In fall 2018, our university launched revised first-year experience course. The curriculum focused on topics of identity, self-awareness, inclusion, diversity, and community, along with the existing outcomes of socialization, wellness, and university-level skill development necessary to transition successfully through the first semester of college. This article presents four practical approaches used to develop and prepare faculty to dig into difficult topics and cultivate community: critical reflective teaching, culturally responsive pedagogy, faculty and student instructor pairings to leverage learning, and asset-based approaches to understanding and exploring community.