the Mill Institute
Less Certain, More Curious
The Mill Institute provides training, resources and advisory support to teachers and school leaders so they can build learning cultures that support an open and rigorous exchange of ideas across their school communities.
At a time when education is too often derailed by culture-war politics and oversimplified narratives, schools can instead become the antidote to polarization.
We help schools dismantle echo chambers, explore the nuance in complex issues and help students engage with multiple perspectives – even with those they disagree with.
Join us to help young people become less certain, and more curious.
What We Do
Helping Schools Build Cultures of Inquiry
The Mill Institute partners with K–12 educators and leaders to create learning cultures where students engage ideas honestly and fearlessly—even on contentious topics like race, immigration, abortion, or geopolitics. Our approach blends classic liberal learning (like John Stuart Mill’s case for freedom of speech) with modern pedagogy that encourages intellectual humility, curiosity, and respectful challenge.
Our Programs
Teacher Fellowship
A 6-month journey for high school teachers ready to lead deeper classroom conversations. Fellows receive tools, coaching, peer feedback, and space to design real lessons that help students resist premature cognitive closure and articulate views from multiple perspectives.
School Leader Fellowship
An 8-month professional learning cohort for principals and administrators who want to foster open inquiry schoolwide. Leaders build blueprints for organizational change, grounded in shared norms, stakeholder buy-in, and cultural alignment.
Strategic Support for School or District Team
Customized support to help school or district teams operationalize a culture of open inquiry across policies, culture, and curriculum.
Viewpoint Diversity Challenge
A turnkey lesson plan with real-world content and a facilitation guide to help teachers introduce the principles of open inquiry and respectful disagreement to their classrooms – especially at the start of the year.
Open Access Resource Hub
Educational resources, including lessons, rubrics, articles and teaching guides created by teachers for teachers to promote open inquiry.
Why It Matters
A Strong Democracy Depends on Rigorous Dialogue
Only 19% of American students feel “very comfortable” expressing disagreement in class. When students fear judgment and stop asking questions, and when teachers worry that their job is to patrol an invisible line of allowable speech, education becomes a performance—not a pursuit of truth.
But when schools have the tools to guide difficult conversations with confidence, students gain the courage to think for themselves. This isn’t about politics—it’s about preparing young people for the complexity of the world they’re entering.
What Educators are Saying
At a Glance
About Us
We are teachers, researchers, and leaders united by one belief: that when schools become echo chambers, students lose the chance to grow and our democracy is weakened. We’re here to change that.
Ellie Avishai
Lauren Stimmler
AJ Ernst
Mike Feinberg
Amanda Williams
Join the Movement for Open Inquiry in Schools
Apply to our fellowship. Bring the Viewpoint Diversity Challenge to your school. Or support this movement with a donation that helps us grow a new kind of classroom culture—one grounded in thoughtfulness, disagreement, and respect. Contact us today!