PEACE EDUCATION
From the January 2023 Newsletter
Peace Education Group
Promotes Empathy Training
The Peace Education group has a goal to promote Empathy Training, Restorative Justice and Trauma-Informed practices in interested local schools in the Butte County area. In the December CPA Newsletter, we introduced a model program currently in practice in the Paradise Unified School District. The Social Justice Committee in Paradise is made up of students, parents, teachers, administrators, board members and the superintendent. The committee was formed as a response to requests made by previous graduates and put into practice by district administration, two teachers, and a classified employee, all of whom volunteer their time.
The long-term goal of both the CPA Peace Education Work group and the PUSD Social Justice Committee is to shift the paradigm of traditional punitive discipline toward one that incorporates restorative/trauma-informed practices.
This month the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is our resource for pulling lots of things together we have been discussing for our next actions. There is an outstanding aritcle on "decarceration" in the publication: Learning for Justice. We highly recommend reading the entire article. The specific cases and young people's stories illustrate the research and realities that help to guide our wor
Peace Education Group
Promotes Empathy Training
The Peace Education group has a goal to promote Empathy Training, Restorative Justice and Trauma-Informed practices in interested local schools in the Butte County area. In the December CPA Newsletter, we introduced a model program currently in practice in the Paradise Unified School District. The Social Justice Committee in Paradise is made up of students, parents, teachers, administrators, board members and the superintendent. The committee was formed as a response to requests made by previous graduates and put into practice by district administration, two teachers, and a classified employee, all of whom volunteer their time.
The long-term goal of both the CPA Peace Education Work group and the PUSD Social Justice Committee is to shift the paradigm of traditional punitive discipline toward one that incorporates restorative/trauma-informed practices.
This month the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is our resource for pulling lots of things together we have been discussing for our next actions. There is an outstanding aritcle on "decarceration" in the publication: Learning for Justice. We highly recommend reading the entire article. The specific cases and young people's stories illustrate the research and realities that help to guide our wor
Peace Education Working Group
Working with Paradise Unified School District Committee
Paradise Unified School District Social Justice Committee
The Paradise Unified School District’s Social Justice Committee is currently in its third year of operation. It was formed in response to a letter sent to the Superintendent and School Board by eight former Paradise High School graduates. While the letter emphasized the students’ experiences of racial discrimination and the negative affect it had on their self-respect, it also expressed the students’ affinity for their beloved home town and wish to see positive changes made for the future.
The authors made four requests that they believed would increase support for current and future students of color within the district:
1. Hire teachers and administrators of color.
2. Provide consistent professional development focused on racial and social justice for
every teacher, administrator and board member in the district.
3. Educators should incorporate a multicultural-based curriculum and use materials by
people of color.
4. Promote diverse spaces for the exploration of identity by establishing a Diversity element
within the district.
The committee includes current students and graduates, parents, staff and regular attendance by PHS and district office administrators, school board members and the superintendent. Our meetings are held on the first Friday of each month from 3:30-5:00. For more information, contact Cindy Carlson at ccarlson@pusdk12.org or Matt Sutter at Msutter@pusdk12.org.
See below for more ideas on how social justice committees and groups of students, teacher and community members have been addressing these issues across the country. If you are doing something in your school, classroom or group that you would like to share with us, please send it to us. chicopeacealliance@yahoo.com
Social Justice: A Whole-School Approach from EdutopiaRead about a social justice-based school that addresses larger issues as a learning community, builds curriculum around service learning, and regularly involves families.
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/social-justice-whole-school-approach-jeanine-harmon
Why Social Justice in School Matters from the National Education Association
Meet five educators who are determined to help young people realize their value and power.
https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/why-social-justice-school-matters
Peace Education Focus Areas
The Peace Education group is interested in addressing the needs of our schools, prisons and
wider community to help face the crises we are experiencing today. We plan to educate
ourselves in the main focus groups and integrate our learnings into our work.
Focus areas:
• School Violence
• Empathy training in schools
• Healthy effective response to troubled students
• Learning skills that enable us to be capable of reacting in healthful ways with and
towards each other.
• Local school politics and school board issues
• Restorative Justice and the Alternatives to Violence Project
• Compassionate Communication
• Viable alternatives to military recruitment
• Cooperative egalitarian culture building
• Recognizing the dominant culture of toxicity and power imbalance and the need for
dismantling it and building healthy connections. (See The Cooperative Culture
Handbook in Resources)
The Peace Education Work Group invites you to join us in our goal to establish and/or support peace culture in our schools and prisons, through such programs as empathy training, Alternatives to Violence, equity, anti-bullying curricula, restorative justice, peace art, and identifying scholarship programs and other resources that can provide alternatives to military recruitment. We strive to give voice to peace in our community, schools, and prisons.
For more information, contact Cindy Carlson at cindyloucarlson@gmail.com
Meeting Notes Archives
Updated October 31, 2022
Peace Education
Submittted by Kathy Faith, Sue Griffin, and Cindy Carlson
Prior to the Camp Fire in 2018, the Ridge Coalition for Peace and Justice had an active program to inform students at Paradise High School about the many alternatives to the military that are available. Then, as now, the military aggressively tries to recruit seniors and juniors into the Service. We lost all our materials in the Camp Fire but we are in the process of recreating them so that we can return to Paradise High School to give young people the information they need to make alternative choices and still accomplish their goals. The School District and the Administrators at the High School appear to be supportive of this effort.
Some of the comments we got from students back then: "Thanks for this information. I thought the only way to 'see the world' was to join the military." "I can't afford to pay for college and I thought the military was the only way I could do it." "It's nice to know what all the options are."
June 12, 2022 Tender Loving Cafe
Present: Cindy Carlson (facilitator), Jasper Lerch, Anthony Porter, Steven Tadeo, Kathy Faith (notetaker
Cindy:
Empathy training, preschool materials, K-12 application and need, Importance of the training and ease of use for teachers, 2nd Step Program is empathy training;
Teaching Tolerance is available K-12;
Teaching NVC to children and parents: the power of basing schools or any organization on the premise that all conflict arises from unmet needs and that all needs of all participants are equal thereby taking the authoritative hierarchy out of the system.
Jasper:
Non-violent Communication (NVC) Overview of author's history. Main concept: any hurting behavior is a tragic expression of an unmet need.
Four components or NVC: 1. Observation 2. Feeling 3. Needs 4. Request.
Took a look at the first step: making observations free of evaluation or judgment.
We were surprised by some of the dated and/or questionable material and samples in the book. We focused on the value of the concepts.
Importance of reflective listening.
Be aware of Evaluations masquerading as feelings or observations
Anthony:
Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP)
Origins came after the Attica Prison Riot/ Rebellion. Prisoners asked local Quakers to help them formalize their thinking into a cohesive reproducible training.
Three Trainings all about 20 hours over 3 days:
1. Beginning
2. Advanced
3. Training to be a facilitator
The trainings combine many different kinds of exercises: personal writing prompts and then sharing, paired up activities, Problem-solving in small groups, and whole group activities like JIG- SAW. ( I will Insert the puzzle piece Quote here when Anthony shares it)
The impact on the participants is very powerful, obvious, and is life changing.
Conversations during the meeting: (painted with a broad brush)
The interface between all these presentations/ ideas/topics with each other and the connection to the larger focus/s of our group.
A deep discussion about school violence and the help needed for students at risk of committing violent acts along with support for teachers and staff as they navigate this crisis.
The depth of the pain and trauma for each of us as we try to deal with these problems/crisis.
The hopeless inaction that seems to grip many of us in these systems as we try to grapple with children in crisis (teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, police and other people in “authority”).
Remembering that we have the tools in what we are sharing at this meeting (and meetings to come) that we can rely on.
Steven shared a lesson he designed on the holocaust for his students. Good example for other possible activities based on what we are sharing here.
Social Justice is a big part of the roots of what we are trying to address.
Sharing of Spectrum exercises (line up by differences and similarities), “Step into the Circle if...” (not sure what to call this), and Breaking Down the Walls.
Actionable Next Steps: Give ourselves time to process this meeting (the materials and the shared feelings). Meet sooner than later.
Book intro to come from Cindy: Trigger Points by Mark Follman
Jasper will share next NVC Component: Feelings
Kathy will share some ideas about Cooperative mindset and behavior vs the status quo immersion in competition in our world from The Cooperative Culture Handbook: A Social Change Manual to Dismantle Toxic Culture and Build Connection by Yana Ludwig and Karen Gimnig.
Working with Paradise Unified School District Committee
Paradise Unified School District Social Justice Committee
The Paradise Unified School District’s Social Justice Committee is currently in its third year of operation. It was formed in response to a letter sent to the Superintendent and School Board by eight former Paradise High School graduates. While the letter emphasized the students’ experiences of racial discrimination and the negative affect it had on their self-respect, it also expressed the students’ affinity for their beloved home town and wish to see positive changes made for the future.
The authors made four requests that they believed would increase support for current and future students of color within the district:
1. Hire teachers and administrators of color.
2. Provide consistent professional development focused on racial and social justice for
every teacher, administrator and board member in the district.
3. Educators should incorporate a multicultural-based curriculum and use materials by
people of color.
4. Promote diverse spaces for the exploration of identity by establishing a Diversity element
within the district.
The committee includes current students and graduates, parents, staff and regular attendance by PHS and district office administrators, school board members and the superintendent. Our meetings are held on the first Friday of each month from 3:30-5:00. For more information, contact Cindy Carlson at ccarlson@pusdk12.org or Matt Sutter at Msutter@pusdk12.org.
See below for more ideas on how social justice committees and groups of students, teacher and community members have been addressing these issues across the country. If you are doing something in your school, classroom or group that you would like to share with us, please send it to us. chicopeacealliance@yahoo.com
Social Justice: A Whole-School Approach from EdutopiaRead about a social justice-based school that addresses larger issues as a learning community, builds curriculum around service learning, and regularly involves families.
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/social-justice-whole-school-approach-jeanine-harmon
Why Social Justice in School Matters from the National Education Association
Meet five educators who are determined to help young people realize their value and power.
https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/why-social-justice-school-matters
Peace Education Focus Areas
The Peace Education group is interested in addressing the needs of our schools, prisons and
wider community to help face the crises we are experiencing today. We plan to educate
ourselves in the main focus groups and integrate our learnings into our work.
Focus areas:
• School Violence
• Empathy training in schools
• Healthy effective response to troubled students
• Learning skills that enable us to be capable of reacting in healthful ways with and
towards each other.
• Local school politics and school board issues
• Restorative Justice and the Alternatives to Violence Project
• Compassionate Communication
• Viable alternatives to military recruitment
• Cooperative egalitarian culture building
• Recognizing the dominant culture of toxicity and power imbalance and the need for
dismantling it and building healthy connections. (See The Cooperative Culture
Handbook in Resources)
The Peace Education Work Group invites you to join us in our goal to establish and/or support peace culture in our schools and prisons, through such programs as empathy training, Alternatives to Violence, equity, anti-bullying curricula, restorative justice, peace art, and identifying scholarship programs and other resources that can provide alternatives to military recruitment. We strive to give voice to peace in our community, schools, and prisons.
For more information, contact Cindy Carlson at cindyloucarlson@gmail.com
Meeting Notes Archives
Updated October 31, 2022
Peace Education
Submittted by Kathy Faith, Sue Griffin, and Cindy Carlson
Prior to the Camp Fire in 2018, the Ridge Coalition for Peace and Justice had an active program to inform students at Paradise High School about the many alternatives to the military that are available. Then, as now, the military aggressively tries to recruit seniors and juniors into the Service. We lost all our materials in the Camp Fire but we are in the process of recreating them so that we can return to Paradise High School to give young people the information they need to make alternative choices and still accomplish their goals. The School District and the Administrators at the High School appear to be supportive of this effort.
Some of the comments we got from students back then: "Thanks for this information. I thought the only way to 'see the world' was to join the military." "I can't afford to pay for college and I thought the military was the only way I could do it." "It's nice to know what all the options are."
June 12, 2022 Tender Loving Cafe
Present: Cindy Carlson (facilitator), Jasper Lerch, Anthony Porter, Steven Tadeo, Kathy Faith (notetaker
Cindy:
Empathy training, preschool materials, K-12 application and need, Importance of the training and ease of use for teachers, 2nd Step Program is empathy training;
Teaching Tolerance is available K-12;
Teaching NVC to children and parents: the power of basing schools or any organization on the premise that all conflict arises from unmet needs and that all needs of all participants are equal thereby taking the authoritative hierarchy out of the system.
Jasper:
Non-violent Communication (NVC) Overview of author's history. Main concept: any hurting behavior is a tragic expression of an unmet need.
Four components or NVC: 1. Observation 2. Feeling 3. Needs 4. Request.
Took a look at the first step: making observations free of evaluation or judgment.
We were surprised by some of the dated and/or questionable material and samples in the book. We focused on the value of the concepts.
Importance of reflective listening.
Be aware of Evaluations masquerading as feelings or observations
Anthony:
Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP)
Origins came after the Attica Prison Riot/ Rebellion. Prisoners asked local Quakers to help them formalize their thinking into a cohesive reproducible training.
Three Trainings all about 20 hours over 3 days:
1. Beginning
2. Advanced
3. Training to be a facilitator
The trainings combine many different kinds of exercises: personal writing prompts and then sharing, paired up activities, Problem-solving in small groups, and whole group activities like JIG- SAW. ( I will Insert the puzzle piece Quote here when Anthony shares it)
The impact on the participants is very powerful, obvious, and is life changing.
Conversations during the meeting: (painted with a broad brush)
The interface between all these presentations/ ideas/topics with each other and the connection to the larger focus/s of our group.
A deep discussion about school violence and the help needed for students at risk of committing violent acts along with support for teachers and staff as they navigate this crisis.
The depth of the pain and trauma for each of us as we try to deal with these problems/crisis.
The hopeless inaction that seems to grip many of us in these systems as we try to grapple with children in crisis (teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, police and other people in “authority”).
Remembering that we have the tools in what we are sharing at this meeting (and meetings to come) that we can rely on.
Steven shared a lesson he designed on the holocaust for his students. Good example for other possible activities based on what we are sharing here.
Social Justice is a big part of the roots of what we are trying to address.
Sharing of Spectrum exercises (line up by differences and similarities), “Step into the Circle if...” (not sure what to call this), and Breaking Down the Walls.
Actionable Next Steps: Give ourselves time to process this meeting (the materials and the shared feelings). Meet sooner than later.
Book intro to come from Cindy: Trigger Points by Mark Follman
Jasper will share next NVC Component: Feelings
Kathy will share some ideas about Cooperative mindset and behavior vs the status quo immersion in competition in our world from The Cooperative Culture Handbook: A Social Change Manual to Dismantle Toxic Culture and Build Connection by Yana Ludwig and Karen Gimnig.