In 1984, three lifelong professors found each other while teaching at an all seminar programme at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. These tutors, Geoffrey Comber, Nick Maistrellis, and Howard Zeiderman, joined forces to better understand the benefits and barriers encountered in discussion-based learning.

Their inquiries led to the formation of the Touchstones Discussion Project, Inc. in the United States. It is an independent nonprofit dedicated to building a world where all people develop collaborative discussion skills that foster understanding. leadership, and community. In 2025, Touchstones Discussion Project, Canada was launched to meet the growing needs of Canadian educators, social service providers, and other psycho-educational practitioners.

Our inclusive discussion based programmes reflect more than42 years of research and feedback from thousands of implementation sites. Our work is foundational for building a world in which every person’s voice helps to shape a stronger and more connected world.

A touchstone is ancient tool used to determine the contents of rare minerals. It is also an idea or concept that sparks thinking and reflection. It is something against which we can compare our ideas and opinions.

In Touchstones programs, the touchstones include the ideas and experiences of the participants, the discussion process itself, self-reflection and group evaluation, and the ideas raised in the short primary-source texts embedded in each lesson.