How Restorative Practices Helped Schools and Communities in 2020

From our December 2020 Newsletter, originally published Dec. 22, 2020:

In this unprecedented year, we saw how Restorative Practices were essential to the resilience and transformation required by so many schools & communities. Here are a few highlights that we want to share with you:

This summer, an organization being torn apart by the convergence of the pandemic, political polarization, and racial injustice contacted us to facilitate a series of restorative circles in their community. Circles played a critical role in this group’s ability to move forward together, and P2RC was later invited back to do a Circle Keeper Training to enable them to facilitate their own Community Building Circles going forward.

We are just completing our first online Regional Training with a fantastic cohort of school counselors, administrators and teachers who have already begun applying their new tools in their classrooms and meetings. 

We are currently training a group of youth to facilitate peer-led circles in their own school community. We are excited for the interpersonal skills and connection that they will cultivate through their circles.

Looking back to the beginning year, though it feels like ages ago, we were busy bringing Restorative Practices to six different school systems, helping teachers implement circles in the classroom, using circles to heal damaged relationships, and introducing circles to strengthen communication among staff and students. Like many of you, our work halted abruptly after our last in-person training on March 5th, where we used hand sanitizer as a talking piece. Little did we know what the world was in for. After the shock wore off and we transitioned to socially distanced life, we wrote blog posts to share techniques for staying connected & managing stress while learning remotely. We pivoted to working virtually and saw how Restorative Practices provided a significant way for schools and communities to manage the stress and disconnection induced by this unsettling year of remote learning and working.

We know that while nothing can replace what we have lost this year, Restorative Practices are an incredible tool for helping us regain what is so desperately needed right now: connection, community, and healing.

Thank you to all of the wonderful clients, partners and individuals we have gotten to work with this year. We look forward to continuing this work and being part of the shift towards creating resilient, restorative communities.

We sincerely wish everyone peace, health and hope during the holidays and in the year ahead.  

Warmest regards,

Candace, Beth and JJ