by Sara Barnes & Kiki Homer
Did you know that along with providing direct dispute
resolution services, we have grown into a
fully realized conflict resolution school?
Looking back at the first homegrown Intro to Mediation course in 2017, it is astounding to discover that in 2023 we provided over 320 hours of teaching and learning experiences.
Today in the third month of 2024 we run a one-hour weekly drop in Mediator Check-In Wednesdays at 4 p.m. for mediators, coaches, facilitators, and anyone else who can benefit. On Thursdays, Conflict Management Essentials takes place from 4 to 5:30; participants dig into conflict resolution concepts and research to use in their personal or professional lives. On Wednesdays from 9 to 10:30 a.m., sixteen supervisors and managers meet in our Workplace Conflict Cohort, presenting case studies and following a text about conflict management in the workplace. Monday evenings from 4 to 6, eighteen experienced mediators work together in Advanced Family Mediation to learn the intricate skills and tools for these cases. Beginning on April 3, and going forward through to June for 12 weeks, the Introduction to Mediation Basics and Qualification courses begin for any and all who would like to learn the skills, art, process, and theory of facilitative mediation. Link here.
How did we manage, after only a few years, to create a conflict resolution school here on an island seven miles off the coast? Three ways: 1) We love to teach––that is a crucial component; 2) Zoom is our friend for sure––we have had students from as far away as the Philippines, France, and Nigeria in our classes; 3) We are holding ourselves accountable to make real our organization’s vision, "An Island of Competent, Capable, and Effective Conflict Resolvers."
In a world with media and information leading toward war, polarization, and dehumanization, we are trying to do our part to spread the word of peace and resolution. Take a course if you are able; you would be welcomed to our learning community.