Reporters and Editors: Your coverage of the following student-led workshop on Restorative Practices is welcome. Please see below for details and contact information.
MEDIA ADVISORY – LINDA VISTA – JUNE 3, 2015
YOUR MEDIA CONTACT – Suzy Garcia, (702) 883-2077 (text okay)
DO NOT RELEASE CONTACT INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC
Students from Crawford High School Train Local Educators on Using Restorative Practices to Strengthen School Communities
**Attendees will learn how to engage students via teen court, peer mediation and community building circles**
WHAT: High school students from the Crawford High School Academy of Law will lead in-depth Restorative Justice Workshop educating 100 teachers, staff and administrators as well as student leaders from six pilot restorative schools in San Diego Unified School District. The workshop aims to teach educators and students about using facilitation and peer mediation practices to resolve disciplinary issues as well as develop a stronger sense of community at their individual schools. Participating schools include: Herbert Hoover High School, James Madison High School, Morse High School, Lincoln High School and San Diego High School. The event is in partnership with the National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) and the San Diego Unified School District, and presented by The Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice’s WorldLink Program at the Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego (USD).
WHEN: Wednesday, June 3 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
BEST TIME TO COVER: 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m.
WHERE: University of San Diego
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace Studies
Forums A/B
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92101
Parking available in the structure directly under the Institute for Peace and Justice Building. Parking passes are available at the kiosk as you enter.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: This event will continue NCRC’s mission to provide resources, training and expertise to help people, organizations and communities manage and solve conflicts, with civility. The organization serves as the primary resource and support for the San Diego Unified School District’s restorative practices program. In July 2014, the San Diego Unified School District devoted itself to becoming a restorative district in order to better serve students. In addition to revising the uniform discipline code and eliminating many mandatory expulsions, it encouraged campuses to positively impact school climate by developing restorative responses to discipline issues.
The restorative initiatives led by the Crawford students have helped contribute to a decrease in expulsions in San Diego Unified School District.
- By May 29, 2014, there were 399 expulsion cases received throughout San Diego Unified School District for the 2013/2014 academic year and 134 expulsions.
- By May 29, 2015, there were 178 expulsion cases received throughout San Diego Unified School District for the 2014/2015 academic year and 58 expulsions.
- San Diego Unified School District have found alternative, restorative ways of holding students accountable for their actions have helped them learn from their mistakes, decrease incidents, as well as increase safety on campuses.
With the support and guidance of NCRC, the Law Academy student cohort will engage the attending student leaders to create a robust learning community and help spread restorative best practices to their campuses as part of a pilot program in the upcoming year.
VISUALS AND SPOKESPERSONS:
- Justine Darling, restorative practices coordinator, National Conflict Resolution Center
- We will have several student spokespersons available including: Larissa Galeana and Edith Okello. The students will be leading the training and can share their stories of personal transformation and healing that has happened in their families as well as in the school environment.
- Event attendees taking part in the intergenerational, interactive educational event, which will include a mock teen court trail, mock peer mediation and a community building restorative circle exercise.
About the National Conflict Resolution Center
The National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) provides the resources, training and expertise to help people, organizations and communities manage and solve conflicts, with civility. Built on the principle that every dispute has a solution, NCRC serves a variety of communities in both the public and private sectors — regionally, nationally and internationally. Their mission is to resolve issues with the highest possible degree of civility and equitability to all parties involved.
NCRC was founded in 1983 by the University of San Diego Law Center and the San Diego County Bar Association. With more than 30 years of experience and over 20,000 cases managed, NCRC is recognized as an international leader in mediation instruction and conflict resolution. To learn more, donate or volunteer please call 619-238-2400. Connect with NCRC on Facebook.
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