JUNE 27, 2024, NEW YORK, NEW YORK — Heterodox Academy (HxA), a non-partisan, non-profit membership organization committed to improving institutions of higher education by advocating principles of open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement announces the availability of a comedy-based Facilitator’s Guide for use in New Student Orientation and other first year experiences at colleges and universities. To create it, HxA teamed with filmmaker and journalist Rob Feld to bring a fresh perspective to the new student experience and help students embrace constructive disagreement on campus.

“Jester’s Bridge to Constructive Engagement: A New Student Orientation Facilitator’s Guide for Jesters and Fools,” pairs with Feld’s short documentary, Jesters and Fools. The film features comedians Colin Quinn, Mo Amer, Jim Norton, Rosebud Baker, Nathan Macintosh, and Dean Edwards, and interweaves the social science of Duke University Polarization Lab founder Chris Bail and his book “Breaking the Social Media Prism.” The pairing of film and module is designed to help students appreciate constructive and courageous engagement across disagreement as they begin college.

“Comedians are natural social scientists,” says Feld. “The great ones have credibility because they shoot in every direction. Their power to highlight the absurd is exactly what we need now. Hearing funny, famous people express more open ideas could help students become more comfortable with new ideas and each other.”

The “Jester’s Bridge to Constructive Engagement” is ideal for 50- to 90-minute sessions, either in person or online. To use the film on your campus, simply go to the Jesters and Fools website where you can download access to the 15-minute film and the Facilitator’s Guide free of charge.

“Too many students arrive at college either afraid to offend or ready to be offended,” says Martha McCaughey, Director of Membership and Campus Engagement at HxA. ”That’s why HxA is pleased to partner with Gotham Arts to offer ideas for a session with new students that will help them find the joy in their differences and winsome ways to disagree.”

The film and facilitator’s guide are being offered to member institutions of the HxA Campus Community Network, American Association of Colleges and Universities, Council of Independent Colleges, and American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

Heterodox Academy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization of 7,000 faculty, staff, and students committed to advancing open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement to improve higher education. Contact Nicole Barbaro barbaro@heterodoxacademy.org

Gotham Arts is a New York based production company founded by filmmaker and journalist Rob Feld. The Jesters and Fools press kit and images can be found here.