Join students across the country and share your voice in a one-on-one conversation about goals for America.
It’s about to get deep.
Welcome to the Deep Dive, a guided video conversation with a student from another university—someone likely with a different background, life experiences, and points of view from yours. Together, you'll exchange experiences, discuss research, examine your viewpoints, and brainstorm possible solutions.
You’ll be joining thousands of other students from colleges across America in deep, one-on-one conversations about an important American issue and flex your civic muscles.
You can choose to dive into one of these three important topics:
- Guns Ownership & Gun Violence (October 22)
- Elections & the State of Our Democracy (October 24)
- Free Speech & Hate Speech (October 29)
A Quick Overview
Here’s what you can expect:
1. Tell us about yourself.
Start by answering a few questions in a quick sign-up form. This part’s easy! Just answer a few basic questions so we can match you with the perfect partner. Your match may vote differently than you or be someone you’d never meet in your daily life.
2. What you’ll need…
You’ll need a computer with a webcam. (The Unify Challenge and The Deep Dive don’t work on your phone.)
Give yourself about an hour. Some partners chat longer because they get into it. Totally up to you!
And you’ll need an open mind. It’s OK to disagree. In fact, it’s great to disagree. The best conversations are those where people find common ground and engage in productive, respectful disagreement.
3. Take the dive and have a conversation.
On the night of your event, you'll join the session through a virtual video conference (we’ll email you a link) and meet your matched partner. You may be thinking… “A video conversation with a complete stranger? What will we talk about?” Don’t worry. We make it super easy with a guided discussion about your chosen topic.
Something special happens when you hop on a video call with another American who you’d simply never meet in your daily life. When we’re with our “tribe,” we bond. We hit “like.” We re-tweet. But when we’re outside our bubble... we bridge. It’s a cool experience.
4. Feel hopeful and tell everyone you know what you just did.
This experience is exhilarating. You’ll want to tell everyone you know what you just did. It’s like going on a rollercoaster that looks scary, but after you go on it and zoom through the drops and loops, you're like “I want to do that again!” The Unify America Civic Gym is like that but without the long lines and screaming 13-year-olds.
FAQs
Who will I be paired up with?
Our matching algorithm will pair you with a student you likely would never meet otherwise. They may be from another school, have a different background and different life experiences than you, and may have a totally different political ideology than yours. The two of you may not always agree (that’s the beauty of it!), but you might find you have a lot in common when it comes to what you want for our country.
What if my partner is a rude, insensitive troll?
People sometimes worry that they'll be paired with someone combative and disrespectful. In our experience, this simply doesn't happen in the Unify Challenge College Bowl. But on the off chance that it does, please hit the "Need Help" button on your screen, or exit the conversation and contact us at events@unifyamerica.org.
Do I need to know a lot about politics?
Nope. All you need is an open mind, and a willingness to share your perspective and listen to your partner’s.
Will my email address or contact info be shared with my partner?
No. We protect your privacy. Some people really like getting to know each other and may choose to share contact info — but that’s entirely up to you!
Do you screen participants?
People worry about this and wonder if they’ll encounter a troll. To date, we have never had this issue. Unify America attracts folks who are worried about toxic polarization. Most have had politics divide their families and friends. These are people who are part of the “exhausted majority.” On the off-chance you get matched with an idiot, you can always just hit the Help button or simply close your browser.
How much time will it take?
Plan for about an hour. Sometimes it takes less time… and sometimes partners go longer because they are so interested in the conversation.
What kind of computer setup do I need?
You will need a desktop, laptop, or tablet that you can use for a video call. The experience won’t work on a mobile phone. We will walk you through everything — it’s easy.
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Join thousands of students from hundreds of colleges and universities
Here are a few colleges and universities that are joining the Challenge, too.
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