TOUCHSTONES DISCUSSION PROJECT INC

K-12 SCHOOL PROGRAMMING, ENRICHMENT AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, YOUTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCES, & TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT K-12 PROGRAM EXPANSION THROUGH GRANTS RELATED TO SCHOOL PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, WE EXPANDED PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES AT TWO PUBLIC-CHARTER SCHOOLS IN WASHINGTON, DC IN 2023. IN ADDITION, OUR SALES OF DISCUSSION CURRICULUM WENT INTO 52 SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS SERVING AND ENGAGING AN ESTIMATED 150 EDUCATORS AND 4,000+ STUDENTS, IN ADDITION TO THE THOUSANDS OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ALREADY USING TOUCHSTONES AT EXISTING PROGRAM SITES. OUR CONTRACT WITH THE BUREAU DE LA EDUCATION FRANCAIS IN MANITOBA, CANADA PROVIDED DIGITAL ACCESS TO TOUCHSTONES PROGRAMS IN FRENCH TO HUNDREDS OF EDUCATORS AND MORE THAN 5,000 STUDENTS. HIGHER ED WE SUPPORTED CONTINUED EXPANSION OF PROGRAMS IN HIGHERED WITH NEW DIGITAL TEXTBOOKS THAT WERE USED BY MORE THAN TWO DOZEN INSTRUCTORS TO ENGAGE MORE THAN 650 STUDENTS IN FIRST-AND SECOND-YEAR SEMINAR CLASSES, A NEW COURSE SPECIFICALLY FOR VETERANS, AND STUDENTS STUDYING EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS, AS WELL AS PHILOSOPHY COURSES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND. TEACHER TRAINING, INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT, AND DIGITAL CONTRACTS IN 2023, TOUCHSTONES PRESENTED AT FOUR EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCES, RAN MULTIPLE OPEN-ENROLLMENT WORKSHOPS ONLINE, DELIVERED COACHING AT TWO SCHOOLS, AND 12 WORKSHOPS FOR MANY HUNDREDS OF EDUCATORS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, AND VOLUNTEERS IN THE US AND CANADA. WE OFFERED OUR INTENSIVE 8-WEEK TRAINING THROUGH OUR TEACHER'S FELLOWS PROGRAM USING THE DISCUSSION CURRICULUM, TOUCHSTONES EXPLORING AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES. OF THOSE WORKSHOP SEATS MORE THAN 200 WERE SCHOLARSHIP SEATS FOR EDUCATORS, AS WELL AS VOLUNTEERS SEEKING TO BRING TOUCHSTONES DISCUSSION PROGRAMS TO NEW COMMUNITY GROUPS. THE TOUCHSTONES EDUCATOR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDES THE FELLOWS PROGRAM,THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD, AND THE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE TEACHERS TO ATTEND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES ENSURES THAT WE ARE ABLE TO MEET THE GROWING NEED FOR TOUCHSTONES SKILL DEVELOPMENT AMONG STUDENTS OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUND AND REGARDLESS OF SCHOOLS' FINANCIAL LIMITATIONS. EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCES WE DIRECTLY ENGAGED MORE THAN 300 TEACHERS NEW TO TOUCHSTONES AT REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCES IN NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, AND LONG ISLAND, NY, WHERE WE RAN DEMONSTRATION TOUCHSTONES DISCUSSIONS WITH TEACHERS, SUPERVISORS, AND ADMINISTRATORS. THOSE REGIONAL CONFERENCES ARE TYPICALLY CONTENT-SPECIFIC (SOCIAL STUDIES OR ENGLISH), TAILORED FOR SPECIFIC STUDENT POPULATIONS (GIFTED AND TALENTED), OR GEARED TOWARD PARTICULAR PROFESSIONAL ROLES (CURRICULUM SUPERVISION AND COACHING). SUCH CONFERENCES ARE EXCELLENT WAYS TO INTRODUCE TOUCHSTONES TO EDUCATORS IN NEW GEOGRAPHIC AREAS. ALL TOUCHSTONES INTERACTIVE TRAINING EXPERIENCES PROVIDE TEACHERS WITH HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE LEADING INCLUSIVE DISCUSSIONS, STRATEGIES FOR CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT IN DISCUSSION LEADERSHIP, AND TOOLS TO IDENTIFY AND DEVISE SOLUTIONS TO ISSUES IN DISCUSSION DYNAMICS. EDUCATORS LEARN TO INCLUDE STUDENTS IN EVALUATING THEIR OWN AND THE CLASSES OUTCOMES, AS THE TEACHER MODELS ACTIVE LISTENING AND RESPECTFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH ALL STUDENTS, MEASURES STUDENT PROGRESS OVER TIME, AND ASSESSES AND REFINES THEIR OWN PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AS LEADERS AND CLASSROOM MANAGERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IN-CLASS COACHING PROVIDED BY TOUCHSTONES STAFF AFFORDS ADDITIONAL AND TAILORED GUIDANCE TO SUPPORT CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT IN INSTRUCTIONAL AND LEADERSHIP CAPACITIES. TEACHERS USING TOUCHSTONES OFTEN REPORT BECOMING MORE SKILLED AND CONFIDENT IN THEIR LEADERSHIP ROLES AS WELL AS IN ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM. TOUCHSTONES FELLOWS TEACHER TRAINING USING TOUCHSTONES VOLUME, EXPLORING AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES IN RESPONSE TO THE GROWING AWARENESS FOR THE NEED AMONG ALL TEACHERS AND STUDENTSOF ALL AGESTO POSSESS SKILLS SUPPORTING CRITICAL AND REFLECTIVE THINKING AND THE ABILITY TO SPEAK WITH AND LISTEN TO OTHERS CONSTRUCTIVELY AND OPENLY, TOUCHSTONES LAUNCHED THIS NEW, EIGHT-SESSION PROGRAM ONLINE IN 2020. IN 2023, WE REPLICATED A FIFTH FREE TRAINING PROGRAM WITH A NEW COHORT OF TOUCHSTONES FELLOWS TO PROVIDE 12 MORE THAN HOURS OF INTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO SIX EDUCATORS. OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PROGRAM, ALL PARTICIPANTS ASSUME AND PRACTICE LEADERSHIP FOR A TOUCHSTONES DISCUSSION, WITH SUPPORT FROM STAFF AND THEIR PEERS. GUIDED AND TRAINED BY THE TOUCHSTONES STAFF, EACH COHORT EXPLORES ISSUES OF VOICE, PERCEIVED LEGITIMACY, ACTIVE LISTENING, EFFECTS OF MARGINALIZATION, BIAS, AND INCLUSION THROUGH THE LENSES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND BLACK AUTHORS, POETS, POLITICIANS, ARTISTS, AND PHILOSOPHERS. THIS INTENSIVE AND IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE IN THE TOUCHSTONES METHOD AND CURRICULA OFFERS ALL PARTICIPANTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THEIR OWN STRENGTHS AND IDENTIFY AREAS FOR CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT AS DISCUSSION LEADERS. TOUCHSTONES WEEK IN 2023, TOUCHSTONES RAN ANOTHER GLOBAL TOUCHSTONES WEEK, WHICH PROVIDES FREE LESSON PLANS FOR ANYONE WISHING TO RUN A COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSIONWITH STUDENTS, FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OR BUSINESS ASSOCIATES. THE DISCUSSION LESSON WAS PROVIDED FOR FREE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, BURMESE, AND FRENCH. THIS PROGRAM ENGAGED EDUCATORS AND VOLUNTEERS IN 10 STATES AND TWO COUNTRIES RUNNING TOUCHSTONES DISCUSSIONS WITH 550+ PARTICIPANTS OF ALL AGES AND MOSTLY WITH STUDENTS IN GRADES 2-12.

ADULT AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ONLINE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC IN 2020 AND IN RECOGNITION OF THE TYPES OF SUPPORT AND CONTACT THAT PEOPLE WOULD NEED DURING PERIODS OF GREAT UNCERTAINTY AND POTENTIAL ISOLATION, TOUCHSTONES INITIATED A FREE ONLINE TWICE-MONTHLY DISCUSSION PROGRAM WITH THE TOPIC OF COMMUNITY AND CONNECTIONS AS ITS CENTRAL FOCUS. IN 2021 WE ADDED A MONTHLY THURSDAY EVENING PROGRAM, WHICH RAN FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR. THIS SATURDAY MORNING PROGRAM CONTINUED THROUGHOUT 2023, WITH LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITY BEING SHARED BY FIVE VOLUNTEER MEMBERS FROM WITHIN THE GROUP. TOUCHSTONES STAFF AND TRAINED VOLUNTEERS RAN 19 DISCUSSIONS, WHICH PROVIDED 30 HOURS OF FREE PUBLIC PROGRAMMING FOR 100 MEMBERS OF THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY. PROGRAMS WITH INCARCERATED ADULTS BEGINNING IN MAY, TOUCHSTONES PROGRAMMING AT THE MARYLAND CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION FOR WOMEN STARTED AGAIN AFTER A TWO-YEAR PANDEMIC CLOSURE. TOUCHSTONES CLASSES RAN 19 TIMES DURING THE YEAR SERVING MORE THAN 40 INCARCERATED WOMEN AND ENGAGING SIX COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS AS DISCUSSION CO- LEADERS. THOSE CLASSES MOVED SEQUENTIALLY THROUGH TOUCHSTONES VOLUME A AND TOUCHED ON THEMES AND SKILLS RELATED TO HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES, RESILIENCY, CONFIDENCE, SELF-REGULATION, AND ENHANCED SELF-EXPRESSION AND INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION.