New Training Series Focused on Restorative Justice Coming this Fall
Restorative Practices in Out-of-School Time: Reframing Our Response to Wrongdoing
According to The Afterschool Alliance, afterschool settings provide an ideal location for introducing a restorative justice system, as they focus heavily on building a strong sense of community and assisting students with diverse backgrounds and needs, both of which are core focuses of the restorative justice model.
As Prime Time Palm Beach County continues to empower out-of-school time (OST) practitioners to create safe, supportive and welcoming environments that encourage positive social interactions and engagement with youth, it has developed a brand new professional development training series that focuses on the importance of teaching youth to learn from their mistakes and repair harm done, instead of isolating and punishing youth.
During this three-part series, afterschool program directors or assistant directors will attend three sessions with at least two other staff members to learn how to work together to shift the climate and culture of their programs. Prime Time’s training facilitator will work through ways to promote authentic dialogue, equity of voice, and a true sense of belonging for youth, staff and families. In addition, Prime time will also facilitate three modeling/ technical assistance sessions either in person or virtually to better support participating programs in implementing the restorative practices learned at their site.
While this is the first training series dedicated entirely to restorative practices, they have been mentioned in other trainings, including the Power of Circles in OST (highlighted below), particularly because these incorporate circle practices that provide youth the opportunity to develop important social and emotional learning (SEL) skills, such as conflict resolution. The video below highlights some of the important themes and elements of these practices along with practitioner testimonials on how they can be used in their programs.
Power of Circles in OST Training Highlight
“It honestly gives them an opportunity to break down the situation that they probably didn’t really look at before in that way…” – Leonie Noel , FAU Pine Jog Afterschool Program, attendee of Power of Circles in OST training
“I talked to the two individuals first…I brought all of the children in a circle, got their approval and we shared information. It helped a lot because it made everyone responsible …It made me feel so good just to make them be responsible for themselves. ” – Mary Lee Kelly, Florence Fuller Child Development Center – West, attendee of Power of Circles in OST training
Prime Time’s Restorative Practices in OST: Reframing Our Response to Wrongdoing training series will be offered beginning in the fall 2021. Prime Time encourages OST practitioners to sign-up for Prime Time’s e-blasts to receive the latest information on all Prime Time offers. Click here to subscribe.
