Martin Luther College

Seeking to generate robust multisector engagement in dialogue about the changing role of religion in a pluralistic Canadian society, CIC partnered with a number of educational institutions and community organizations to present this edition of the conference. 3 Previously held in Montreal (2013), Vancouver (2015), Ottawa (2017), Toronto (2019), and online (2021 & 2022), the Our Whole Society series has brought together leaders from all sectors of society to create a space for meaningful dialogue, in which a representative cross-section of Canadian society can shed light on the contribution that religious voices can make to addressing issues of shared social concern. The 2023 Our Whole Society conference, titled "Finding Common Ground in a Time of Polarization," sought to foster new contributions to Canadian public discourse that specifically address the recent rise of polarization in North American society. 4 In light of this emphasis on polarization, the conference planning committee added innovative experiential learning elements to the traditional program, hoping to provide practical tools that could help religious leaders and people of faith address the polarization that exists within their faith communities and beyond. One of the main goals of the addition of experiential learning to the conference was to bolster the knowledge mobilization efforts undertaken by the coalition of academic institutions and civic society organizations that CIC brings together. This would therefore ensure the concrete application of the principles put forward by the conference participants, the transference of dialogue skills between communities, and the translation of the theoretical insights nurtured by the conference into practice. After much consideration, the conference planning committee decided to include an arts-based interfaith workshop as the cornerstone to the event's experiential learning opportunities. Through this arts-based program, conference participants were immersed in an evening program built around a curated musical experience. Led by

This study addressed the complex issues surrounding cognitive change in educators. It analyzed qualitative data gathered from an online Experiential Simulation© (ES©). ES© (Brunner, 2002) uses synchronous chats and written reflections to prompt cognitive dissonance around areas of power and identity. Research data was iteratively compared with education, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience literature to build a model of educator cognitive change. The model explains factors required for individual cognitive change and provides leaders with a model to diagnose barriers and remediate them.