National Week of Conversation (NWOC) 2022 takes place April 24-30, powered by the #ListenFirst Coalition of 300+ organizations, including American Public Square at Jewell.

In addition to the thousands of local and regional events that take place during NWOC, Americans of all backgrounds are invited to listen, extend grace, and discover common interests through the America Talks event, a digital event that connects individuals from across the nation in one-to-one or small group conversations. Along with our partners, APS invites you to join this hopeful mission to defeat toxic polarization and heal America by transforming division and contempt into connection and understanding. Learn more and register here.

Locally, American Public Square at Jewell is supporting National Week of Conversation through a variety of efforts.

• The team at APS is excited to release an APS Discussion Guide, which offers community members a guide for hosting and participating in APS-style conversations, which seek to increase civility, use of facts and exposure to diverse perspectives.

• On Wednesday, April 27, APS college interns have organized an evening of intergenerational bridge building, in partnership with the KC Public Library and Consensus KC. Participants include current students and community members born in 1962 or earlier who will be paired for dialogue about generational divides. The goal is to learn from each other and establish common ground between different generations. Learn more and register here.

• On Thursday, April 28, APS will present a special student-produced program focused on education reform and diversity in schools, “Erasing the Red Lines: Are our schools embracing the future or embodying the past?”.  Students from across the KC metro who have participated in the 2021-22 Civics Education Initiative have led the design and production of the program, from selecting the topic, securing sponsors, seeking panelists and more. The event is free and open to the public. Learn more and register here.

Learn more about National Week of Conversation here.