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The Northern Virginia Regional Student Mediation Conference for elementary school students, sponsored by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), will be held Wednesday, March 14, at George Mason University. This year’s conference theme, “My Part for Peace,” emphasizes the need for improved conflict resolution skills which will provide the potential to build a more peaceful atmosphere in schools, homes, and communities. During the workshops, participants will explore how peer mediators can utilize their skills in mediation, communication, teamwork, listening, trust, respect, and anger management to help guide their peers towards the peaceful resolution of conflict.
Approximately 600 elementary school students and staff members from public and private schools throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area are expected to participate in this year’s conference. Peer mediators from Lanier Middle School’s Improvisation Troupe will present a skit showing the young mediators how their skills in conflict resolution can help resolve everyday conflicts at their schools.
Participants can select a workshop from nine different areas, ranging from introductory to highly advanced. The workshops are co-facilitated by adult mediators from the community and schools in partnership with high school and middle school student peer mediators. These partnerships empower student leaders to share their skills with fellow students. Two workshops are designed for adults only and focus on supporting novice as well as experienced peer mediation coordinators.
Participants new to mediation will learn about the mediation process and will practice the skills of communication, problem solving, and decision making used during mediation. Newly trained mediators will focus on managing the mediation process. Experienced mediators will gain advanced skills for mediating difficult situations and using conflict resolution skills outside of formal mediations. Highly experienced mediators will learn strategies for mediating group conflicts. Additional workshops focus on building peaceable schools and communities, mediating groups, and marketing mediation.
Thousands of students across the Northern Virginia – Washington D.C. metro area choose to learn and use peaceful conflict resolution strategies to resolve disputes. Students learn communication skills, the mediation process, and work as peer mediators in their schools to help other students work out differences peacefully. FCPS has adopted conflict resolution as a goal for all students in the School Board Student Achievement Goals and in the Students Rights and Responsibilities handbook. Peer mediation programs can successfully teach students these skills.
The Northern Virginia Regional Student Mediation Conference for middle and high school students was held in November 2011. During the past 20 years, more than 25,000 participants from surrounding school jurisdictions have attended the conferences. Participants have learned skills and strategies to reinforce the peer mediation work that they do to make their schools safe and respectful learning environments.
The conference is sponsored by Fairfax County Public Schools Department of Special Services Student Safety and Wellness Office (SSAW), in partnership with the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, the Fairfax County Office of Public Private Partnerships, the Fairfax County Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution and Appeals, and Northern Virginia Mediation Service.
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