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EMS Educational Mediation Services
PEER MEDIATION
“Violence is a learned behavior. If violence can be taught, nonviolence can also be taught.”
IMPETUS
Peer Mediation Programs meet over thirty National Standards for Students for the American
School Counselors Association (ASCA).
A study conducted by the University of Minnesota indicated that Peer Mediation programs have an
eighty to ninety-six percent success rate.
The Virginia Board of Education (April, 2006) stated that Peer Mediation programs should be available in all schools statewide.
Peer Mediation programs have proven to be effective in:
• improving school climate
• improving communication skills
• reducing disciplinary action
• empowering students
• reducing aggression and violence |
OUTLINE OF PEER MEDIATION PROGRAM
The Peer Mediation Program is intended for all grade levels – elementary, middle and high school. The goal is to train students in all grade levels which allow continuity and success. As trained mediators move throughout the system, they can assure skilled mediation. The skilled mediators will be able to assume more responsibility for managing and mentoring new peer mediators.
OUR ROLE
1. Training coordinators and helping develop their role as liaison and facilitator.
2. Providing assistance with selection of peer mediators, training and certifying the students.
3. Providing assistance for continuity of the program. |
EXPENDITURES
EMS provides:
• Pre-training consultation
• Coordinator training
• Support
• Consultation and assessment
• Manuals and forms |
The cost for a full year including 16 hours of PM training and 7 hours of meetings,coaching and consultation is $3,450.00. There is a $25 fee per training manual.
Payment is due at contract acceptance by check card or Purchase Order.
Support for training the peer mediators is $125/hour.
All new coordinators must receive training through us to ensure continuity.
RESTORATIVE DISCIPLINE
IMPETUS
The fundamental unifying hypothesis of restorative practices is disarmingly simple: that human beings are happier, more cooperative and productive, and more likely to make positive changes in their behavior when those in positions of authority do things with them, rather than to them or for them. This hypothesis maintains that the punitive and authoritarian to mode and the permissive and paternalistic for mode are not as effective as the restorative, participatory, engaging with mode.
HOW DOES IT WORK
After a harm occurs, trained facilitators meet with the people involved so that:
• Offending students can "own up" directly to the people they have harmed
• Harmed individuals have the opportunity to express the impact the behavior had on them and the needs which have resulted
• Together, with input from others in the community, they develop a response to meet these needs.
Restorative Justice interventions are generally offered as an alternative to existing punitive systems. Participation is voluntary and content is confidential. |
RD PRACTICES
Restorative Circles (Recovery School Circles)
When a student breaks a school rule, probation for academics or other behaviors, the student is given the choice of doing a circle with others involved. In the circle, the student can address the issue, make amends if necessary, and ask for support and feedback. By using a circle to process the issues, everyone knows what happened, as they hear it directly from the source and can express their grief, anger or support. Circles essentially eliminate gossip.
Conferencing
When serious harms are committed, restorative discipline provides and opportunity for those harmed and those doing the harm to talk together. Conferencing allows them to share what happened, how each feels about it, what needs to be done to make the matter right, and how to avoid this situation in the future.
OUR ROLE
1. Training facilitators and helping develop their role.
2. Providing assistance with educating the school community.
3. Providing assistance for continuity of the program.
EXPENDITURES
EMS provides:
• Pre-training consultation
• Facilitator training
• Support
• Consultation and assessment
• Manuals and forms |
The cost for a full school year including 8 hours of RJ training and 14 hours of meetings, coaching and consultation is $3,300. In addition, EMS is available to conduct RD Conferences at a rate of $125 per hour. There is a $25 per training manual fee.
Payment is due at contract acceptance by check, credit card or Purchase Order.
Renewal contract is $1000/year for consultation and continuity.
All new coordinators must receive training through us to ensure continuity.
Desmond Tutu tells us of ubuntu — the essence of being human. That we "live in a delicate network of interdependence. … That a person is a person through other people. … It says 'I am human because I belong.' I participate, I share."
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