Conflict Center

THE CONFLICT CENTER TEACHES PRACTICAL SKILLS SO THAT ANGER AND CONFLICTS CAN BECOME OPPORTUNITIES TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS.

THROUGH YOUTH AND ADULT SKILL BUILDING CLASSES AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS, INDIVIDUALS ARE EMPOWERED TO SEE AND USE CONFLICT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW, LEARN, AND CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE IN THEIR LIVES. OUR SKILL BUILDING CLASSES, ADDRESSING CONFLICT AND ANGER EFFECTIVELY (ADULTS) AND RETHINKING CONFLICT (YOUTH), PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME EQUIPPED WITH NEW SKILLS TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. OUR MIX OF UNDERSTANDING ANGER AND EMOTIONS WITH CONFLICT MANAGEMENT SKILLS HELPS PARTICIPANTS WORK THROUGH DEFENSIVENESS AND BUILD A SHARED UNDERSTANDING WITH OTHERS, ULTIMATELY FINDING MUTUALLY SATISFACTORY SOLUTIONS TO SOURCES OF CONFLICT. ALL OUR CLASSES ARE OFFERED BOTH IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY, TO MEET PEOPLE'S NEEDS. WE OFFER A VARIETY OF VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS RELATED TO CONFLICT MANAGEMENT, ESCALATION AND TEAM BUILDING AS WELL, TRAINING OVER 200 PARTICIPANTS AT OVER 20 ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS DENVER, AS WELL AS NATIONALLY.

THROUGH SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS, THE ORGANIZATION PARTNERS WITH SCHOOLS TO FOSTER A COMMUNITY OF INCLUSION, WHERE STUDENTS FEEL SAFE TO BE THEMSELVES AND NURTURED TO BUILD POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS. RESTORATIVE PRACTICES OFFERS AN ALTERNATIVE TO PUNITIVE DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOLS. RESTORATIVE PRACTICES IS A PHILOSOPHY, NOT A CURRICULUM, THAT FOCUSES ON BUILDING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR BEHAVIOR WHILE REMAINING CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY. RESTORATIVE PRACTICES ARE ROOTED IN SOCIAL JUSTICE, DIRECTLY DISRUPTING THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON-PIPELINE. THROUGH RESTORATIVE PRACTICES WE UTILIZE TOOLS TO HOLD STUDENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS WHILE KEEPING THEM IN SCHOOL AND OUT OF THE SCHOOL-TO- PRISON-PIPELINE BY IMPLEMENTING PRACTICES THAT REDUCE THE DISPROPORTIONALITY HIGH DISCIPLINARY REFERRALS, SUSPENSIONS AND EXPULSIONS OF CHILDREN OF COLOR AND; THEREFORE REDUCING THE ODDS THAT STUDENTS WILL SUBSEQUENTLY BECOME INVOLVED IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. RESTORATIVE DENVER TAKES THESE PRINCIPLES AND APPLIES THEM TO THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM, THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DENVER DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, 92 INDIVIDUALS COMPLETED RESTORATIVE DENVER AND WERE PROVIDED AN "OFF RAMP" FROM THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM.

OUR PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON WHOLE-SCHOOL CULTURE ALSO INCLUDE SOCIAL NORMING, HOT SPOT MAPPING AND READING FOR PEACE. SOCIAL NORMING IS BUILT ON THE CONCEPT THAT MOST STUDENTS ENGAGE IN AND WANT TO ENGAGE IN POSITIVE, HEALTHY BEHAVIORS, BUT THEY BELIEVE THEIR PEERS ENGAGE IN NEGATIVE, UNHEALTHY BEHAVIORS. AS A RESULT, MANY STUDENTS DO THINGS THEY PERSONALLY BELIEVE ARE WRONG IN ORDER TO GAIN ACCEPTANCE BY THEIR PEERS. SOCIAL NORMING WORKS BY USING "POSITIVE PEER PRESSURE" TO EDUCATE STUDENTS ABOUT WHAT POSITIVE, HEALTHY BEHAVIORS ARE TRULY ACCEPTABLE BY THEIR PEERS. THESE BEHAVIORS AND BELIEFS ABOUT PERCEIVED NORMS OF BEHAVIOR AMONG PEERS ARE DETERMINED THROUGH A SCHOOL-WIDE SURVEY.

OUR HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP CAMPAIGNS FOCUS ON THE SIX TYPES OF ABUSE: PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, SEXUAL, STALKING, FINANCIAL/ECONOMIC, AND DIGITAL. WE WORKED WITH YOUTH LEADERS FROM THE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS HIGH SCHOOL INTERNS TO DEVELOP RELEVANT AND IMPACTFUL CAMPAIGNS, ADAPTING ALL ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM TO ONLINE PROGRAMMING. READING FOR PEACE IS A COMPLETELY VOLUNTEER-RUN, MULTI-GENERATIONAL READING PROGRAM FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS DEVOTED TO READING AND DISCUSSING THE BOOKS WHICH TEACH AND REINFORCE THE SOCIO-EMOTIONAL SKILLS. AS SCHOOLS GET BACK INTO HAVING VOLUNTEERS AT THE SCHOOL BUILDING POST PANDEMIC PRECAUTIONS, READING FOR PEACE VOLUNTEERS READ IN-PERSON AT FOUR SCHOOLS, SERVING 661 ELEMENTARY STUDENTS. VOLUNTEERS ASSISTED AT PEACE DAY/PEACE IN A BOX, DISTRIBUTING 1,000 ACTIVITY BOXES AND BOOKS TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO SERVE AS A SUMMER BRIDGE FOR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILL BUILDING. BOXES WERE DISTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO FAMILIES AT AN IN-PERSON EVENT AS WELL AS THROUGH SIX PARTNER AGENCIES.