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Key Issues and Questions Raised

• Civic dialogue and polarization: How can people with deeply opposing beliefs find ways to engage constructively rather than withdraw or attack?
• Guns in schools and local safety: How do small communities navigate polarizing debates about school security and the Second Amendment?
• LGBTQ+ inclusion in health education: Why do local curriculum decisions so often become flashpoints in national culture wars?
• Role of the arts in civic life: Can cultural institutions like a local theater company build understanding across political divides?
• Identity and change: How does a rural town preserve its traditions while adapting to new ideas and demographics?

Curriculum Connections
Social Studies and Civics:
• Local governance, grassroots democracy, and community responses to national issues
Health and Wellness / Social-Emotional Learning:
• LGBTQ+ inclusion and its impact on student well-being and school culture
Contemporary Issues / Sociology:
• Political polarization, cultural identity, and rural/urban divides
Arts and Humanities:
• Public art and theater as tools for civic engagement and dialogue