Dynamic Discussions From Book Clubs to Classrooms
UC Davis School of Education and Inclusive Excellence partnership expands the reach of Dynamic Discussions and the Campus Community Book Project
What can a book club teach us about navigating difficult conversations, understanding different perspectives and building community?
For 25 years, the UC Davis Campus Community Book Project has brought students, faculty, staff and community members together around shared reading and dialogue. Now, a new collaboration between UC Davis Inclusive Excellence, the School of Education and campus partners will bring that experience into the classroom.
Led by Megan Macklin, director of Campus Climate and Inclusion Initiatives in Inclusive Excellence, the collaborative project, “Reading to Understand, Listening to Hear: Developing an Undergraduate Seminar on Text-Based Dialogue,” has been selected for the inaugural University of California Dialogue Fellows Program, which supports innovative approaches to teaching dialogue skills across the UC system.
Expanding the Reach of Dynamic Discussions
The fellowship will support the development of a new undergraduate seminar and practicum that uses the Campus Community Book Project as a model for teaching dialogue skills to future educators, and the Principles of Community as a foundation for co-creating a curious, inclusive classroom culture. Developed in partnership with the School of Education, Davis Humanities Institute and California History-Social Sciences Project, the curriculum will help students learn how to facilitate thoughtful conversations around complex topics.
The initiative also extends UC Davis's broader Dynamic Discussions efforts, which foster curiosity, respectful dialogue and openness to different perspectives, reflecting the university's Principles of Community commitment to “foster mutual understanding and respect among the many parts of our whole.”
“Through Dynamic Discussions and the Campus Community Book Project, we're creating opportunities to put our Principles of Community into practice,” said Renetta Garrison Tull, vice chancellor for Inclusive Excellence. “This partnership with the School of Education extends that work into teaching and learning, preparing future educators to foster inquiry, understanding and dialogue in their own classrooms.”
Preparing Future Educators
Students will develop classroom agreements grounded in the Principles of Community, practice text-based dialogue and explore strategies for navigating challenging discussions. A subsequent practicum will provide opportunities to lead book discussions in local schools and community learning spaces. The project team will also develop a toolkit that educators can adapt for their own classrooms.
“What's most exciting is the enthusiasm of our partners to bring this idea to life,” Macklin said. “We're building on the Book Project's legacy to create opportunities for students to learn and practice dialogue skills, then extend those skills in local classrooms and community spaces.”
The fellowship is one of 18 projects selected across the University of California for 2026–27, with each receiving $5,000 to support development and implementation. Four other UC Davis faculty and staff members were selected for the inaugural cohort: Angelica Guercio, assistant professor of teaching in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, whose project focuses on practicing scientific dialogue in large-enrollment genetics courses; Heather J. Hether, associate professor of teaching in the Department of Communication, who is developing a toolkit for dialogue across differences; Paula Levitt, director of Global and Intercultural Programs at the UC Davis Global Learning Hub, whose project integrates dialogue skills into intercultural leadership and peer mentorship; and Amir Saeidi, assistant professor of teaching in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, who will help engineering students navigate technical disagreements through evidence-based dialogue.