Cortico on Campus

Building the Next Generation of Civic Leaders

On most campuses, students have plenty of opportunities to speak up. What’s harder to find is a structured way to be heard, or to really hear each other. With support from The Rockefeller Foundation, Cortico on Campus is trying to build that.

Launched in spring 2025, this national fellowship has engaged 33 students from 24 campuses, equipping young leaders to design and lead small-group conversations and amplify the perspectives of their peers.

Challenge: Creating space for meaningful student dialogue

College campuses are full of conversation, but meaningful listening is harder to come by. Dialogue often surfaces around moments of tension rather than everyday experience, and traditional formats like surveys and town halls rarely create space for students to engage in a meaningful and sustainable way.

Solution: Putting students in the lead

Cortico on Campus gives students the tools and support to create exactly that kind of space. Fellows gain hands-on experience in conversation design, facilitation, and analysis, then launch their own conversation campaigns on campus. Using Cortico’s Talk/Understand/Share approach, students host small-group conversations with peers, surface patterns across conversations, and share what they hear through voice-powered outputs.

Projects are grounded in the specific questions and needs of each campus community. A team at UNC–Chapel Hill used conversations to bridge students and local residents. Fellows at UW–Madison created space for peers to reflect on uncertainty, connection, and finding their path. A fellow at Cornell saw a natural connection to an existing Tech, Behavior, & Society  course and the potential for a long-term campus partnership.

“Too often, conversations on campus become polarized, especially around issues like equity, policy, and campus culture. By bringing structured, intentional dialogue to Cornell, we can create opportunities for students to truly listen to one another, challenge assumptions, and find common ground.”

— Cortico on Campus fellow, Cornell University

Results

Over the 2025-2026 academic year, fellows brought a new kind of dialogue to campuses across the country. In May, the cohort gathered at the MIT Media Lab to present their work — covering topics from campus safety to AI use to racial identity and more — and meet each other in person for the first time.

Two lead fellows, Shania Dhanaraj and Sam Wood, reflected on what the program gave them and what they’re taking with them.

→ Read their reflections