Strong opinions.
Real respect.
Students4Civility helps young people engage across differences the way a healthy society depends on — with respect, real listening, and a genuine search for common ground.
You can hold a strong opinion and still treat the person across from you with dignity — and disagreeing well is a skill worth teaching.
Started by a student, for students
William Atherton
Students4Civility is a student-led initiative created in 2026 by high school junior William Atherton. William was first inspired to share the importance of civility when he saw how quickly disagreements — online and in the classroom — turned from conversations into conflicts.
What began as one student's conviction has grown into a mission: to give young people the language, habits, and confidence to disagree well — in school, online, and everywhere conversations get hard.
What getting involved looks like
Students4Civility is brand new, so this is just the beginning. Here's the kind of work members take part in — with real events, photos, and testimonials to come.
Civil discourse
Structured conversations and debates on topics that matter, where the goal is to understand the other side — not just to win.
Courthouse & dialogue events
Hands-on programs like CD3 and Courts & Civility that put respectful discussion into practice with real judges and real issues.
Bringing it to schools
Toolkits and templates that help students carry civility programs into their own classrooms and communities.
The key terms, defined
A shared vocabulary is where civility starts. Here are the ideas at the heart of what we do.
Civility
Treating others with respect and dignity — especially the people we disagree with. It's courtesy backed by the belief that everyone deserves to be heard.
Civil discourse
At its heart, civil discourse is about disagreeing well. It doesn't ask everyone to agree — strong, competing viewpoints are welcome. It asks that we listen closely, take opposing ideas seriously enough to ask what might be right about them, and treat finding common ground as no less important than winning.
Adapted from Vanderbilt University's work on free expression & dialogue.Rule of law
The principle that everyone — including those in power — is accountable to laws that are clear, publicly known, and fairly applied. It's the framework that lets disagreement stay peaceful.
Practicing civility will strengthen your relationships, boost your future prospects, and help you build a meaningful life.
"…people actually listen when you're not yelling at them."
— student voices coming soon"…you learn more from people who disagree with you."
— add your own"…it's how real problems actually get solved."
— add your ownWhere it's already being practiced
Universities across the country are building programs around exactly these skills.
What happens to our brains when we get angry — and what to do about it
When you get into a heated argument, your brain reacts as if you're in real physical danger — even though the situation is only verbal. Anger triggers your body's fight-or-flight response: a rush of adrenaline speeds up your heart, tenses your muscles, and starts to shut down your rational brain.
That's why it gets harder to think clearly mid-argument. You might interrupt, raise your voice, or say things you don't mean and later regret — because your brain is focused on reacting fast instead of thinking carefully. In simple terms, your emotional brain takes over while your thinking brain steps back.
And the other person is usually going through the same thing — so you end up with two emotional brains arguing past each other instead of two thinking brains listening.
The good news: you can train your thinking brain to stay in control, even during difficult discussions.
Five ways to stay in control
Simple habits that keep hard conversations respectful and productive.
- If you know a tough talk is coming, prepare — picture where it might get heated and plan ways to keep it calm.
- When things heat up, name it, and slow your breathing to help your body settle.
- Give yourself a moment before responding, so your thinking brain can catch up to your emotions.
- Focus on listening rather than reacting — try to understand their view instead of hunting for why they're wrong.
- Remember their emotional brain may be driving too, so try not to take everything personally.
And if it still feels too heated, it's okay to take a break and come back later.
Say it kinder
A preview of our upcoming AI tool that reframes hostile or reactive language into something more civil and constructive. Tap the button to watch a message get rewritten.
Preview · full tool coming soonReactive
Civil
Ways to take part
From federal courthouse programs to bar-association initiatives, here's how students and schools can get hands-on with civil discourse.
Civil Discourse & Decision Making (CD3)
A four-hour, hands-on program where students visit a real federal courthouse, learn to have respectful conversations about tough topics, and put those skills to work in a mock case before a real judge — stepping into the role of lawyer or juror on real-life issues.
Courts & Civility
A Federal Bar Association program that brings judges and lawyers together with students to model respectful dialogue and explain why civility is essential to the courts and to civic life. Presentations come with a ready-to-use PowerPoint and handout.
Additional resources
Trusted initiatives working to make disagreement healthier — great starting points for anyone who wants to go deeper.
A governors' initiative promoting healthier political conflict and problem-solving.
Research-based tools that teach people to bridge divides and talk across differences.
Want to bring civility to your school?
Whether you're a student, teacher, or administrator, we'd love to help you start the conversation.
Reach out →