Back to School Conflict-Resolution Education Drive

It's back to school time and the need for conflict-resolution education is greater than ever.  Help support conflict-resolution education in our local schools.  The Mediation Center is partnering with local schools to make a difference, increase conflict-resolution skills, and decrease violent responses, so we can all enjoy a safe, healthy community.

We need your support to sustain the activities listed below!  Be part of the solution 

Peer Mediation Training:  4th-12th grade Peer Mediators learn how to mediate conflict between their peers.  One school in the 2023-2024 school year mediated 35 cases in one month!  Students are more likely to open up about their conflict than with adults.  When students commit to an agreement they've created, they're more likely to follow through on their agreements.

Restorative Youth Court:  students learn to perform the roles in the courtroom and students volunteer to attend youth court for minor infractions instead of in-school suspension.  This is an opportunity to learn from their peers about what is acceptable and receive feedback versus receiving no additional perspective about their behaviors.

Positive Peer Influencers:  empowers Savannah-area public high school students to mentor local middle school students, encouraging them to make healthy choices. Positive Peer Influencers model good decision-making, speak with students about how to navigate peer pressure, discuss the potential consequences of poor decisions, and offer advice about how to make healthy choices.

Restorative Conferencing:  an opportunity for youth who have caused harm to sit with those they've hurt and take accountability for their actions.  Participants discuss how the harm can be repaired and the relationship restored.  Students who participate in a Restorative Conference are four times more likely not to cause additional harm than those who don't have the opportunity to process their actions and learn new skills.

Youth for a Safer Savannah:  support crucial conversations.  Youth in our community speak out about the reality of being a youth in today's environment, the challenges they face, and ideas to build a safer community.