Best friends Calder Law and David Chen met the first week of high school. They disagree about a lot of things politically.
However, Law, a Democrat, and Chen, a Republican, found that they shared a surprising amount of common ground once they sat down to talk through issues.
“David and I really clicked because we enjoy each other but also because we both were really into politics,” Law said. “As we began talking politics, we realized that despite our political differences, we actually had a lot more in common than we had apart.”
The two high school juniors created Youth for Common Sense, a nonprofit education fund that seeks to create clubs in high schools where students can debate political topics in a safe and productive way. And maybe, students will find that despite their partisan differences, they can agree on certain topics, just like Law and Chen did.
“We’re not trying to convince everybody to be either a Democrat or Republican,” Law said. “I just want more people to have empathy for how the other side thinks and see the real person behind them.”
Both Law and Chen grew up in California’s Bay Area, a predominantly Democratic area. They said they saw how students in the area were trapped in an “echo chamber” where they only spoke about political topics that reaffirmed their existing beliefs.
Researchers have noted that in recent years, political polarization has reached a record high in the United States and party identification has become a more significant predictor of political values, outweighing gender, race, education and religion. From the halls of Congress to classrooms, the divide between parties is more stark than ever before and worse than in other democracies.
Law noted that if students only befriend and discuss politics with people who agree with them politically, they are losing out on the opportunity to build skills for respectful discourse.
Youth for Common Sense in 5 states
That’s where the Youth for Common Sense clubs come in. As the 2025-2026 school year kicks off, the organization has already partnered with schools in five states to create clubs where students can discuss a political issue with moderators.
“The clubs are a way for high schoolers from across the political spectrum to interact with each other and talk politics and discuss issues with people they might never interact with or talk politics with otherwise,” Chen said.
Olivia Braham, who leads one of the clubs at her high school in New Hampshire, said a large focus is on recruitment and retention. She wants to make sure that students feel like it’s a safe space to discuss issues that can sometimes be emotional or personal.
“What I’ve noticed is not a lack of political engagement, but just kind of a hesitance to join a conversation where people could disagree with you,” Braham said.
Peter Loge, a public affairs and political communications professor at George Washington University, noted that for decades, high school students have been politically active. Students have been loud activists who have demonstrated and protested gun control, global warming or wars, he said.
“But it was always shouting and yelling and being passionate, which is what high school kids are really good at,” Loge said. “What makes these two guys special is they also want to come together and solve a political system within the political system.”
Loge, who has spent more than 30 years in Washington, said he’s previously seen students come to the city with politics top of mind. But now, as the country becomes more politically divided, students are viewing politics as unpleasant, he said.
Law and Chen know there have to be fundamental changes to the way people engage in politics and it should start when they’re young.
“What they’re doing is so important because it actually forces you not just to shout at people who disagree with you and actually listen to them,” Loge said. “And that doesn’t mean you have to change your mind, and it doesn’t mean you have to change who you are.”
Loge noted that even if the students who join the clubs don’t remain in the political world and go off to have careers in other industries, at least they will have the skills to be politically and civically engaged.
“Even if you’re not volunteering on campaigns or raising money or doing what Calder and David are doing, but if you are talking to your neighbors, if you are going to a city council meeting, if you are paying attention to who is running for school boards, you’re being a good citizen,” Loge continued. “Everybody who gets involved with Calder and David’s effort will at some level be good citizens.”
Chen agreed. No matter where the students end up, they will be more productive if they are able to disagree with civility.
“If we can’t talk to each other, we won’t be able to get anything done,” he said. “And even if we disagree, it’s important to at least be able to talk and try to understand each other’s viewpoints.”
Chen and Law say they hope to expand their initiative to schools across the country interested in creating clubs so students can talk about current issues on the national and local level.
Both students said they are driven to creating lasting change for others nationwide — and that it’s fun to do it alongside a friend.
Correction: An earlier version of this article had the incorrect location of the club run by Olivia Braham.