How to Bridge Divides in Your Community

This free one-hour online course teaches you real, tested ways to connect with people you disagree with. Three expert practitioners walk you through bridging methods you can start using right away — in your neighborhood, at the dinner table, or anywhere divides show up.

OBI (Othering and Belonging Institute) University built this course around three practitioners who use bridging in their daily work. Indigenous scholar Yuria Celidwen, canvassing expert Ella Barrett, and author Monica Guzman each share methods grounded in real experience. The course includes three writing exercises to help you reflect and practice. It also includes an embodiment exercise — a short mental and physical reset you can return to before any tough conversation. Finish the course and you earn a certificate. The whole thing takes about one hour.

Set aside an hour when you won't be interrupted. Watch the video lessons at your own pace. Complete the three writing exercises as you go — they help the ideas stick. Bookmark the embodiment practice so you can pull it up before a hard conversation at work, at a community meeting, or anywhere tension runs high. When you finish, download your certificate.

If your neighborhood group, faith community, or workplace is working through disagreement, this course is a low-barrier way to build shared skills. It pairs well with local civic engagement efforts, community dialogue programs, and any group trying to bring different voices to the same table.