Building Safe, Supportive and Restorative School Communities in NYC
Safe and supportive school climates are essential for ensuring the human right to a quality education in New York City schools. In order to create positive environments for learning, educators, students and parents must work together to build a sense of school community and develop approaches to discipline that address the causes of conflict and meet students’ needs.
This case study documents the innovative and participatory approaches developed on two high school campuses in Brooklyn through the leadership and collaboration of students, school staff, and supporting organizations through the School Conflict Management Project, coordinated by the NYU School of Law Advanced Mediation Clinic, the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI), Make the Road New York, Teachers Unite, Aikido in the Schools, and other partner groups.
- At the Bushwick campus, students in the Leaders in Conflict Resolution program are presenting workshops on conflict resolution to 9th grade classrooms and hosting afterschool programs in Aikido, a peaceful martial art.
- At the Graham Ave campus at the Lyons Community School, teachers are using restorative circles in classrooms and as a disciplinary response, and at the Green School students are trained in peer mediation.