Local Charter High School Students to Be Certified as Community Peacemakers at Pitt’s Law School April 29

PITTSBURGH—Having completed their training to be community peacemakers, approximately 20 high school students from two of the region’s Propel Charter Schools will attend a special graduation ceremony from 6 to 8 p.m. April 29 at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law’s Barco Law Building, 3900 Forbes Ave., Oakland. 

Eight Pitt law student fellows, under the direction of Pitt professor of law Judi Teeter, have worked in teams of two to train 9th-grade students at Propel Braddock Hills and 11th-and 12th-graders at Propel Andrew Street in Munhall in conflict resolution and peer mediation. The newly certified students will be able to act as peacemakers, mediating a broad range of disputes that might occur among their classmates. It is the same mediation training used for lawyers and law students, but adapted to a high school setting. 

The evening events are as follows: 

6 p.m.                   Dinner for students and their families

6:45 p.m.              Move to Teplitz Memorial Courtroom, ground floor

7-7:45 p.m.           Mock mediation demonstration

7:45-8 p.m.           Awarding of community peacemaker certificates

The conflict-resolution (informally known as peacemakers) program’s 16-week curriculum presents students with a positive perspective on what lawyers do and provides an opportunity for the students to see themselves in that role. It also helps to develop their communication skills, better understand social and cultural diversity, and create win-win options for conflict resolution. 

Propel Schools represent the largest, fastest-expanding set of charter schools in Pennsylvania and have the highest level of student achievement among the 20 Pennsylvania school districts serving high concentrations of students living in poverty. 

The conflict-resolution program is also offered at the Kingsley Association in East Liberty. 

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4/27/11/tmw/lks