Dr. Alison Brooks visits Stuart, works with students to expand TALK for K–12

On Thursday, January 22, Stuart welcomed Dr. Alison Wood Brooks, a behavioral research scientist, Harvard Business School professor, and author of TALK: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves, for a series of workshops with Middle and Upper School students and faculty.

Dr. Brooks visited campus as part of Stuart’s Cor Cordis Speaker Series and in partnership with her work to adapt her Harvard TALK course for the K–12 level. Stuart was proud to serve as the first school to collaborate with Dr. Brooks on this next phase of her research and teaching.

During her time on campus, Dr. Brooks invited students and adults alike to reflect on something we all do every day: talk. While conversation may feel instinctive, her research shows that it is made up of many small decisions that shape how we connect with others. Through engaging discussion and interactive activities, students explored how intentional conversation can build confidence, trust, and belonging.

The workshops sparked visible enthusiasm across both divisions. Laughter, cheers, and animated chatter filled the room as students practiced new approaches to listening and speaking. Following these activities, Dr. Brooks invited students into a collaborative brainstorming session to imagine what an ideal curriculum for “talking well” might include. Students shared what they believe are essential tools for effective conversation, offering thoughtful insights grounded in their own experiences. Serving as an early incubator for this work gave students a meaningful opportunity to shape a curriculum designed to support confident communication and authentic connection for young people across the country.

Stuart is grateful to Dr. Brooks for sharing both language and tools that deepen how we listen, speak, and build community, and for inviting our students into work that will have a lasting and far-reaching impact.