Our schools are our primary public socializing institution. Yet, the collective purpose of school in creating thriving democratic communities has nearly been lost in today’s conversations. We at 100 Days of Conversations believe it’s important to bring back the conversation about how school creates the “we” - at a local level as well as nationally and even globally. How we do school shapes how we think about who belongs, who counts, how we work together, and even what we want to achieve.
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Which begs a few questions: who do we want to become, and what community do we want to create together? Are we practicing the people and communities we want to be? 

As with good lives, Robin D.G. Kelley’s insight is critical, “Without new visions, we don’t know what to build, only what to knock down.” The 100 Days conversations asked participants to describe what makes a thriving community to them. And, as with the question about what makes a good life, common themes ran across ages, roles, geographies, and identities.
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Read more on each component below, and click on the links to hear participants’ ideas in their own voice.