Deeper Conversations: Around the Table
Many tables, many voices, one shared commitment to curiosity, reflection and engagement across differences.
Introducing a new, student-driven model for dialogue and connection at Carnegie Mellon — small-group dinner discussions, funded and facilitated, and built around the conversations that our community wants to have.
Proposal submissions are open. Learn more.
What It Is: An Invitation to Lead the Conversation
Carnegie Mellon is evolving its Deeper Conversations initiative into a more participatory, scalable and community-driven model for dialogue and connection across campus. Deeper Conversations: Around the Table supports student-driven small-group discussions organized around timely societal issues, campus experiences and shared topics of importance — funded, catered and paired with a trained staff facilitator.
By pairing student organizers with skilled staff facilitators, the initiative fosters thoughtful, inclusive dialogue grounded in restorative practices, strengthens relationships between students and staff and creates a consistent framework for reflection, feedback and continuous improvement.
Call for Proposals Is Open
Proposal submissions to host a Deeper Conversations: Around the Table dinner discussion are now live.
How It Works
1. Bring your topic to the table
Propose a discussion topic — a societal issue, a campus experience, a book or a topic of shared importance to you and your peers.
2. Get funded, up to $1,500
Selected discussions will receive funding for on-campus catering, books and discussion materials, and other modest expenses that support participation.
3. Partner with a trained facilitator
Every approved discussion is paired with a staff facilitator who helps create the conditions for productive, inclusive and reflective dialogue – guiding, not restricting, the conversation.
4. Host your dinner discussion
Bring your group together over a shared meal to talk, listen and reflect.
Before You Submit a Proposal
Good conversations start with good questions
As you shape your proposal, consider:
- What is the broad topic or emergent issue that needs to be addressed? This could be on campus, locally, nationally or globally.
- Who is being impacted?
- Why is this topic or issue important to talk about right now?
- What is the current narrative about this issue? What alternative or counter-narratives need to brought into the dialogue?