The Power of Dialogue: Deconstructing the Rural-Urban Divide is an experiential learning opportunity for undergraduates at Georgetown and Radford University . This credit-bearing course takes place both in rural Appalachia and Washington, D.C. May 10-15, 2026. Apply by February 18, 2026!
Note: Georgetown students, if you are accepted to this course, please factor 3 credits into your registration plans for Fall 2026 (final presentations take place in September).
Undergraduate students from Georgetown and Radford University spend three days exploring in-depth conflict resolution skills through interactive simulations and exercises, outdoor activities, and learning more about rural communities and Appalachian culture.
Goals for this session are to:
“There are so few programs that make one a deeper thinker and better person in addition to teaching skills and building knowledge. This is one of those precious cases.”
Georgetown Undergraduate
The program continues for a three-day session held in Washington, D.C. Students immerse themselves in the D.C. community and explore issues salient to urban development and renewal specific to D.C., with the aim of further developing skills in dialogue and cultural dexterity explored during the first part of the program.
Students practice negotiation and consensus building skills through interactive, team-based exercises and simulations. Students also take part in activities that showcase D.C. culture and allow students to learn about issues central to the city’s history and urban development. These include site visits to Capitol Hill, Anacostia, Georgetown, and other historic D.C. neighborhoods.
“[Power of Dialogue] was so much better than I could’ve imagined. I didn’t know what to expect, but I gained so much (personally and professionally) from the program.”
Radford Undergraduate
Don Martin is the Director of the Radford University Law Society, Head Coach of the Radford Mock Trial Team, and teaches classes in Criminal Law and Constitutional Law. Prior to joining the faculty at Radford, he served as General Counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Assistant General Counel to the CIA, and was an Associate at McGuireWoods LLP
Learn more about Don
Rachel Milner Gillers is Director of the Georgetown Conflict Transformation Lab and Associate Professor of the Practice of Negotiation and Conflict Management at Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy. She specializes in international development, gender and negotiation, and dialogue across divides.
Learn more about RachelInterested in learning more about the themes and concepts explored during The Power of Dialogue? Check out some suggested readings and videos below:
Books:
Film and video:
