Advoz, a Lancaster city-based organization, works to reduce conflict through mediation, restorative practices and education. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, the organization has been partnering with Elizabethtown Area School District to promote restorative practices in the district's middle and high schools.

Krista Rittenhouse, director of restorative practices for Advoz, explained that the Elizabethtown programming began before the school year started this past fall. Listening sessions, consultations and trainings have provided a framework for the program in the schools. "We've been doing training for both administrators and teachers, and we have a part-time trained facilitator, someone who is embedded in the school a few hours a week, to be able to provide additional support for restorative processes in the school," Rittenhouse said.

As she explained, restorative practices focus on empowering student voices, so that decisions are made with the people in a situation, rather than for those people. "It doesn't mean that there's chaos and students don't have responsibility, but instead it means they are invited to imagine what's best for them and advocate for their needs, as well as participate in creating solutions," Rittenhouse stated. "It also invites teachers to have a collaborative atmosphere that engages and empowers their students." Peer mediation and leadership positions are offered to students, fostering an environment of accountability.

"If someone does something that causes harm or disruption to either another specific individual or another group of people, the restorative practitioner would talk to that person and invite them to consider what's behind their actions, what they were thinking or feeling and what the motivation was for their behavior," Rittenhouse explained. The restorative practitioner would also talk to the other people involved to see how to support them and alleviate any harm they experienced. Restorative justice, she noted, seeks to shift the focus from blame and punishment to prevention through community building and nurturing relationships. In a nutshell, restorative practices are about creating conversations to reach solutions, rather than relying solely on punishment, Rittenhouse stated.

According to statistics supplied by Advoz, schools that participate in restorative justice programs have an 87% reduction in the number of suspensions of students, with expulsions being entirely eliminated on some campuses. Additionally, 64% of teachers who use restorative justice believe it helps them to build caring relationships with their students, and 69% of teachers report a positive impact on school climate, ultimately leading to an increase in safety.

This is the first relationship Advoz has with a school district in Lancaster County, and Rittenhouse is optimistic that other schools will join as partners in the future.

She noted that anyone who is interested in learning more about restorative justice, whether professionally or with the hope to become a volunteer, should start with "Advoz Introduction to Conflict, Communication and Culture" training. The next training will be held on Tuesday, June 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. After that, people can take further training in their area of interest. For the full list of upcoming trainings and their dates, visit https://advoz.org/training.