PLEASE NOTE: The upcoming November 2024 session is currently full. You can still register to be placed on the waitlist, and we will inform you as soon as the Spring 2025 training dates are finalized. Thank you for your interest!

This intensive 40-hour course is designed for those who are interested in developing mediation and conflict resolution skills. Participants will learn the eight-stage mediation model, conflict theory and styles, mediator communication skills, and principles of conflict resolution. Combining theory and practice, students will also participate in mock mediations and receive a certificate of completion after the course.

November 2024: online via Zoom

PLEASE NOTE: The upcoming November 2024 session is currently full. You can still register to be placed on the waitlist, and we will inform you as soon as the Spring 2025 training dates are finalized. Thank you for your interest!

November 6: 9am-4pm

November 7: 9am-4pm

November 8: 9am-4pm

November 13: 9am-5pm

November 14: 9am-5pm

November 15: 9am-6pm

Training fee: $795

Early-bird fee: $695 (Balance must be paid by October 4.)

$100 non-refundable deposit or full training fee required to secure your place (with some additional flexibility for scholarship applicants to reduce barriers to participation).

There may also be an extra $50 fee for participants from out of the area for mailing of materials.

There are two scholarships available to help defray the costs of the Professional Mediation Training. James B. Boskey was a pioneer in alternative dispute resolution, and one of the missions of his memorial foundation is to support students seeking mediation training. The Boskey Diversity Scholarship is intended to support the WDRC’s efforts to further diversify the pool of mediators serving Whatcom County, especially those from marginalized groups who identify as multilingual, multicultural, and persons of color. The WDRC also offers limited Need-based Scholarships to those whose financial situations would otherwise prevent them from being able to afford the full registration fee. Prospective participants are encouraged to apply for either or both, if applicable, by completing the application at this link.

If selected, all scholarship recipients must agree to:

*Pay a mutually agreed upon deposit by October 22, 2024 to reserve a spot.

*Attend all 40 hours of the training.

*Provide a short testimonial about the recipient’s experience in the training and how the scholarship assisted the recipient to participate.

*Pay any additional mutually agreed upon amount within three months of completing the training.

Additionally, upon completion of the training, all scholarship participants are strongly encouraged, to the best of their ability, to:

*Share their knowledge and experience with their community.

*Meet with the Mediation Program Manager to assess interest in applying for the practicum program. (Additional scholarship funds are available for PMT scholarship recipients.)

*Apply for WDRC practicum and, if accepted, participate fully to complete the certification process.

*Upon certification, become a volunteer mediator for the WDRC.

Fall 2024 Scholarship Timeline:

October 1: Priority Deadline for Scholarship Application Submission

October 4: Early Bird Deadline

October 15: Initial Response to Priority Scholarship Applicants

October 22: Mutually agreed upon deposit due.

November 6: Training begins

Cancellations made more than 4 weeks in advance of the first session (prior to the early bird deadline) are eligible for a full refund, less $100 deposit.

Cancellations made within 4 weeks of the first session, will not be eligible for a refund but may be able to transfer registration to a future training, pending space availability.

The Professional Mediation Training meets the requirements for 35 CLE credits through the Washington State Bar Association for a fee of $125.

The Professional Mediation training can also be counted as 35 clock hours for Washington State educators through OSPI for a fee of $125.

For more information and to confirm eligibility for your session, please contact the WDRC at WDRC@whatcomdrc.org

Moonwater is an experienced mediator, facilitator, and trainer. She holds an MPA from Seattle University, where she specialized in non-profit management, and a BA in Psychology from Whitman College. She is past president of Resolution Washington, the statewide Association of Dispute Resolution Centers, and currently serves on the Bellingham-Whatcom Commission on Sexual & Domestic Violence. With past membership on the Board of the Washington Mediation Association, Whatcom County's Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force, and Washington State's Charities Advisory Council, Moonwater is attuned to a broad swath of nonprofit, justice, and dispute resolution issues, needs, and opportunities. In 2017, she was recognized as Professional Woman of the Year by Whatcom Women in Business. Since 2005, she has served as the Executive Director of the non-profit Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center. Along with her passion for the field, her family, and all things sweet, Moonwater has enjoyed teaching the art of mediation to students for the past 17 years.