Instead of having students debate contentious issues, encourage them to take a problem-solving approach.

In a small town in Appalachia, members of the local Heritage Council — teachers, lawyers, artists, businesspeople, retired coal miners and railway workers, and others — have been discussing how the community can address its declining population and loss of industry. They hope to encourage young people to remain closer to home by developing economic opportunities and protecting the town’s cultural and environmental assets.

Sometimes the council’s deliberations focus on how best to use limited resources, such as relying on volunteers to staff the local museum or partnering with universities to create surveys and business plans. Other decisions involve conflicting priorities, such as whether the riverbank should be restored to a more natural and sustainable condition or should instead include artificial beaches and other accessible spaces, especially for those with limited mobility.

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