Touchstones Discussion Project Inc

TOUCHSTONES' DISCUSSION-BASED PROGRAMS DEVELOP THINKING AND COLLABORATION AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS FOR ALL STUDENTS AND LEARNERS. TOUCHSTONES PRIMARY FOCUS IS TO ADDRESS GAPS IN EDUCATION IN K-12 SCHOOLS BY TEACHING EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS TO USE STRUCTURED DIALOGUE TO ACTIVATE AND ENLIVEN THEIR THINKING AND BUILD COOPERATION AND LEADERSHIP. THESE PROGRAMS ARE HELD IN SCHOOLS, PRISONS, SENIOR CENTERS, AND WITH VETERANS AND EXECUTIVE GROUPS.

K-12 SCHOOL PROGRAMMING, ENRICHMENT AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, YOUTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCES, & TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TEACHER TRAINING, INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT, AND DIGITAL CONTRACTS IN 2021, TOUCHSTONES LED 19 WORKSHOPS FOR EDUCATORS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND VOLUNTEERS IN THE US AND CANADA. THESE WORKSHOPS WERE HELD BOTH ONLINE AND IN-PERSON FOR EDUCATORS AT THE K-12 AND COLLEGE LEVEL AND INCLUDING COACHING, OPEN ENROLLMENT WORKSHOPS, EXPLORING AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES TRAINING, AND CLASSROOM OBSERVATION TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL OR PROGRAM. ON AVERAGE, ABOUT 15 PEOPLE ATTENDED EACH WORKSHOP FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT 170 PARTICIPANTS RECEIVING CONTINUED OR INTRODUCTORY TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FROM TOUCHSTONES STAFF. THESE INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS 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. AS PART OF OUR OUTREACH AND DIRECT ENGAGEMENT IN DELIVERING TRAINING SERVICES, TOUCHSTONES PROVIDED 80 SCHOLARSHIP SEATS TO VOLUNTEERS AND EDUCATORS WHO SOUGHT TOUCHSTONES TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BUT HAD NO FUNDING. THIS ENSURES THAT EDUCATORS AND VOLUNTEERS ARE ABLE TO BRING INCLUSIVE DISCUSSION TO THEIR COMMUNITIES REGARDLESS OF FINANCIAL LIMITATIONS. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING TO EXISTING AND NEW CUSTOMERS, WE DELIVERED PRINT AND DIGITAL SCHOOL CURRICULUM TO MORE THAN 28 SCHOOLS IN 18 STATES, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, THE UK, AND ONTARIO, CANADA. WE ESTIMATE MORE THAN 3,000 NEW STUDENTS WERE INTRODUCED TO TOUCHSTONES IN THOSE SCHOOLS ALONEJOINING THE MANY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER STUDENTS AROUND THE U.S. AND THE WORLD WHOSE TEACHERS ALREADY USE TOUCHSTONES CURRICULA IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. THESE NEW ENGAGEMENTS ARE DISTINCT FROM THOSE DESCRIBED IN THE NEXT SECTION. TO BRING TOUCHSTONES INTO MORE CLASSES ONLINE, WE EXPANDED THE NUMBER OF DIGITAL PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO INCLUDE ALMOST ALL OF OUR ENGLISH AND FRENCH VOLUMES, AS WELL AS OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH AND SCIENCE AND COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS. WE SECURED A PROVINCE-WIDE CONTRACT WITH THE BUREAU DE L'DUCATION FRANAISE IN MANITOBA, CANADA, WHICH PROVIDED ACCESS TO TOUCHSTONES PROGRAMS TO HUNDREDS OF EDUCATORS AND MORE THAN 19,000 STUDENTS IN THAT PROVINCE. THROUGH GRANTS RELATED TO SCHOOL PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, WE EXPANDED PARTNERSHIPS WITH WASHINGTON LATIN PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IN WASHINGTON, DC, AND PUBLIC AND PUBLIC/CHARTER SCHOOLS IN WILMINGTON, DE. TOUCHSTONES LAUNCHED A NEW PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ONLINE IN 2020 CALLED THE FELLOWS PROGRAM, USING OUR CURRICULUM EXPLORING AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES, VOL 1. THIS ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAM RESPONDED TO THE GROWING AWARENESS AMONG TEACHERS AND STUDENTS OF THE NEED TO DEVELOP AND PRACTICE SKILLS OF CIVIL DISCOURSE IN THE CLASSROOM. IN 2021, TOUCHSTONES STAFF REPLICATED THE FELLOWS PROGRAM TWICE TO PROVIDE MORE THAN 40 HOURS OF INTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN TOTAL TO 18 EDUCATORS. OVER BOTH EIGHT-WEEK PROGRAMS, EACH TEACHER WORKED WITH TOUCHSTONES STAFF TO PREPARE FOR AND THEN LEAD A TOUCHSTONES DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION WITH THEIR PEERS. GUIDED AND TRAINED BY THE TOUCHSTONES STAFF, EACH COHORT EXPLORED ISSUES OF VOICE, PERCEIVED LEGITIMACY, ACTIVE LISTENING, 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. AFTER SCHOOL/ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS TO MEET THE DEVELOPMENTAL AND SOCIAL NEEDS OF CHILDREN OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTPARTICULARLY DURING A TIME WHEN MANY CHILDREN WERE SCHOOLED REMOTELYTOUCHSTONES LAUNCHED ITS OWN PROGRAMS TO BRING STUDENTS TOGETHER FOR MEANINGFUL CONNECTED AND CONTINUED LEARNING. TOUCHSTONES STAFF RAN TWO FEE-BASED ONLINE LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS FOR MIDDLE-SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ON THE WEST COAST. TOUCHSTONES STAFF ALSO DEVELOPED AND RAN TWO WEEKS OF FREE SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAMMING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AGED LEARNERS IN QUEENSTOWN, MD. STUDENTS USED TOUCHSTONES LESSONS TO DEVELOP SHARED LEADERSHIP AND DISCUSSION SKILLS DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF THE PROGRAM, AND THE SECOND WEEK FOCUSED ON LESSONS IN CREATIVE WRITING AND MATH AND SCIENCE PULLED FROM TOUCHSTONES VOLUMES. AN OPTIONAL ART WORKSHOP THAT REINFORCED THE STUDENTS SENSE OF DISCOVERY WAS DELIVERED BY A LOCAL ARTIST AND UNDERWRITTEN BY TOUCHSTONES, FOR ALL INTERESTED STUDENTS. AS STUDENTS AND TEACHERS HEADED BACK TO SCHOOL, TOUCHSTONES DESIGNED AND OFFERED FREE DISCUSSION-BASED LESSONS CENTERED AROUND STORIES FROM THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET BY SANDRA CISNEROS. THOSE LESSONS WERE PROVIDED IN BOTH ENGLISH & SPANISH AND WERE DISSEMINATED TO EDUCATORS THROUGHOUT THE FALL, IN PARALLEL WITH THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS BIG READ PROGRAMMING NATIONWIDE. OUR LESSONS WERE SHARED WITH 50 EDUCATORS AND MORE THAN 1,000 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED ACROSS 20 STATES AND ABROAD.

ADULT AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS IN 2021, TOUCHSTONES HELD AN ONLINE ART RAFFLE FEATURING TWO WORKS BY DR. ELLIOTT ZUCKERMAN, WHO BEQUEATHED MORE THAN 180 PAINTINGS TO THE TOUCHSTONES DISCUSSION PROJECT IN 2019 WHEN HE PASSED AWAY. HIS GIFT LEFT AN ENTIRE COLLECTION OF HIS WORKS TO SUPPORT TOUCHSTONES EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR WEEKS, 235 TICKETS WERE SOLD AND GENERATED 4,500+ IN TICKET SALES. THROUGHOUT THE RAFFLE PERIOD, TOUCHSTONES STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS ENGAGED LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT TOUCHSTONES WORK IN EDUCATION. EACH PAINTING IS ACCOMPANIED BY A CUSTOM TOUCHSTONES DISCUSSION LESSON PLAN. THESE LESSONS WILL BE COMPILED AND EDITED FOR USE IN A TOUCHSTONES DISCUSSION PROJECT ART VOLUME FOR RELEASE WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. COMMUNITY PROGRAM 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. THIS SATURDAY MORNING PROGRAM CONTINUED THROUGHOUT 2021, AND A THURSDAY EVENING PROGRAM WAS ADDED TO ENGAGE ADDITIONAL PARTICIPANTS. THE DISCUSSIONS ENGAGED TOUCHSTONES STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BOARD MEMBERS, AND THOSE NEW TO TOUCHSTONES IN LIVELY AND THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT COMMUNITY AND OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. TOUCHSTONES STAFF AND TRAINED VOLUNTEERS RAN MORE THAN 30 DISCUSSIONS, WHICH INCLUDED 126 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATING IN AT LEAST ONE DISCUSSION SESSION, WITH TEN PARTICIPANTS (ON AVERAGE) ATTENDING EACH SESSION. PROGRAMS WITH INCARCERATED ADULTS DUE TO THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, THERE WAS NO TOUCHSTONES PROGRAMMING DURING 2021 AT ANY OF THE PRISONS OR DETENTION CENTERS WHERE WEEKLY PROGRAMS HAD BEEN IN PLACE PRIOR TO MARCH 2020. VETERANS PROGRAMS TOUCHSTONES RAN A VETERANS VOLUNTEER TRAINING IN ANNAPOLIS, MD TO RE- ENGAGE THE VOLUNTEER CORPS AFTER THE PANDEMIC AND DISCUSS GOALS AND IDEAS FOR VETERANS PROGRAMS GOING FORWARD. 12 PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING THREE STAFF MEMBERS, MET IN PERSON IN AUGUST 2021 TO EXPLORE ISSUES OF CONNECTION AND HOMECOMING USING A LESSON FROM OUR VETERAN-FOCUSED PROGRAM, COMPLETING THE ODYSSEY: A JOURNEY HOME. BETWEEN 2018-2021, TOUCHSTONES TRAINED APPROXIMATELY 16 VETERANS TO RUN THIS PROGRAM AND, WITH THEM, PILOTED IMPLEMENTATIONS INCLUDING MORE THAN 50 VETERANS. DUE TO CONTINUED PANDEMIC-RELATED PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS THROUGHOUT MOST OF 2021, THERE WAS NO ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR VETERANS ASIDE FROM INFORMAL GATHERINGS ORGANIZED BY TOUCHSTONES. OLDER ADULTS BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE EXTREME VULNERABILITY OF OLDER POPULATIONS, EXISTING TOUCHSTONES PROGRAMMING WITH THE ELDERLY AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND PILOTING OF NEW PROGRAMS FOR THIS POPULATION WAS HALTED IN 2020. IN 2019, TOUCHSTONES HAD COMPLETED WORK ON ELDERSTONES VOLUME 1, THE FIRST VOLUME IN A NEW SERIES DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR OLDER ADULTS EXPERIENCING COGNITIVE DECLINE OR IMPAIRMENT. THE MATERIALS IN ELDERSTONES WERE TO HAVE BEEN PILOTED EXTENSIVELY IN 2020 IN MULTIPLE MEMORY CARE FACILITIES TO ENGAGE STAFF, FAMILY, AND RESIDENTS IN ACTIVE LEARNING AND CONSTRUCTIVE SOCIALIZATION. THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO EXPAND AS THE PANDEMIC EASES, BASED ON ENCOURAGING DATA FROM THE PILOT PERIOD, ONCE LOCAL AND NATIONAL HEALTH CONDITIONS PERMIT RENEWED CONTACT WITH THIS POPULATION IN-PERSON.

LEADERSHIP & EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS EXECUTIVES AND MANAGERS IN DIFFERENT TYPES AND SIZES OF BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS GAIN A BETTER SENSE OF TEAMWORK THROUGH CUSTOM TOUCHSTONES PROGRAMS. EXECUTIVES SYSTEMATICALLY IMPROVE HOW THEY ACCESS, ASSESS, AND UTILIZE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AND COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE IN PROBLEM-SOLVING. AT THE SAME TIME, TOUCHSTONES WORKSHOPS OR CUSTOM PROGRAMS HELP THEM IDENTIFY AND GROW LEADERSHIP CAPACITY, BUILD MORE INCLUSIVE AND COHESIVE TEAMS, AND IMPROVE ORGANIZATIONAL FUNCTIONALITY AND MANAGEMENT. THESE PROGRAMS TAKE PLACE WITH TEAMS IN NON-PROFIT AND HIGHER ED LEADERSHIP, CORPORATE SETTINGS, AND GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES. TOUCHSTONES STAFF CONTINUES TO WORK WITH POTENTIAL SUBCONTRACTORS TO BUILD ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY THAT WILL DELIVER MORE TRANSFORMATIONAL AND INCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT IN A GROWING MARKET. IN 2021, TOUCHSTONES RAN CUSTOM PROGRAMS ONLINE FOR EXECUTIVES LOCATED ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING DELAWARE, NEW YORK, COLORADO, MARYLAND, ILLINOIS, CALIFORNIA, VIRGINIA, AND WASHINGTON. THIS PROGRAMMING BRINGS EXECUTIVES TOGETHER TO EXPLORE TOPIC-ORIENTED PROGRAMS SUCH AS LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF WOMEN THINKERS AND CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN POETRY. BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS USE DISCUSSION AS A FORUM FOR EXAMINING HOW GENDER AND IDENTITY SHAPE OUR SELF-CONCEPTS AND OUR SOCIETY AND HOW WRITERS RESPOND TO AND INFLUENCE EMERGING ENVIRONMENTS. IN ADDITION, TOUCHSTONES STAFF RAN TWO MULTI-DAY CUSTOMIZED PROGRAMS ON COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE MASTERS PROGRAM IN EMERGENCY AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT. THESE CUSTOM PROGRAMS FOR POLICY EXPERTS, PROFESSIONALS, EXECUTIVES, AND THOSE WISHING TO ENTER THESE FIELDS, EACH ENGAGED ABOUT 40 GRADUATE STUDENTS AND FACULTY.

MARKETING & SOCIAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN IN MARCH OF 2020, THE WAY THAT WE INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY HAS SHIFTED DRASTICALLY. WITHIN MOST FIELDS, MANY PROFESSIONALS NOW WORK IN HYBRID OR REMOTE ENVIRONMENTS AND RELY MORE HEAVILY ON TECHNOLOGY TO STAY CONNECTED. TO MEET THE NEW AND EMERGING NEEDS ARISING FROM THESE CHANGES IN 2021, TOUCHSTONES CONTINUED EXPLORING HOW TO BEST LEVERAGE OUR DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN BUILDING AUTHENTIC CONNECTION AND COMMUNITY THROUGH DISCUSSION TRAINING AND PROGRAMS. AT A TIME WHEN PEOPLE NEED SKILLS OF CIVIL DISCOURSE, CRITICAL THINKING, CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING, COOPERATION, AND COLLABORATION MORE THAN EVER, TOUCHSTONES IS RISING TO THE CHALLENGE. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE EXECUTIVE, COMMUNITY AND K-12 PROGRAMS AND OUTREACH, IN 2021 TOUCHSTONES REDOUBLED ITS ONLINE PRESENCE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT, NEWSLETTER AND BLOG PUBLICATIONS, AND MORE OUTREACH TO CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE VOLUNTEERS. IN ADDITION, WE CONTINUED STEWARDSHIP AND CULTIVATION OF RELATIONSHIPS WITH ADVOCATES AND DONORS, TO REPORT ON HOW CHARITABLE SUPPORT TO TOUCHSTONES YIELDS IMMEDIATE AND DIRECT BENEFIT AT THE INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETAL LEVEL. WE ALSO RETOOLED OUR WEBSITE TO ENLIVEN THE USER EXPERIENCE AND STREAMLINE ACCESS TO IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT OUR MISSION AND WORK IN EDUCATION. DURING THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THIS INITIATIVE (FALL 2021), OUR ENGAGEMENT ACROSS FOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS (INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND LINKEDIN) GREW EXPONENTIALLY. WE SAW AN OVER 700% INCREASE IN IMPRESSIONS, 50% GROWTH IN ENGAGEMENT AND 250% GROWTH IN FOLLOWERS. AS OUR WORLD CHANGES, TOUCHSTONES WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND ADAPT TO MAXIMIZE THE BENEFITS OF OUR UNIQUE AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE DISCUSSION-BASED TRAININGS AND PROGRAMS THAT BUILD A MORE INCLUSIVE WORLD FOR ALL PEOPLE.