Other Youth Programs

Western Justice Center Teen mediators

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer 4 Peace

Summer 4 Peace is a week-long 20-hour conflict resolution training for middle and high school youth.  Participating students are taken through an interactive and engaging youth-focused curriculum, learning conflict resolution skills such as constructive communication and the processes of negotiation, informal mediation and facilitation.  Students who complete the program receive a certificate in conflict resolution from Western Justice Center (WJC). 

The first Summer 4 Peace was held in 2009 with 25 participants.  In evaluations conducted by researchers from the Department of Psychology and California State University, Northridge, all of the students felt the workshop improved their confidence in being an effective mediator, while 90.9% felt the workshop improved their ability to teach conflict resolution to others.  In addition, 86.3% of the students strongly agreed the workshop was worthwhile, and 90.9% would recommend the workshop to others.

The second offering took place in 2011.  Participants stated:

"I think this training will help me to manage my anger better and refrain from getting involved in conflicts.  I know how to look at other's points of view and question my own rationale."

"I think the training was something I definitely needed to go through.  It taught me how to think things through clearly before acting because my inability to manage my own anger in the past has negatively affected me.  I believe I am now closer to being able to do this with the skills I learned, as long as I continue to practice them."

"It showed me how to be a better problem solver."

"It will help me to stay out of or resolve conflict."

"This training has increased my confidence in what to say and ask during conflicts." 

Culture Shock

Since 2008, WJC has collaborated with All Saints Church Office of Creative Connections, The California Conference for Equality and Justice (CCEJ), CORAL Innovation Center New Vision Partners, Day One, Flintridge Center, and YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley in order to offer Culture Shock to 20-30 Pasadena area high school students each summer.

Culture Shock is a three-day summer training opportunity to provide teens with human relations, cross-cultural communication, and conflict resolution skills to use in their schools and communities. The training culminates with a youth-led community project. In addition, every graduate is invited to come back and receive a one-day facilitator training in order to serve as a peer facilitator for subsequent Culture Shock cohorts.

Youth satisfaction surveys demonstrate that, among other things, the young people who participated felt a greater sense of efficacy in addressing issues on their school campuses and in their community.

Recent Programs

Camp Miller

From Winter 2008 through Winter 2011, WJC collaborated with the Los Angeles County Public Defender and Probation Department, Los Angeles NAACP Customer Service Learning Center, and Mentoring and Partnership for Youth Development to provide in-camp retail skills to 8 cohorts, each composed of approximately 15 youth.  To each cohort, WJC delivered 3 one-hour retail-oriented conflict resolution trainings focused on active listening, construction communication and decision-making.

Community Youth Peacebuilders

In 2010, WJC held a 20-session conflict resolution program for 20 high school students at a Pasadena community park.  This program integrated with the conflict resolution training other valuable life skills such as drug and alcohol prevention, healthy nutrition, and navigating city services.

 

 

 

Western Justice Center Blog


  • Introducing Encompass's Creating Bias-Free Classrooms Preview
    Posted by Sarah Belknap on January 04, 2012 

    Western Justice Center and Encompass have formed a collaboration that allows us to expand our services to schools. WJC would like to introduce you to our partner’s educator training program, Creating Bias-Free Classrooms.  This interactive teacher-training program uses live, improvisational theater to equip educators to build safe and inclusive classroom environments.  During each training session, teachers learn the laws and relevant teaching standards for creating a safe classroom.  They assess their own comfort and competence in handling these issues, learn to identify various forms of bias, and get hands-on experience in the most effective techniques to use in a classroom. By watching realistic classroom scenes performed by teenage actors, the teachers get to see how bias affects every student in the classroom. Teachers can safely experiment with different strategies of addressing bias related to gender, race or sexual orientation by practicing on teenage actors who are trained in improvisational theater.

    The program was created by Encompass and is a project of a service-learning class at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.   Join us on January 19, 2012  from 5-7:30 p.m. for an overview and demonstration of the program. Please RSVP with This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

  • Judge Nelson in Pasadena Magazine
    Posted by Sarah Belknap on December 10, 2011 
    Judge Dorothy Nelson who founded WJC is profiled in this month's Pasadena magazine.  Judge_Nelson_Pasadena_Magazine_December_2011.pdf
  • Non-violence and Occupy LA
    Posted by Bethany Leal on December 02, 2011 

    As a long-time activist, I have understood the theory of non-violent action for many years.  I have studied the Greensboro lunch counter sit-ins and the teachings of Cesar Chavez.  Only recently, however, have I come to understand and fully embrace the practice of non-violent action and conflict resolution.

    Read more »
  • August Training Wrap-Up
    Posted by Emily Linnemeier on September 13, 2011 

    August was a training whirlwind for WJC program staff and the stakeholders we work with across the education spectrum: teachers, students, and security officers.  This approach of training stakeholders disperses conflict resolution knowledge throughout an educational institution so that all members of the school community can support one another in using conflict resolution skills.

    Read more »
  • It Takes Strength to Compromise
    Posted by Sarah Belknap on August 01, 2011 
    Strong supporter Tanya Acker talks the debt ceiling, compromise, and what Congress can learn from elementary school students in her new blog piece on the Huffington Post. Click here to check it out and tell us what you think via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , facebook, or twitter.
View more »
©2011 Western Justice Center Foundation, 55 South Grand Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105-1602
Sitemap  •  Privacy Policy  •  Website by HT Group Inc.