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About Us
Who we are.
Why we do it.
Who we are.
The Common Ground Experiment team is ever growing and evolving. However, there is one constant each year...the Wesley Prep 4th graders. I'm their teacher, Lori Cousino, and each year my students and I curate a creative project with another group in the community, in an effort to get to know them better. Thus far, we have partnered with
The Common Ground Experiment team is ever growing and evolving. However, there is one constant each year...the Wesley Prep 4th graders. I'm their teacher, Lori Cousino, and each year my students and I curate a creative project with another group in the community, in an effort to get to know them better. Thus far, we have partnered with The Sisterhood at Austin Street Center, Bonton Farms, and Cafe Momentum. We have also supported The Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries, and we are currently working on a project with Heart House. We have had several other individuals and businesses join us on our quest to unite the community, simply because they want to be a part of what we're doing. Some of our supporters and community partners include The Brand Hatchery, Interabang Books, Opening Bell Coffee, Clampitt Paper, Lovers Lane UMC, Sur La Table, Uplift Academy, The Berlin Family Foundation, the Kleinert Foundation, Facets and Co, Pecan Groves Farm, KIF Global Printing, Slater's 50/50, WFAA, Preston Hollow People, DFW Child, Jill Broussard, Esther, Huynh, Kevin and Beverly Marple, Jeremy Sharp, Amy and Aaron Opsal, and all the parents of current and former Wesley Prep 4th grade students. Year after year we are in awe of the way people come together when we provide a safe place for connection. When people get to know one another, everything changes. We are so grateful to be building common ground in our community. We need each other, and everyone has something to offer. We would love for you to join us, too! Help us expand the circle!
What we do.
Why we do it.
Who we are.
Each year, we conduct a student led social experiment to see what will happen when two groups of people, who would not normally get to know one another, work on a creative project together. Shared time and experiences bring people together, and creativity is the glue that bonds them. Thus, our hope is that by the end of our creative jour
Each year, we conduct a student led social experiment to see what will happen when two groups of people, who would not normally get to know one another, work on a creative project together. Shared time and experiences bring people together, and creativity is the glue that bonds them. Thus, our hope is that by the end of our creative journey we will all be friends! We work with non profit organizations who are supporting some of our most vulnerable neighbors who often feel invisible and marginalized. We approach each new group of people we meet with curiosity, compassion, humility, and respect. We are not there to "help the less fortunate" or get volunteer hours. We are there to connect. To share stories. To learn. To know and be known. To see and be seen. To create together as equals, fully understanding that we have as much to learn and receive as we have to teach and offer. With openness, we venture into a creative endeavor together. Creativity requires vulnerability, authenticity, and courage...all of which create a wonderful backdrop for real relationships to form...and I'm telling you, that's what happens every. single. time. My current and former 10 year old students have friends all across this city...young, old, rich, poor, homeless, formerly incarcerated, Republicans, Democrats, Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, despite vastly different experiences, they have managed to find common ground. We intentionally create something beautiful together so that we can share it with the community at large to inspire more people to get to know our neighbors. We publish a book each year to share our experience, and all proceeds support the organizations with which we partner. To date we have raised $36,000.00.
Why we do it.
Why we do it.
Why we do it.
Plain and simple, we are better together. The Common Ground Experiment grew organically during a time when our culture felt very polarized and angry. I was very disillusioned by the examples being set by people in positions of power and leadership, and I wanted to show my students a different way to relate with others. This led to some r
Plain and simple, we are better together. The Common Ground Experiment grew organically during a time when our culture felt very polarized and angry. I was very disillusioned by the examples being set by people in positions of power and leadership, and I wanted to show my students a different way to relate with others. This led to some rich classroom discussions among ten-year olds on TED Talk Tuesdays. After watching Frances Barclay’s TED Talk, entitled Finding Common Ground: What I learned from Sitting Down, one of my students asked a wonderful question that planted a seed of curiosity. The TED talk explained that "By far the most common cause of homelessness is the breakdown or loss of relationships,” or relational poverty. Without a network of family and friends to support them during hard times, some people are left to fend for themselves. My student wanted to know whether we could help someone experiencing relational poverty to build relational wealth. What a great question!
We have been on a quest to find the answer ever since. We are learning that we can, in fact, build relational wealth, and children happen to be very good at it. 4th graders are at an important developmental crossroad. For a short window of time, they view the world through a uniquely pure and equally profound lens; one from which we can all learn. They are idealistic and creative, often coming up with wonderful solutions that adults would not imagine. Based on this rich developmental stage, 4th grade is a perfect time to go on a quest to create common ground. In fact, if we continue to provide students with experiences that invite unity over division, our culture could transform.