About
Depolarizing Discourse is a digital citizenship unit plan for grades 6-12, empowering teens to communicate better both online and offline.
The Mission
Depolarizing Discourse diffuses the emotionally charged tenor of schools, creating more open learning environments for students and faculty, where insight comes from wrestling with topics vulnerably and in earnest.
Rather than teach students to seek the right answers, Depolarizing Discourse teaches the skills needed to reflexively get to MORE RIGHT or BETTER answers - answers that include varied perspectives from multiple stakeholders.
The Vision
A world where everyone is able to share ideas openly and learn without fear of rejection in order to generate better solutions to problems.
Juli Spencer
Communications Strategist
Juli Spencer is a communications strategist and the creator of Depolarizing Discourse, a scripted curriculum designed to equip students with the skills to navigate everyday discussions respectfully and effectively both on and offline. She earned a Master's degree in Strategic Communications from Columbia University's School of Professional Studies in 2022, where she was recognized for her work in Ethical Decision Making and served as an ambassador to the program's executive cohort. She also holds a Master's degree in Teaching from Tufts University.
As a result of her lifelong passion for education, Juli developed a digital citizenship curriculum for teens that has demonstrated significant success, with 90% of students reporting improved ability to handle challenging conversations. Her extensive experience in both academia and corporate communications spans over 20 years. She has held roles as an English teacher and as a corporate communications practitioner for TMP Worldwide, TD Ameritrade, and The Taproot Foundation. Juli has also served on the boards of Brooks School and The PERT Consortium.
Juli is dedicated to helping young people thrive. She believes that by cultivating strong digital communication skills, we can empower individuals to gain greater perspective, resolve conflicts peacefully, and create a more positive and inclusive society.
