Student U and Peaceful Schools NC are partnering to bring you a day and a half of Restorative Practices training on March 5 and 6. 

A full-day training on March 6 will support educators in confidently using a restorative model with students. The day will focus on the mindset of a relationship-based approach to discipline and conflict resolution, a fundamental understanding of Restorative Practices in schools, training in how to lead restorative conversations and healing circles, and plenty of time to practice, practice, practice.  

Principals, administrators, and school leaders are invited to join us for a half-day workshop on Thursday, March 5 focusing on both mindset and infrastructure that will allow Restorative Practices to thrive within a school. 

Location: The W.G. Pearson Center

Registration is open now. 

Cost of participation: $65-$120

Restorative Practices in Education Presenters

Michelle Bridgers Norwood cares deeply about creating a restorative family environment for all students and families in Student U. She believes this is key to collaborating to solve systemic injustices in our community. Michelle is a graduate of North Carolina Central University with a Bachelor’s in Mathematics and a concentration in Education. She taught for three years in Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools before joining Student U as the High School Program Coordinator, walking with students and families on their journey through high school. The proverb, It takes a village to raise a child, guides her work in creating strong communities to support students. Over the past five years, Michelle has supervised over 150 part-time staff at Student U and supported over 200 students. As a former teacher and current partner with Durham Public Schools, Michelle sees the value in approaching situations with a Restorative Mindset and looks forward to sharing this practice with others.

Christel Greiner Butchart, MA currently leads the Peaceful Schools NC initiative at Carolina Friends School. With 15 years of experience as an educator, Christel works to empower teachers, students, and school communities in effectively implementing a social curriculum founded in student education and practice of conflict resolution strategies.  Christel is Rotary Peace Fellow, receiving her Masters in International Relations with a focus on Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Queensland, AU. At Carolina Friends School, she teaches Conflict Resolution and Rehearsal For Life, based on Augusto Boal’s Theater of the Oppressed. Internationally, Christel has worked with students and teachers in Myanmar (Burma) and Australia, teaching peace education and developing relevant conflict resolution curriculum. She recently completed the IIRP Restorative Justice training and is eager to support other educators in their pursuit of restorative practices in schools.  

Renee Prillaman has over 40 years of teaching and administrative experience and holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction. She spent the first half of her career in public education as a classroom teacher and as a teacher educator at the University of Kentucky, Meredith College, the University of NC and Duke University.  Renee is currently the Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning at Carolina Friends School and in her 21 years at CFS, she has served in a range of roles including classroom teacher, Middle School Head, and Interim Head of School. Groups and organizations for which Renee has presented include AERA, NAEYC, SAIS, as well as a wide range of public and independent schools. Renee is a founding board member and previous Chair of the Peaceful Schools NC Committee and has delivered workshops and presentations for Peaceful Schools NC since its inception.

Ida Trisolini, BA, is a master teacher with 27 years experience in the classroom.  A Middle School teacher at Carolina Friends School, Ida has led workshops with Peaceful Schools NC for the past four years.  As a Quaker, she has always had an interest in peace, but her specific interest in Peace Education began when she began teaching the Middle School Conflict Resolution class at Carolina Friends School.  After teaching and developing curriculum for this class, she became interested in finding ways to integrate conflict resolution skills and peace curriculum into her regular language arts classroom. Her interests include arts integration, proactive classroom management, using discipline as an opportunity for growth, and helping students develop resiliency and responsibility.  Ida is a graduate of the Institute for Engaging Leadership, a two-year Quaker leadership program.

April Warren believes that all students can succeed and sees communities as powerful agents in changing unjust systems. April is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with a Bachelor’s in Sociology and a minor in Education. After graduating, April taught for two years at Neal Middle School in Durham with Citizen Schools, an Americorps organization. She began working full time at Student U in 2015 as the Middle School Program Coordinator, implementing after-school and summer programming for middle school students in Durham. In 2016, Student U began implementing Restorative Practices into their program framework. Since then, April attended the International Institute of Restorative Practices and has led over ten sessions with Student U staff over the past four years. April believes in the power of Restorative Practices within communities and is excited to share this passion with other educators.

Hosted by Student U and Peaceful Schools NC

The mission of Peaceful Schools NC is to empower schools to create and sustain their own healthy learning environments. Working with teachers, administrators, staff, students, and parents, Peaceful Schools works to support a healthy school climate in which all students can thrive socially and academically; the effects of which will positively impact families, local communities, society, and the world

The mission of Student U is to empower students in the Durham Public Schools to own their education by developing the academic skills and personal well-being necessary to succeed in college and beyond.