Presented by: Tricia Jones and Tim Hedeen
Presented at: Association for Conflict Resolution National Conference - Atlanta, GA
Date of Session: October 8, 2009

Session Description: Words Work is a curriculum of ten 45-minute lessons related to listening, problem-solving, intercultural communication, and much more. The ABA Section of Dispute Resolution worked with two curriculum partners, CRU Institute and AFSC's HIP program, through the funding support of the JAMS Foundation to develop this curriculum. Description: Words Work is a simple, practical, and user-friendly supplement to after school programs serving middle-school-aged children. The Words Work curriculum teaches kids to use communication skills to prevent and manage conflict. Words Work is a turn-key curriculum educators and advocates can use to build leadership, relationship, and communication skills. With these skills, youth will become comfortable with recognizing and effectively resolving conflict in the situations they face at school, at home, and in the community. The Words Work curriculum is geared toward youth in grades six to eight. Through ten 45-minute sessions, educators will guide youth through interactive lessons that focus on relationships, problem-solving, communication, and leadership skill-building. Two leading conflict resolution education organizations, the Conflict Resolution Unlimited Institute and the Middle Atlantic Region of American Friends Service -- Help Increase the Peace Program, provided the lessons that are the foundation of the curriculum. Through funding by the JAMS Foundation, the curriculum is available free of charge. Please Note: The link below will lead you to the ABA's site, where you can add this to your cart, then create an account, then check out. This will place a copy in the "Downloads" folder of your account--then you download the large (12Mb!) pdf: http://www.abanet.org/abastore/index.cfm?fm=Product.AddToCart&pid=5100004PDF The manual includes the facilitators' guidebook, all the exercises and worksheets, a certificate template, and a helpful set of short "teaching notes" to help trainers recall the main points of each lesson. Please know that we ask you to register so we can track how many visitors download the curriculum, and we may follow up with an email survey to find out your experiences with it.