program will be available in Spring 2026, and the application process will be outlined here.
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