Advertisement

ABA PROJECT OUT-REACH
Supporting School Mediation

A Joint Project of The American Bar Association's
Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section,
Section of Dispute Resolution
and Young Lawyers Division

The Reason to Act...

More students are experiencing violence in their schools every day.  If two high school students stand toe-to-toe in a crowded hallway ready to explode in conflict, is violence inevitable?  There is a peaceful alternative.

The Action to Take...

Start ABA Project Out-Reach in your community's schools.

Peer mediation is a proven effective conflict prevention and resolution device, in which a team of two student-mediators assists disputants in identifying solutions to their conflicts.  A peer mediator maintains confidentiality and does not judge or create solutions

In Project Out-Reach, each of the three ABA entities designates lawyers to work in teams to implement new or enhance existing school-based peer mediation programs.  The lawyers agree to help the designated school for at least a full year.

For each project, teams of three attorneys are trained in mediation techniques, the components of a school-based mediation program, establishing a school mediation program, reaching out to the community, working with existing programs, and promoting the idea to parents and school officials.

Project Out-Reach lawyers can assist school administrators with implementation decisions, provide sample forms to adapt or adopt, conduct training and follow-up meetings, act as a resource if schools have questions or concerns, provide materials to facilitate the orderly running of the program, and assist in coordination of the advertising and publicizing of the program.

The project allows lawyers to use their legal training, community organizing skills, contacts, and their dispute resolution experience.   In the process, the workload of principals and counselors involved with disciplinary actions is reduced.  It's a win-win situation.

The Time to Act...

Schools usually work on a semester basis with Fall and Spring semesters as the best times to begin any new project.  To implement Project Out-Reach in the Fall, begin planning and organizing in the Spring or early Summer.

The Steps to Making a Difference
With Project Out-Reach

• Gain the Principal's support;

• Train a core group of faculty, administrator, student, community and parent supporters;

• Make the program known to the faculty, students, parents and community leaders;

• Select the Conflict Managers;

• Determine the scope of the program and the intake and referral process;

• Train the Conflict Managers and conduct graduation ceremonies;

• Begin mediation, monitor progress, debrief performance with Conflict Managers and retrain, celebrate success;

• Involve the Community