restorative practices

This blog was written by our Youth Programs Director, Kristina Hulvershorn. Restorative Justice, Restorative Practices, Restorative Circles…all of the names and definitions can get confusing so we want to share a few stories that show you why we are so proud of this work. These are all stories from the last 2 months of work in IPS schools by our Peace Learning Center team. It is about people helping themselves Two teenagers at a high school get sent out of class. Their words were escalating and it looked like they might fight. One restorative circle later we find out the complexities of their relationship and the two of them are able to reconnect and make a plan for how to get along in the future without disrupting class. One participant said that the process was refreshing because it felt good to talk it through the right way and was grateful for the opportunity. They didn’t need to be told that they were wrong or what to do. Neither student needed to be punished in order to learn something or do the right thing. They came up with a solution on their own and were back in the class within 20 minutes. It is about changing how we view children After a circle with a full elementary class, who had been experiencing a number of problems with disruptions and negative behaviors, the teacher remarked “I have never seen them take responsibility for