REMEMBERING: THE BASICS
What is depicted in this image?
That’s why we don’t pretend there’s only one way to see an issue, or only one issue worth talking about. Different perspectives, questions, and lived experiences all shape the conversation. Instead of avoiding those differences, we make space for them. In other words, we don’t ignore the elephant in the room, we welcome it to the table as part of the discussion.
This elephant will be returning, so just remember to keep it in mind.
Why is this important?
What you just experienced in the quiz shows how differently people can interpret the same thing. At IYC, recognizing bias is essential because every conversation starts from a different place. As we design our educational programs, we aim to acknowledge not only our own perspectives, but the wide range of viewpoints and experiences each member of our community brings.
Why don’t you just focus on what you think is important?
We believe a more informed electorate isn’t built by focusing on just one issue, but by exploring many. Understanding the world means looking at it from multiple angles—sometimes familiar, sometimes uncomfortable—while still staying curious and open to learning. That’s why our programs cover dozens of social topics. Each one invites conversation, reflection, and connection in a way that’s informative, approachable, and yes, even fun.
Oh, and here it is again. Take a look at the elephant below to see 45+ topics we’ve covered!
The first step in our process is generating these topic ideas, so if there’s a topic you think belongs in the mix, suggest it here!
What happens after you choose a topic?
Once an issue is selected, the real work begins. Committee members research independently, reading articles, reports, and firsthand accounts, before coming together to share what they’ve learned, explore different interpretations, and collaboratively shape a working curriculum that becomes the foundation for future events.
This process takes time and intention. Conversations often involve listening closely, asking thoughtful questions, and sitting with uncertainty as individual perspectives and biases naturally surface. At every step of the curriculum process, we challenge what we might otherwise take for granted, always interrogating our own assumptions and being open to being corrected!
A useful example of this mindset comes from Stephen Colbert’s well-known “Wikiality” segment, where he humorously explored the idea that truth and reality is sometimes treated as whatever feels right. In the episode, viewers edited Wikipedia pages to claim that elephant populations—yes, elephants—had somehow tripled. The joke reveals something real: we often accept information as true simply because it widely repeated or familiar. That’s why IYC's process asks us to question what we think we know, verify our sources, and stay open to being wrong, especially when we feel most certain!
Before moving on, we invite you to pause and reflect. These questions aren’t meant to test you, but to encourage you to think more deeply about what it means to listen, learn, and engage with others in meaningful ways!
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to reflect with us. At IYC, learning isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about asking questions, listening openly, and growing through conversation.
If you’d like, you can complete a short form to receive a Certificate of Completion as an acknowledgment of the time and openness you brought to this experience!
When you are confronted with unfamiliar information about important issues like those mentioned here, be sure to check your facts. Take some time to check all the rumors you hear about a topic before jumping to conclusions. With so much information being circulated though word of mouth, social media, legitimate news sources, and not legitimate news sources, there is a lot to sort through.
If you are not sure if something is accurate or if something sounds just a bit too extreme, too good, or too bad to be true, always check whether what you are hearing, reading, or seeing is based in credible evidence. Check out these tools to help.