Long-time conflict resolution educator Linda Lantieri speaks about the importance of building bridges between homes, educational institutions and community organizations in order to create caring learning environments for children and youth. She shares specific tools, strategies, inspirational stories, and a framework for supporting integrated peace education efforts in schools, families and community organizations. She will also share the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning’s work (CASEL), the nation’s leading organization advancing the development of academic, social and emotional competence for all students.
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Effective Ways to Motivate Change in Youth Using Restorative Justice Practices
This workshop looks at utilizing Peace Circles as a community-based endeavor grounded in the belief that communication is essential to fostering understanding among youth, law enforcement and neighbors. Peace Circles empowers communities and the people who are affected by crime to actively participate in the response to violence and social issues. In this way, Circles enhances the justice system by holding the offender accountable to the community in which he or she resides. This workshop will offer unique restorative approaches for participants serving our youth.
Field Services Arbitration Process: Building Stronger Teachers through Facilitated Dialogue
The Cleveland State University OFS Arbitration Process, utilized when a student intern faces conflict in their student teaching or other field experience, models conflict resolution and de-escalation of emotion by using evidence and tools to understand and dissect current situations in order to set actionable goals for growth and future direction. The process requires facilitators to be mindful of several factors including valuing dignity, developmental appropriateness for the learner, and seeing oneself as a teacher.
Supporting Community “Thirdsiders” via the East Side Conflict Resolution Outreach Project
Students and faculty affiliated with the Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution program at Wayne State University in Detroit have created a service learning and community building initiative on Metro Detroit’s East Side. The ESCRO project reimagines the community boards’ civic engagement community mediation model, extending it via a service learning element and via the promotion of a broader range of Thirdsider conflict intervention roles. This workshop will review the underlying philosophy promoted by the initiative, explore the creative ways that a Thirdsider perspective opens up engagement opportunities, and report on the project’s progress to date.
Using Extracurricular Activities to Broaden Perspectives of a Diverse College Community
At Cuyahoga Community College, students organized several events to educate other students and the public about diversity in an attempt to diminish conflict on campus and in the community. These activities included a panel discussion on the relationship between the police and the Cleveland community, a debate among presidential candidate representatives, a panel discussion on radicalization and extremism, the psychology of radicalization and the role of the media, a panel of five religious leaders, and several other activities. The students will discuss their activities and the impact they have made on the campus.
The Organization of American States: 100 Years of Building Bridges in the Americas
This presentation describes the achievements of the Organization of American States (OAS) in terms of its contribution to strengthen the efforts that are currently being undertaken by the OAS member states in the development of a democratic culture in the Americas. It includes information on the strategies, programs and initiatives that are currently being carried-out by the OAS to foster cooperation among different types of institutions from member states in this field. Cooperation among different types of institutions not only allows creating more democratic environments that encourage the formation of civic values and practices, but also creating spaces and mechanisms that promote social cohesion and integration, which at the same time are key for stimulating citizenship active and committed participation in the building of collective action that has incidence in public and social decision making processes.
Developing Courses in Peace and Conflict Studies
This case study reviewed the work done at Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology, Ontario, Canada developing a 2-year diploma program for college students in peace and conflict studies.
Tri-C Sustained Dialogue Campus Network Overview
Overview of the Sustained Dialogue Campus Network (SDCN) established at Cuyahoga Community College, the first SDCN organization on a community college.
Safer Campuses: Prevention and Response to Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking
Presenters will provide an assessment tool that many Ohio colleges and universities are using, Ohio’s A Safer Campus: A Guidebook for Prevention and Response to Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking for Ohio Campuses. Practical strategies for putting prevention theory into practice beyond traditional programs centered on awareness and preventing legal liabilities will be covered. Learn how to engage bystanders to challenge traditional campus assumptions about sexual assault, dating violence and stalking and about a program that engages young men to become leaders in violence prevention. Participants will leave the workshop with resources related to prevention and response in order to ensure school and campus safety.
Successful Maryland School CRE Programs: Highlights of a Statewide Grants Program
In a successful partnership with the Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office and the Maryland State Department of Education, the Center for Dispute Resolution at the University of Maryland King Carey School of Law provides conflict resolution education grants to public schools K-12. The grants support a wide range of conflict resolution initiatives, including restorative practice’s circle tools, peer mediation, positive discipline training, bullying prevention programs and conflict resolution curriculum. The workshop provides a look at some of the exciting successes over the last 9 years and shares methods for sustainability.
Changing College Culture: Bullying Prevention and Intervention at the Post-Secondary Level
The University of Toledo is working toward addressing bullying for those individuals pursuing higher education. A partnership has been developed between the college of education, counseling center, police department, and the Dean of Students in an effort to address all forms of bullying through outreach, anonymous reporting, and counseling services for both victims and perpetrators of bullying.
Neighbor Circles as a Tool for Building Community
Neighbor Circles is a process based on the concept that building community begins with one-on-one relationships. Participants learned how Neighborhood Connections is using Neighbor Circles to build relationships in and across University Circle in Cleveland, Ohio and its surrounding neighborhoods. This is the first phase effort to narrow the social distance between low-income neighborhoods and the thriving University Circle, comprised of educational, medical, and cultural institutions that have added 5,000 jobs in recent years.
Strategies for Creating a Safe School Environment
This workshop focused on the essential elements of a safe school environment. Research has shown that a safe school environment enhances academic and social-emotional learning for all students. Most schools have focused on making schools physically safe but have neglected the fact that the psychological atmosphere is also important. Students and teachers must feel it is safe for optimum learning to occur. This workshop illustrated “best practices” in safe schools research and outlined the necessary steps for creating this environment.
School Conflict Management Training
The School Conflict Management Training will provide educators with an overview of the basic skills and knowledge of conflict education, classroom management, and social and emotional learning necessary for creating constructive, safe learning environments. The curriculum combines the best of theory and practice to enhance skills in conflict management and classroom management including communication, positive discipline, managing angry and disruptive students, and building classroom community. Participants will develop an action plan on how they will integrate these skills into their curriculum and consider how to integrate these concepts into their classroom management strategies.
School Conflict Management Programs help:
• Create a safe and supportive learning environment for staff, students and Parents
• Provide faculty and students with skills to reduce conflict at home and school
• Reduce discipline referrals
• Improve academic achievement
USA: Policy Updates on Conflict Resolution Education and Social and Emotional Learning
This presentation provides an overview of some of the pending federal legislation in the U.S. related to conflict management and social and emotional learning, as well as a review of some of the capacity building efforts in teacher preparation in the U.S. and state-wide examples of infrastructure development in conflict management in education and non-formal education settings for youth. Examples of states in the U.S. with current legislation in conflict management are also noted. Some suggest teacher training, some integration into the curriculum standards, while others seek integration into the school mission and discipline policy.