This year, a new project, run by School Connections Specialist Tina Medina, was introduced at UC High, called the Peace Project, which works to teach students healthy conflict resolution skills and build stronger relationships with their peers, potential coworkers, and future relationships.
Peace Project Leader Medina said, “[The purpose of this project is] to teach our young adults healthy conflict resolution skills that focus on trust and community building, strong relationships and non-violent communication.”
Member of the Peace Project Junior Lucia Dewinter said, “It [The Peace Project] will help me with relationships in the future, especially how to solve those arguments that we have.”
Medina explained that she has always been an advocate for peace: “I have been a peacebuilder for most of my life. I got my masters degree from USD’s Kroc School for Peace and worked at the Institute for Peace and Justice as a program officer in positive youth development.”
Member of The Peace Project Junior Julia Gillespie Carlson said, “I wanted to be a part of this project, because I think it’s really important to be able to effectively communicate when there are issues within a group or with a specific person.”
“I love working with and teaching young people how to work through tough things in a way that makes everyone feel seen, heard, and understood. Conflict is a part of life, so why not find a way to make working through it better,” said Medina.
Medina said, “[A short term goal is] to have more young people on campus understand why conflicts happen and learn how to handle them in a way that helps us find a resolution instead of creating more conflict and causing more harm.”
“My favorite thing about being a part of The Peace Project is learning about how diverse our school is and being able to understand how we can effectively communicate and get to know each other,” said Gillespie Carlson.
Dewinter said, “The purpose is to help with conflict between two people and how to solve it. I wanted to be part of the project because I need to learn how to resolve my conflict better.”
Gillespie Carlson said, “I think people should be a part of The Peace Project, because it builds fundamental skills that you can develop over time, and it’s a good base for any future jobs or internships that might involve conflict.”
“A long term goal is to one day (maybe even next year!) have a small team of students be trained peer mediators to help me take on cases and help their classmates find a healthy way through low-level conflicts in a way that actually leads to resolution,” said Medina.
Gillespie Carlson said, “This project helps to build long-term life skills that you can use in multiple scenarios during and after high school. It also can help resolve small conflicts within friend groups or clubs.”
Dewinter explained that the project is very inclusive and welcoming. She said, “I like how it is open to so many people and you can talk about anything.”
Dewinter said, “Nowadays, people do not really know how to resolve conflict, so if everyone that can joins The Peace Project, it will help people understand how to resolve the conflict in their day-to-day lives.”
According to The Peace Project flyer, students can, “…learn how to resolve conflict, build community, and create lasting change on your campus.”