Families and Politics Workshop

The holidays are coming up, and toxic political polarization can make some family gatherings stressful and difficult to navigate. For years, politics has been straining and breaking relationships. Our Families and Politics Workshop will teach you how to preserve family bonds while also staying true to your own political beliefs. We will use fun, engaging, interactive exercises to practice effective communication skills with difficult family members. Our goals are to understand why family differences over politics can be uniquely challenging and provide some strategies and skills for handling political differences in a constructive way. Guests and family members are welcome to attend. Even if your own family is a dream, these skills will help you navigate any contentious gathering. Our Workshop facilitator is Maryanne Colter, Illinois State Chair for Braver Angels, a national organization working to bridge political divides and fight polarization. Maryanne is also a media personality and appears on the WTTW series Firsthand Democracy. You can see Maryanne in action in this 22-minute WTTW segment here.

OLLI members should register themselves and their guests.