Cortico

Today’s the day: Youth Speak for Themselves conversation portal is LIVE!

Today, we celebrate a big step in youth-led change with the launch of this interactive portal.

Absenteeism is a significant problem, but efforts to solve the issue often leave out the group it most impacts: young people. Now, thanks to Newark Opportunity Youth Network, that story is changing.

Created by and for Newark’s youth, this portal brings their voices and insights on absenteeism and educational change directly to school leaders, policymakers, and YOU.

Why are kids missing school? What can schools and communities do to help?

We encourage everyone to explore their stories through the portal—an online platform designed to showcase the real voices and rich insights from a collection of recorded small-group conversations with Newark’s young people.

Listen now and become part of the movement towards positive change.

Start exploring: https://newarkyouthvoices.portal.fora.io/

⭐ Our quarterly newsletter is here!

From new connections at our first-ever partner gathering and the MIT CCC Symposium, to new features in our sensemaking process, we're making strides in community engagement and innovation.

Discover how our partners are tackling absenteeism in Newark, empowering youth in Maine, and enhancing democracy in New Hampshire.

👉 Read the full newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/cortico/june2024

In a powerful workshop titled "Youth voices, youth leadership: Bringing young people into decision-making," young leaders from the Newark Opportunity Youth Network showcased their project with Cortico in tackling absenteeism and reshaping education reform. Last month at MIT Center for Constructive Communication's annual symposium, they led an insightful session, sharing findings from their project "Youth Speak for Themselves," which has engaged over 170 Newark youth in crucial conversations about their educational experiences.

❗ Big news! The insights from these young changemakers will soon be accessible to all. Mark your calendars for July 9, when their interactive conversation portal goes live, offering a deep dive into the transformative work led by Newark's youth.

🔗 To learn more about this project, click here: https://cortico.ai/partners/opportunity-youth-network/

While alarming statistics on chronic absenteeism in schools are easy to find, impactful interventions are rare. That’s where Newark’s youth come in. Through Newark Opportunity Youth Network, they've pioneered a youth-led conversation campaign that’s changing the game in educational reform.

By engaging their peers in over 30 recorded small-group conversations around their lived experiences, these young leaders have built a model for meaningful educational change led by youth and powered by youth voices.

To learn more about this game-changing initiative and what's coming next, check out our latest spotlight story below!

Opportunity Youth Network - Cortico Leading the Conversation: How Newark's Youth Are Tackling Absenteeism. The partnership between Newark Opportunity Youth Network (NOYN) and Cortico seeks to address this issue by bringing youth experiences, knowledge, and voices to the forefront.

Earlier this month, we brought together a fantastic group of Cortico partners at MIT Media Lab for the first-ever in-person gathering. This wasn't just a meet-up; it launched a cohort of connected leaders ready to problem-solve and learn from each other.

Curious what went down? Dive into our blog for a closer look at how these partnerships are shaping a future where every voice is heard and valued.

Uniting Voices: Cortico’s Inaugural Partner Gathering at MIT - Cortico On May 6, 2024, in the heart of the MIT Media Lab, Cortico hosted a milestone event. Bringing Cortico partners together for the first time, we launched a cohort of like-minded and like-hearted leaders committed to community listening as a pathway to transformative change. As we moved through a day o...

The pics say it all! 🙌 Rounding out our offsite in Cambridge this week, the Cortico team came together for a special day of connection and creativity. From lively brainstorms, to getting cozy with our core values, and plenty of laughter along the way, it was a day that reminded us of the power of our mission and the tangible spirit of our team.

Cheers to a week of growing, learning, and creating together!

Shoutout to Phoebe and Maddie! Demonstrating youth leadership at its best, they presented their transformative work with Cortico at the Maine Youth Identity Conference, inspiring others to foster inclusive dialogue in schools.

Their initiative, using Cortico’s tools to address tensions and enhance understanding, was met with enthusiasm, sparking interest from other students and educators to follow in their footsteps.

Check out their journey and discover how student-driven conversations can lead to real change: https://cortico.ai/partners/the-source-school/

"The process Cortico is going through is modeling the thoughtfulness they bring into being in the greater world through their tools. Cortico is weighing the pros and cons of AI as well as anyone could in their pursuit of a stronger, more inclusive and resilient, public sphere. So I have confidence in the process, knowing it is a pilot, and feel grateful to be a part of it." -Jennifer Chace, Founder of Maine ED 2050.

In the landscape of today’s civic spaces, where the loudest voices often drown out the rest, Cortico’s mission feels more important than ever: to elevate the perspectives of the underheard and provide a platform for constructive communication at scale.

At the heart of this endeavor is what we call "sensemaking"—our human-led, down-to-earth version of qualitative analysis that leverages technology to derive meaning from recorded conversations. It puts analysis in the hands of communities to collect, share, and elevate their own local knowledge.

Here's the big news: this summer and fall, we're introducing new AI-assisted sensemaking tools to our conversation platform. These new features are not just about smarter tech — they're about making our community-powered analysis more inclusive, more efficient, and more impactful.

Throughout this process, we remain dedicated to crafting AI tools that enhance, not replace, the invaluable human elements of listening and insight. In collaboration with MIT Center for Constructive Communication and our pilot partners, we're balancing technological advancement with deep, ethical engagement with community perspectives.

We see AI-assisted sensemaking as a powerful bridge connecting personal stories to informed actions, unlocking immense potential for communities to interpret and act on their narratives. Want to see how these tools can drive change in your community? Check out our latest blog!

AI-Assisted Sensemaking - Cortico A New Chapter in Cortico’s Mission to Elevate Underheard Voices Amplifying Underheard Voices In the landscape of today’s civic spaces, where the loudest voices tend to dominate and discussions quickly devolve into virtual (or literal!) shouting matches, Cortico’s mission feels more important t...

"Tell us about a time you felt heard."

This was the prompt we gave high schoolers across Philadelphia ahead of our collaborative event with School of Thought last week.

Using the prompt as a catalyst, students from high schools across Philadelphia got hands-on with Cortico's sensemaking process, turning their personal stories into a powerful force for community change.

This wasn't just about a day's talk. It was about laying the groundwork for ongoing dialogue. These young leaders are equipped to keep the momentum going, turning today's insights into tomorrow's actions.

Big thanks to everyone who participated, including University of the Arts for hosting! Proud to be part of a movement to empower youth voices in Philadelphia.

PC: University of the Arts

This , explore how deep listening shapes civic skills for life! Our recent blog reveals our process in empowering youth to engage and listen, laying a foundation for lifelong civic engagement. See how these skills translate beyond the classroom to every community they'll touch.

Dive in:

Civic Learning Week 2024: Deep Listening as a Civic Skill - Cortico By Hana Carey, Manager of Youth Programs & Partnerships, Cortico During this year’s Civic Learning Week, I’ve been reflecting on my time as a middle and high school social studies teacher. In particular, I’ve been thinking about the many moments in which I watched students thrive when given th...

🌟 Big News for Boston!

Ever wonder how true community engagement can reshape a city?

Mayor Michelle Wu's recent announcement of a $44 million investment to transform Blue Hill Avenue marks a milestone in community-driven urban development, and it's a testament to the power of Cortico's approach and tools.

Our collaboration with Grayscale Collaborative played a pivotal role in surfacing underheard voices, contributing to a transportation plan that truly reflects the community's needs. The insights gathered from our conversation portal were instrumental in shaping this redesign plan, ensuring it's not only safer and greener but also rooted in what residents and business owners envision for their neighborhood.

This is what happens when local governments embrace transparent, responsive feedback channels – real change, informed by the community itself. Proud to be part of a project that underscores the importance of intentional community engagement and listening!

Mayor Wu Announces $44 Million Investment to Transform Blue Hill Avenue Mayor Michelle Wu and the Streets Cabinet today announced a historic investment to redesign Blue Hill Avenue to better serve bus riders, create safer conditions for pedestrians and drivers, increase the tree canopy, and install new amenities for a more vibrant small business corridor. Due to decades...

"How to Tackle Truth Decay" - In The Atlantic, Cortico's CEO Deb Roy explores the disintegration of trust in expertise and society's slide into doubt. Discover how Cortico's Fora platform is part of the solution, fostering dialogue to mend the social contract of trust.

Read Deb's compelling vision for bridging the gap between expert knowledge and the public's trust:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/03/truth-decay-experts-hilary-putnam/677590/?gift=qhHsgk0SOHYIlZ_EzW8B1y-AKBcAgZ8OGR2y1J5JrQU&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

How to Tackle Truth Decay The social contract of trust between experts and society is in danger of dissolving. We need to start putting it back together.

🚀 It's Hack Week at Cortico!
We're breaking from the norm to ignite innovation and collaboration. This week is about exploring new ideas, experimenting with creativity, and teaming up across departments on unique projects.

Smiles all around from our kickoff meeting as we gear up for a week of thinking outside the box and working together in new, dynamic ways.

Looking forward to Hack Week adventures and the amazing ideas taking shape!

Do you feel like the economy is rigged against you? You're not alone.

Our colleague, Kathy Cramer, co-authored a timely op-ed in today's New York Times, bringing to light how Americans experience the economy and how to improve it. This piece is a result of the project she led with the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, which employed Cortico’s Fora platform to gather real conversations from across the country.

These conversations have been instrumental in crafting the report, “Advancing a People-First Economy,” which offers a compelling case for an economy that truly serves the people.

We encourage you to delve into Kathy's essay and explore the report to hear the real voices behind this project.

Opinion | Many Americans Believe the Economy Is Rigged The economy is driven by greed and shot with uncertainty. That’s what Americans said in more than 30 small-group discussions in the past two years.

Happy Friday from Cortico! As we close another week of meaningful collaborations and innovative strides, we want to take a moment to thank our amazing community for your continuous support and engagement. You inspire us every day!

(Pictured: members of the Cortico team from our latest retreat in NYC! ✨)

Exciting News from the Classroom! 📚

We're thrilled to share that Cortico's CEO Deb Roy, along with Dimitra Dimitrakopoulou, will be teaching the upcoming MIT course "MAS.S61 Constructive Communication Systems: From Ancient Wisdoms to Social Dialogue Networks" this Spring 2024.

What makes this even more special? Members of the Cortico team will be actively involved, leading several sessions of the class. This collaboration is a testament to our commitment to fostering deep, meaningful dialogue and understanding in our communities. Stay tuned!

📢 Spring 2024 Course Announcement ➡️ MAS.S61 Constructive Communication Systems: From Ancient Wisdoms to Social Dialogue Networks

Hearing the humanity in others is necessary for our democracy to function. Drawing inspiration from ancient wisdoms, such as facilitated dialogue, deep listening, and community organizing, we will explore ways to harness modern digital and AI technologies to foster constructive communication with depth and scale.

Classes are in person on Thursdays from 11:00AM - 12:30PM Eastern Standard Time in E15-341. We will be meeting remotely over Zoom for some sessions.

Prerequisites: Open to MIT and Harvard students; instructor permission required.

Contact: If you have any questions about the course, please direct questions to the TA, Cassandra Overney, at [email protected].

Course Load: 6 credits (0-4-2).

Learn more: https://www.ccc.mit.edu/eventopportunities/spring-2024-course-mit-mas-s61-constructive-communication-systems-from-ancient-wisdoms-to-social-dialogue-networks/

MIT Media Lab Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

At Cortico, innovation is a hands-on journey. Here’s a glimpse of our team actively testing our latest creation by diving into conversations right within the product! It's not only about building technology; it's about experiencing and refining it together. Exciting developments are on the horizon, as we continue to innovate ways to amplify voices and foster meaningful dialogue.

How to communicate in tense situations An alternative approach to company town halls from MIT researchers.

❗ Attention all Bostonians: explore the future of Blue Hill Ave with us!

Blue Hill Avenue runs through the heart of Boston, but it's long been plagued with congestion, delays, and safety concerns. In partnership with Grayscale Collaborative, the City of Boston, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority - MBTA we've initiated small-group conversations to shape its future.

Now, it's your turn to listen and engage! Visit the new interactive portal to delve into the experiences from 170+ community members. The insights gleaned from Cortico's tools will contribute to the Blue Hill Ave Transportation Action Plan (BHA TAP), guiding the street's design by year-end.

This marks a major step in our contributions to public infrastructure projects, and we're excited about the potential it holds. Together, we're paving the way for more informed, transparent, and community-driven actions.

🔗 https://bhatap.portal.fora.io/

BIG news!

At Cortico, our mission is to restore trust across communities, divides, and America. Today, we're thrilled to share a remarkable achievement we've been part of, in collaboration with the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Introducing: Advancing a People-First Economy 📊
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is unveiling the final report of the Commission on Reimagining Our Economy (CORE), a cross-partisan initiative dedicated to reshaping our nation's political economy to help lift people up.

What makes this report truly unique is how it was created. By utilizing Cortico’s conversation platform Fora, CORE engaged in deep, meaningful dialogues across America.

The result? A compelling case for an economy that works for the people who make it work.

To date, Cortico has worked with over 100 partners to facilitate conversations and surface underheard voices. CORE's report is a milestone in this journey, showcasing the power of combining deep human listening and AI tools.

Check out this trailblazing report, listen to real voices behind it, and help us spread the word about this vital initiative! Together, we're making a difference and shaping a brighter economic future for all.

Advancing a People-First Economy - Cortico November 9, 2023 At Cortico, our mission has always been to restore trust across communities, divides, and America as a whole. Today, we are thrilled to share a remarkable achievement in collaboration with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. We are proud to introduce “Advancing a People-Fir...