Civil Society Initiative

Expanding Civil Discourse on and off Campus

The Civil Society Initiative has expanded opportunities for students and the St. Louis community to engage with challenging ideas through new undergraduate courses and its Dinner and Dialogue series, creating spaces for thoughtful disagreement, reasoning and conversation across differences.

Frick Pillars: Civil Discourse • Free Speech • Personal Responsibility

Complicating the Narrative Podcast

Creating Space for Difficult Conversations

With support from the Frick Initiatives, WashU Associate Professor Salma Abdallah’s podcast, “Complicating the Narrative,” brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, students and thought leaders to explore complex public health questions through thoughtful conversation, diverse viewpoints and respectful disagreement.

Frick Pillars: Civil Discourse • Free Speech

Listen to the most recent podcast Here

Small Business Practicum

Connecting Students and Small Businesses

With support from the Frick Initiatives, the Small Business Practicum connected nearly 60 WashU students with 12 St. Louis-area small businesses and 12 alumni mentors. The experience gives students the chance to put their skills into practice while supporting local businesses and preparing future leaders who understand the connection between economic opportunity, personal responsibility and stronger communities.

Frick Pillars: Free & Open Markets • Personal Responsibility

Webster Groves Frick Center for Civic Engagement

Preparing Students to Turn Passion Into Action

The Webster Groves Frick Center gives high school students hands-on opportunities to explore civics, government, economics and other pathways for creating change. Through guest speakers, site visits and civil discourse exercises, students learn to engage with different perspectives and build the skills to contribute to their communities.

Frick Pillars: Civil Discourse • Personal Responsibility • Free Speech

The Poli-sci Brick Guy

Bringing American Politics to Students, Brick by Brick

With support from the Frick Initiatives, WashU political science professor Dan Butler has created about 100 stop-motion videos covering the AP Government curriculum, reaching more than 200,000 views on YouTube and TikTok as of June 2026. His work also supports high school teachers with classroom resources and new lesson plans designed to help students understand American government and engage with people they disagree with.

Frick Pillars: Civil Discourse • Free Speech

Youth2Lead

Turning Young Students Into Civic Leaders

With support from the Frick Initiatives, Youth2Lead, led by Aspirations Network K-12 Programs Director Hanley Chiang, engaged more than 70 students in grades 4 through 8 across the St. Louis region. Students identified issues in their communities, listened to different perspectives and worked together to develop and put their own solutions into action.

Frick Pillars: Civil Discourse • Personal Responsibility

Stories That Win

Helping Future Leaders Find Their Voice

With support from the Frick Initiatives, The Stories That Win brings WashU students and political candidates together to study how storytelling shapes political leadership and public life. The project has helped candidates strengthen their storytelling skills while encouraging students to recognize the value of their own voices and imagine themselves as future civic leaders.

Frick Pillars: Personal Responsibility • Civil Discourse

Amended Podcast

Making the First Amendment More Accessible

With support from the Frick Initiatives, Amended was developed as a deeply researched podcast series that helps public audiences better understand the First Amendment. By presenting complex issues without telling listeners what to think, the series encourages critical thinking and creates space for informed, respectful discussion.

Frick Pillars: Civil Discourse • Free Speech

Model Constitutional Convention

Turning Disagreement Into Dialogue

With support from the Frick Initiatives, the Model Constitutional Convention brought together more than 100 students from over 80 educational institutions to debate constitutional issues, navigate political differences and practice civil discourse. The experience prepares future leaders to engage across differences, work toward consensus and carry those skills into civic life beyond the convention.

Frick Pillars: Civil Discourse • Personal Responsibility