Conflict Resolution
Today, many of our schools and communities are plagued by violence.  Whether in the form of bullying on the playground, abuse in the home, drive-by shootings in our neighborhoods, or even war and destruction around the world, violence is all around us.  However, as in the past, today’s communities are taking a stand against the bloodshed. 

The Conflict Resolution project is designed to engage students in this fight against violence while at the same time reinforcing the theme for this academic course, “Freedom and Stability.” Unfortunately, many of our students have first-hand experience with violence; this project is meant to help transform tragedy into positive action for the common good.  In this project, students will explore the impact of violence in communities throughout the American historical experience (8.2.9 D, 8.3.9 D).  They will study the impact of violence in their own lives, school, and community, and will design methods by which to alleviate tensions and reduce harm.  Two suggested methods are the creation of a school-wide or school-community Social Contract (5.1.9 A-F, H-J; 5.2.9 A-C, F; 5.3.9 G, J), followed by the implementation of a conflict resolution/peer mediation program for the school.