Beyond Words: A Making Space for Political Dialogue

As the current media landscape makes clear, campus communities across the United States are struggling to engage meaningfully across political differences. The challenge lies not only in what we discuss but how we communicate—through methods that often flatten nuance and deepen polarization. The Beyond Words project offers an alternative. The team is constructing an innovative space for dialogue and inquiry at Lehigh University that can serve as a model for other campuses and communities nationwide.

Beyond Words invites students to explore political and social issues through visual and spatial practices, such as dioramas, models, zines, drawings, and maps, that translate complex questions into expressive, tangible forms. By shifting dialogue from argument to making, participants connect through curiosity and imagination, opening dialogue where words alone have failed.
 

At the center of this work, and a primary goal of its first year, is the creation of a “Beyond Words” space on campus, where making becomes a means of listening, witnessing, and envisioning alternatives together. The project aims both to pioneer new methods for bridging divides and to equip students with transferable skills in creative problem-solving, care-based communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, and political imagination.
 

All majors are welcome to apply. Students interested in political science, design, community dialogue, or creating vibrant physical spaces are especially encouraged.