Springs’ Bear River Student Center has implemented a new peer mediation group in which students mediate conflicts among peers with the assistance of Mrs. Seymour, the on-site counselor. In January, 38 students in grades 5-8 participated in 10 hours of peer mediation training led by the Community Action Partnership of Riverside County.
Participants learned how to help other students mediate conflicts related to gossip, rumors, harassment, and classroom conflict. The goal of the program is to reduce school conflict, provide students with problem-solving skills and help the school create a caring and cooperative school environment.
Upon completion of the program, students received a certificate of completion, stickers, and a t-shirt. They will now meet bimonthly with the counselor to continue to review the five-step conflict mediation process and to discuss how to support one another at school.
