Overview

CRC restorative services are empowering for youth, helping them develop skills to express themselves while also taking perspective of and finding empathy for others. Feeling and being able to advocate for oneself are excellent indicators of success in both self-sufficiency and being connected to one’s community. CRC’s work with youth helps them be empowered and compassionate community members, experience healing from current and historical systemic harms, and gives them tools for ongoing healing and connection through providing service to others. 

CRC provides both in-school and out-of-school youth restorative services, including:

Words Can Work conflict resolution education programming in restorative circles

CRC’s conflict resolution education (CRE) is based on social emotional learning (SEL) research. SEL is a process through which people build self-awareness and skills in managing emotions, establishing relationships, and making decisions that support success in school, work, and community.

Restorative Circles

Youth experience new connections with adult circle keepers and other youth as they develop the safety with each other to be vulnerable about sharing their life experiences and learn to listen deeply to others. Circles have a variety of purposes, including healing from harms, developing de-escalation skills, creating community, etc.

Peer Restorative Circles

Peer circles provide leadership skills that honor each person’s value. Letting go of outcomes is empowering for new circle keepers, who learn to trust their own judgment and instincts about upholding circle values. They learn that the outcome is not about results, but about relationship building and the honesty and care that circle participants show for one another.

Mediation and Conflict Coaching

Youth learn that there are productive ways to resolve conflict that allow them to see the humanity in the other, even when they disagree.