Central Florida Public Media’s Building Bridges Together: One Small Step at a Time event brought 130 community members together, offering them a unique opportunity to engage with others in Central Florida whom they might not have encountered otherwise.
Held on Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Orlando Ballet, the event highlighted the impact of Central Florida Public Media’s partnership with StoryCorps’ One Small Step initiative, which has connected over 60 Central Florida residents in six counties through meaningful conversations across the political divide. Central Florida Public Media was chosen as one of seven organizations across the nation to host these conversations, adding this region's voices to the 300 people who have participated across the country this year.
One Small Step was founded on the belief that two people with different political views could find common ground and understanding through meaningful conversations, which would contribute to the healing of our divided society.
The event started with an immersive engagement experience where guests learned practical tools for engaging with new people across differences, experienced compelling conversations with other attendees, participated in an interactive recording session for a mini One Small Step conversation and met the Central Florida Public Media partners who are dedicated to fostering understanding.
The day continued with a panel discussion hosted by Central Florida Public Media’s Engage host, Cheryn Stone. Five local residents who participated in One Small Step conversations shared stories and inspiring takeaways from their experiences.
Other panelists included Dr. Haley Winston, Director of Civil Discourse and Engagement at the University of Central Florida, Dr. Blake Scott, with the University of Central Florida’s Department of Writing and Rhetoric and Melissa Velasquez, the associate director of Hubs for StoryCorps.
StoryCorps CEO Sandra Clark also traveled to Orlando to attend the event.
“I’m humbled and deeply moved by this whole conversation and by seeing in person the commitment of this local organization and the community to show us a path forward together,” Clark said. “I want to applaud the people who took One Small Step, and I’ll be spreading the word about what is happening here at Central Florida Public Media.”
Several community leaders and special guests attended the event, including State Representative Anna Eskamani, former Orange County Commissioner Emily Bonilla and Diego Victoria representing State Representative Johanna Lopez, showing Central Florida’s commitment to fostering empathy and understanding across the region.
Learn more and listen to One Small Step at www.cfpublic.org/onesmallstep.
