A Head Start Demonstration Project Using Conflict Resolution and Mediation
by Court Dorsey, Conflict Resolution Mediator/Trainer/Consultant, Wendell, MA
Conflict is a natural occurrence in healthy human interaction, but a violent response to conflict is destructive to children, adults, families, communities, collaborating organiziatons, and nations. Society has become increasingly aware of the cost of violence and the associated fear of violence in homes and communities.
In 1991, the Parent Child Development Center (PCDC) in Greenfield, Massachusetts, was awarded a three-year Family Support Demonstration Grant to collaborate with Franklin Mediation Service, a community mediation organziaiton, to intergrate conflict resolution and mediation into its Head Start program. During the next three yuears, progect coorindators worked with parents, teachers, and staff to bring conflict resoution skills to the entire Head Start community.
All teachers and staff recieved at least six hours of training in basic conflict resolution. Mediation was offered toparents and staff. All family advocates, as well as other staff and parents recieved full mediator training. One half of the program's parents atteneded parent training, and an age-appropraite curriculum was developed for use in the classrooms. In addition, the program stressed bias awareness, male involvement, and comunity networking.
The project devloped a mutually reinforcing system so that he same skills of communication and conflict resolution given to staff were also given to parents and childrne. As a result, what the children learned in the classroom was reinforced at home. When Head Start family advocates dealth iwth family issues on home visits, they could infomrally deiate disputes in a language already familiar to the parents. More difficult situations were referred to formal mediation, where the process was also familiar.
In addition to teachers learning godo preparatory problem-solving skills in the classroom, they could recognize signs of conflict int he cihldren and fmailies and could bring the concerns to team meetings, or recommend the mediation process to parents directly.
Since the demonstartation project conluded in 1994, efforts have been underway to build a collaborative relationship between communitve mediation organizations and Head Start programs. nation wide. As a next step int his process, funding is being sought to replicate and adapt this program in pilot sites in ten culturally diverse Head Start environments.
For more information abotu this Head Start conflict resolution project, write to the National Associaiton for Community Mediation (NAFCM), 1726 M Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036-4502. (202) 467-6226.
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Court Dorsey is a mediator, trainer, consultant, and theater artist, and was co-coordinator of the PCDO Head Start Mediation Project. His address is 121 Montague Road, Wendell, MA 01379. (508) 544-6978.
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