Since Cortico’s founding, we’ve partnered with over 220 organizations to deliver a tech-enhanced conversation approach, empowering them to listen deeply to the voices in their community, make sense of them, and inspire more informed action.

Now you can help bring better conversations to your college campus – as part of a founding cohort. Cortico is selecting student teams from up to 10 U.S. colleges and universities as part of this pilot program. With the support of The Rockefeller Foundation, the selected student teams will have the opportunity to connect, share best practices, and exchange ideas. 

This is more than just talk—it’s a method for better understanding, with concrete (and fun!) outputs like highlight embeds, conversation maps, and voice medleys. The goal is to help you and your peers hear and be heard.

The inaugural Cortico on Campus program invites teams of at least three motivated students interested in amplifying the voices of their friends and peers to lead a new kind of conversation. Beginning with sharing experiences in small groups, you’ll make sense of conversations through a deep listening process supported by AI tools. You’ll share the big picture of what fellow students are saying – with outputs like highlights, conversation maps, and voice medleys – extending the power of small-group dialogue long after the conversation ends.

The selected student teams from up to 10 U.S. colleges and universities will be part of the pilot Cortico on Campus program. They will have the opportunity to connect, share best practices, and exchange ideas.

Selected student groups will be funded to: 

• Create voice medleys and conversation maps addressing important topics on campus and highlighting the perspectives of your peers 
• Lead small-group conversations with fellow students focused on personal experiences, not just opinions
• Prototype & shape new digital tools for conversation curation and analysis
• Get hands-on training in active listening, facilitation, and community organizing 

Project teams will also have an opportunity to showcase their work to the rest of the student groups around the country as well as to Cortico, MIT staff, and potentially even the general public.

Together, this inaugural cohort will help develop a pioneering approach to campus conversations that can be adapted to schools nationwide. Over time, and with your input, we can build a new kind of conversation on campus.

This is more than just talk—it’s a method for better understanding, with concrete (and fun!) outputs like conversation maps and voice medleys. The goal is to help you and your peers hear and be heard. 

Starting with sharing experiences in small groups, you’ll make sense of conversations through a deep listening process supported by AI tools. 

Cortico’s conversation record – a combination of audio and transcripts – is automatically created and shared back with participants. This enables the curation of key moments that can be played back in audio snippets – as well as analysis or “sensemaking” to identify patterns or connections across small-group conversations. 

You’ll share the big picture of what fellow students are saying – with outputs that incorporate real voices – extending the power of small-group dialogue long after the conversation ends.

Project teams will learn and practice how to organize and lead Cortico’s three step process: 

1. Talk: Start with a good conversation –  project teams organize small groups of peers into conversations to share experiences. These conversations are recorded, with audio and transcriptions automatically generated and shared back to participants.
2. Understand: After the conversations, project teams surface patterns across conversations through “sensemaking” – a deep listening process led by participants and supported by AI tools.
3. Share: Project teams will share the big picture with their campus community. Their outputs will incorporate real voices and connect powerful insights for more informed outcomes.

You do. This program is an opportunity for students to organize conversations with their peers and create outputs like highlight embeds, voice medleys, and conversation maps elevating their perspectives. Cortico will work closely with student teams to provide the tools, methodology, and guidance to help make the most of this opportunity. 

Since Cortico’s founding, we’ve partnered with over 220 organizations to deliver a tech-enhanced conversation approach, empowering them to listen deeply to the voices in their community, make sense of them, and inspire more informed action.

Now, Cortico is selecting student teams from up to 10 U.S. colleges and universities as part of the pilot Cortico on Campus program. With the support of The Rockefeller Foundation, the selected student teams will have the opportunity to connect, share best practices, and exchange ideas. 

Together, this inaugural cohort will help develop a pioneering approach to campus conversations that can be adapted to schools nationwide. Over time, and with your input, we can build a new kind of conversation on campus.

The program is for undergraduate student teams (minimum of three members) passionate about community organizing, meaningful conversations, and leveraging technology to enhance understanding. A faculty or staff reference is required for each team, but faculty and staff are not required to participate in the program with student teams. Student teams can be club affiliated or independent. One person must be listed as the primary contact upon applying.

Applications are open until February 14, 2025. Interested students can apply online. Selected applicants will complete a 30-minute interview as part of the process. You can see the application here and please feel free to email campus@cortico.ai with any questions about the application.

Participants are expected to commit 5–7 hours per month for project work and learning opportunities. Each month throughout the semester, we will host one 90 minute live workshop as well as small group sessions similar to office hours for additional support. The remaining hours will be recommended time for teams to work on organizing, hosting, and analyzing conversations.

You will receive hands-on training and support from Cortico’s team of experts at every step of the process — from conversations design and outreach to sharing findings — to help your team make the most of this opportunity.

No, a team of at least three undergraduate students is required to participate. Student teams can be club affiliated (such as Student Government) or independent. One person must be listed as the primary contact upon applying.

Preview the application questions below! Applications should be completed as a team – each team needs to submit one application.

• Where do you go to school?
• List your team members along with their class year.
• Are you and your team prepared to dedicate 5-7 hours per month to project work and cohort activities?
• Is your team affiliated with any campus clubs or organizations?
• Who will be the primary point of contact for your team?
• What makes a good conversation? What role does a good conversation play in addressing campus challenges or fostering a stronger sense of community?
• What do you value most about your campus community? How do these values shape the way you envision this project being implemented?
• What experience does your team have in community organizing, leadership, or dialogue facilitation? If limited, what motivates your team to take on this role?
• What communities are the students on your team currently involved in (e.g., community, civic, media, political, or religious organizations)? In 3-4 sentences, please share the extent of your involvement and why these activities are meaningful to you?
• Why are you interested in participating in the Cortico on Campus program? What about this initiative resonates most with your team?
• What does success in this program look like to your team? How do you hope this project could impact your campus community?

If you’re selected for an interview, we ask that each student team have (at least) one faculty or staff member complete a short reference form so we can get a better understanding of the team’s strengths, related skills, and experience on campus. This faculty or staff member only needs to complete the form for one of your team members, but you are welcome to collect additional references for other team members if you would like. Your team’s reference is an important part of the selection process, but the faculty or staff member will not be required to participate in the program.

Each project team will submit a joint application and selected applicants will participate in a 30-minute interview so we can learn more about you and your team. Though the program is focused on conversations, experience with previous dialogue programs is not required. Teams will be chosen based on the following selection criteria:

• You are part of a team of at least three motivated students who will take the lead in introducing and organizing conversations that address unique issues within your campus community. Student teams can be club affiliated or independent
• You have experience with, or a strong interest in, community organizing and leadership, including the ability to identify and recruit facilitators and participants for conversations
• You are eager to develop curatorial, storytelling, or multimedia skills to shape and share the narratives that emerge from conversations
• You want to build skills and capacity for engaging in constructive conversations that create lasting impact on campus
• You have a forward-thinking mindset with an interest in learning how cutting-edge, AI-supported tools and technology can enhance and shape the future of campus conversations.
• You can commit 5-7 hours per month to project work and learning opportunities with other teams in the cohort

Each team knows their campus community best, so your team will determine what issues or topics are most relevant to your community. You will have the option to design your conversations around your chosen topics, or you can use the conversations as a way to learn what topics your campus community most wants to discuss. 

Project ideas could include…

• Make student organizations more inclusive
• Improve dorm life by encouraging connective conversations
• Shape the work culture in your on-campus job
• Bring your friend group together to talk about a topic important to you
• …or any conversation project that addresses a need or opportunity on your campus!

These projects are more than just talk—it’s a method for better understanding, with concrete outputs like highlight embeds, conversation maps, and voice medleys. The goal is to help you and your peers hear and be heard.

This is the first year of the Cortico on Campus program, so the projects that teams create will be the first of their kind. The selected student teams from up to 10 U.S. colleges and universities will be part of the pilot Cortico on Campus program. They will have the opportunity to connect, share best practices, and exchange ideas. 

Listen to an audio medley from student leaders who helped us create this program:

You can explore projects led by Cortico with partners outside of colleges and universities through the links below:

• Empowering Voices in Education
• Hearing the Humanity: Cortico’s Collaboration with NPR
• Opportunity Youth Network
• Blue Hill Avenue Revitalization
• City of Durham, NC

The $2,500 stipend must be used for project-specific expenses, and project teams will be asked to complete a budget template as part of their planning process. You can see the template here. The stipend will also be sent to project teams in two phases:

• Phase 1: Learning and Practice (March – May 2025)
  • $2,000 of the stipend will be offered to support your first round of conversations throughout the spring semester. 
• Phase 2: Sustainability (September 2025 – January 2026)
  • $500 will be offered to help teams sustain their dialogue efforts into the following school year.

Yes, each team will develop a portfolio of work throughout the program that outlines their process and includes artifacts from their project. Each team will have an opportunity to showcase their portfolio to the rest of the student groups around the country as well as to Cortico, MIT staff, and potentially even the general public.

Project teams will learn how to use Cortico’s platform to upload and make sense of the conversations they collect – and to help create audio medleys and conversation maps from the experience. You can learn more about Cortico’s tools here, and all teams will be fully onboarded to use both the platform and mobile app. You do not need to have any specific experience with technology to participate – we just ask that you are open and willing to learn.

While technology is a key component, the tools are designed to be transparent and learnable. Support from the Cortico team will ensure accessibility for all participants.