This opportunity for me to work with youth has been a joy and a passion. As a teenager, I did not know how to strengthen and repair relationships in a way that sustained friendships...Teaching youth skills to relate to one another and tools to resolve conflict allows me to offer both evidenced-based curriculum, as well as perspectives I did not have available to me in my youth.
Read MoreAs the WDRC Youth Program Specialist, I am continuing a long legacy of strengthening our community through youth education. One of my first projects was working on the Peaceful Poetry Youth Contest. After receiving over 90 poems from youth in the community our selection committee chose our 5 winners. One of these was 4th-grader Robyn at Lummi Nation School.
Read MoreAs the school year kicks into gear, the Youth Program is already in full swing. We are continuing to provide schools in Whatcom County with high quality conflict resolution education at little or no cost, ensuring students are building the skills to navigate complex issues. We have already begun or completed partnerships with a number of schools, including: Columbia Elementary, Cascades Montessori Middle, Meridian Middle, Irene Reither Elementary, and Kulshan Middle, with many more in the works. If you would like to see a school you care about feature a workshop from the Youth Program, there are still available spots for winter and spring.
Read MoreMediator and Board President Joan Cervisi was kind enough to write an article for us about conflict resolution during her recent trip to Spain! Read an excerpt here and follow the link to her blog to read more!
Read MoreIn the final month and a half of my term, our youth program volunteer, Sierra, and I had the opportunity to serve a group of elementary school boys. These students were referred because they were having difficulty recognizing the impact of their behavior on the school environment. Their teachers and counselors hoped the Dispute Resolution Center could help teach the boys self-awareness, anger management and positive communication skills
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