Restorative and conflict resolution services, including Restorative Conferences and Circles, Community Building and Leadership Circles, Mediation, Conflict Coaching and Conflict Resolution Instruction, can be successful alternatives to exclusionary disciplinary measures such as suspension and expulsion. Restorative services resolve disputes between students, school staff and students and families, build community and foster engagement. CRC’s Restorative Service are trauma-informed and include SEL (Social Emotional Learning) practices.

Conflict Resolution Center offers restorative processes to address incidents in your school community where there has been harm to a student, teacher or staff member. Services include one on one interviews with students, teachers and staff involved in the incident and one or more facilitated Restorative Conferences or Circles to talk about what happened and how it affected everyone involved. Involved parties make a plan to repair the harm caused.

Appropriate Issues for Restorative Services:

• Students facing possible suspension or expulsion due to problematic behavior or an incident that involved harm to one party: A Restorative process can help those involved arrive at alternatives to suspending or expelling students by establishing expectations and responsibilities that will help them stay in school.

For more information about restorative services offered in Twin Cities Metro area, St. Cloud area and Duluth, use either the Request Restorative Services button above or, for Twin Cities Metro area call 612-822-9883, for St. Cloud area schools call 302-308-6150, and for Duluth school call 218-656-6099.

Conflict Resolution Center provides Community Building, Leadership and Conflict Resolution Skill Building Circles for students ages 11-18, using trauma informed and SEL (Social Emotional Learning) inclusive curriculum and processes. Participants develop the physical, mental, and emotional habits of peacemaking. Circles are an alternative process of communication, based on traditional discussion and healing practices of indigenous peoples throughout the world. Circles bring people together in a way that creates trust, respect, intimacy, good will, belonging, generosity, mutuality and reciprocity. While circles have been adopted by many communities and have been adapted to serve many purposes, they share essential features:

• Everyone in the circle is equal and has equal opportunity to speak.
• Decisions are consensus based.
• Everyone agrees to abide by guidelines established by the group based on shared values, in order to work toward a common goal.

Circles intentionally create a space that lifts barriers between students, opening fresh possibilities for connection, collaboration and mutual understanding. Circles are culturally inclusive and foster engaged participation. Circles encourage individual and collective empowerment. Circles generally have two facilitators who guide the participants and maintain the circle as a safe space.

For more information about school services offered in Twin Cities Metro area, St. Cloud area and Duluth, use either the Request Training or Service button above or, for Twin Cities Metro area call 612-822-9883, for St. Cloud area schools call 302-308-6150, and for Duluth school call 218-656-6099.

CRC offers a variety of customized training options to schools.

For Youth:

• Words Can Work: a multi module Conflict Resolution curriculum. The Words Can Work program provides a group setting that models SEL (Social Emotional Learning) skills and positive conflict resolution behaviors. The curriculum provides discussion topics to enable youth to better understand conflict, understand themselves and each other in conflict, and be equipped with tools for constructively responding in conflict situations..

For Staff:

• Restorative Discipline
• Creating a problem solving classroom
• How to incorporate Mediation and Circles to resolve conflict in your school
• Brain science and youth
• Basic communication skills
• Mediation
• Conflict prevention
• Handling strong emotions

For more information about school services offered in Twin Cities Metro area, St. Cloud area and Duluth, use either the Request Training or Service button above or, for Twin Cities Metro area call 612-822-9883, for St. Cloud area schools call 302-308-6150, and for Duluth school call 218-656-6099.

A Positive Behavior Changing Approach
Students, teachers, and administrators face increasingly complex issues in our inclusive world. Conflict can escalate and lead to punitive disciplinary measures such as suspension and expulsion. Our goal is to help participants understand and resolve relational and practical questions before conflict escalates and becomes a disciplinary or legal matter.

The Process and Promise of Mediation
Mediation provides a safe environment for students to work through sensitive issues in an open and honest way. In mediation, each person has a voice at the table, and participates in creating any agreement reached. Our goal is to empower youth through self-determination and responsibility. The mediation process models SEL (Social Emotional Learning) skills and positive conflict resolution behaviors.

Our Mediators
Conflict Resolution Center uses trained mediators to provide services to organizations, both public and private, as well as to individuals.

Issues Appropriate for Mediation:

• Students in conflict: Mediate conflicts between students, students and staff, and families before the conflict escalates and students are facing disciplinary measures.
• Attendance Issues: Mediation is an effective way to discuss and understand the “why” of a student’s attendance gaps, as well as a means of deciding how to formulate a plan for meeting appropriate attendance goals.
• Post suspension re-entry facilitation: Mediation between youth, youth’s family and school staff to establish expectations for both youth and school going forward.
• Relationship Challenges: Mediation creates a safe space to discuss relationships between students, between students and staff, or among families.

For more information about school services offered in Twin Cities Metro area, St. Cloud area and Duluth, use either the Request Training or Service button above or, for Twin Cities Metro area call 612-822-9883, for St. Cloud area schools call 302-308-6150, and for Duluth school call 218-656-6099.