You’ve read about Ann Ferguson’s legacy. Now discover why her vision is the antidote our fractured communities desperately need—and how you can help plant seeds of healing.
A Garden Growing Against All Odds
Just as Ann Ferguson once cultivated her beloved heath in New England’s harsh climate, today The Heathmere Center for Cultural Engagement is growing something equally improbable: genuine connection across our deepest divides.
Founded in 2018 with Ann’s inspiration and support, Heathmere helps teens and young adults discover meaning and purpose through dialogue skills that bring people together across difference. Rather than “planting flags” of division, we’re “enriching culture” by helping communities grow the deeper roots that yield mutual understanding and trust.
At Heathmere, the seeds Ann planted continue to grow, creating spaces where all belong, where young people learn dialogue as a form of civic engagement, and where communities come together across difference to connect.
The Crisis We Face
With polarization bombarding us daily, it’s easy to feel helpless as individuals. Research confirms what many of us sense: both disparaging “the other side” and retreating from civic life entirely are recipes for what we might call “disaster democracy.”
But there’s hope. The dialogue work Heathmere does offers a proven antidote to rising polarization—one that redirects us from focusing on “how terrible” others are toward encountering our shared humanity.
The Power of “Person-First” Discourse
Dialogue invites us to listen with curiosity, to understand who the other person truly is before we focus on their positions. It’s “person-first” discourse that sees the mother, sister, son, fellow believer, or pickle-ball player before the political label.
But what about harmful views? you might ask. Am I supposed to just accept false or dangerous ideas?
Here’s a better question: If someone isn’t ready to really listen to your facts and arguments, is engaging them in debate an effective strategy?
What dialogue promotes is human-to-human connection where we learn about each other’s fears and hopes. We encounter common concerns and dreams. We build understanding and trust—the only foundation upon which meaningful political debate can actually occur.
Building a “Dialogic Culture”
This is why we talk about creating a “dialogic culture”—without it, democratic deliberation becomes impossible. Yes, policy will eventually need debate. But the only way to ensure productive discourse is to first plant seeds of understanding, curiosity, and trust.
Dialogue isn’t a panacea and doesn’t aim for agreement. But if we want to counter polarization’s destructive tide, we must transform what public discourse looks like.
Your Role in Ann’s Living Legacy
This is where you come in.
Every month, Heathmere’s programs prove that Ann’s vision works:
- Youth utilize their power and agency through our Dialogue Youth Corps, learning skills that combat isolation and extremism
- Communities find common ground through our Neighborhood Conversations that build trust across difference
- Local organizations gain tools to transform difficult conversations
But we can’t do this work alone. In a time when federal arts funding faces cuts and polarization threatens our democratic fabric, organizations like Heathmere need community support more than ever.
Plant Seeds That Will Flourish
Your investment today helps us:
- Expand our youth programs to more schools and communities
- Train more facilitators for our rapid-response dialogue support
- Integrate art and creativity into healing conversations
- Build lasting partnerships that strengthen community roots
Like Ann’s impossible heath thriving in harsh New England soil, your support helps nurture the unlikely: genuine human connection across our deepest divides.
Will you help tend the garden Ann started?
The Heathmere Center for Cultural Engagement is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation is tax-deductible and directly supports programs that strengthen communities through dialogue, education, and the arts. We also accept donations through Donor Advised Funds.
Every gift—whether $25 or $2,500—plants seeds of understanding that will flourish for generations.
Ready to be part of the solution? Invest today or email Lauren@Heathmere.org
