March 17, 2010

Peace Learning Circles holds community meeting Thursday



Peace Learning Circles, an innovative program designed to teach peace skills to local elementary students, is holding a community meeting Thursday night to share the program's successes and map out its plans for the future. If you're interested in learning more about a great local program, check out tomorrow night's meeting (details below):

Here's a preview of the meeting from Sue Hollow, executive director of Peace Learning Circles:
Peace Learning Circles (PLC) is having a very important meeting tomorrow, March 18 from 4:30 - 6:30 at UW-Parkside.
The purpose of the meeting is to bring awareness of what PLC has accomplished since we began and what our vision is for the future, as well as an opportunity for PLC to network with people from the communities we serve.
Following the introduction of our history and vision for the future, participants will have the opportunity to participate in a brainstorming session.
We are also looking for partnerships, collaborations, stakeholders, and candidates for our Board of Directors and Advisory Board.
Anyone that is interested in participating, is welcome to attend. Space is limited. Please call or email to RSVP or for more information.
Peace Learning Circles Community Meeting
Thursday, March 18
4:30-6:30 p.m.
UW-Parkside Student Center - Oak Room
Light refreshments served

Background on Peace Learning Circles 
Since we began with our first pilot program in May, 2006, over 4400 students have benefited from our program in 21 elementary schools in Racine and Kenosha. One hundred and twenty-six 4th and 5th grade classes have participated in our Peacemakers Workshop.
The students participate in an experiential, five-hour workshop where they learn and practice pro-social relationship skills, values, teamwork, how to be a positive impact, how to resolve a small problem before it becomes a bigger problem, conflict resolution without violence, and how to be a peacemaker and peace mentor in the home, school and community. Following the workshop, each classroom receives three follow-up visits to reinforce what was taught at the workshops and teach new skills.
However, we realize that in order to have a real impact, PLC would need to expand to include all grades, K-5, as well as give additional training and support to all school staff and parents. In September of 2009, PLC began an all-school pilot program with two elementary schools in Racine and one in Kenosha. Students in all grades, kindergarten through 5th grade have participated in the PLC program in their classrooms. The teachers are receiving additional training so they can be role models to the students and incorporate the skills into their classroom environment. Parents are also invited to special meetings so they can learn the same skills that the students are using in the classroom and reinforce the skills at home, as well as support their use in the classroom.
Our main goals are to teach pro-social relationship and communication skills, values, empathy, compassion, and respect for every individual. We achieve this by teaching and reinforcing the concepts of teamwork, inclusion, compromise, listening, point of view, and “communication fouls”. With the understanding that conflict is a natural part of our lives, members of the community learn safe and effective ways to address conflict when it occurs and prevent the escalation that can lead to violence. Parents are also being taught the skills so they can teach the same behavior in the home. In addition to the schools we work with, PLC has offered an Outreach Program to 152 elementary schools in southeastern Wisconsin, so that schools that do not participate in PLC programs can implement some of the concepts and projects themselves.

28 comments:

  1. This is news? No, it's an agenda.

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  2. Yup, peace is the agenda.

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  3. Another non biased Racine Post report.

    Dustin, why did you turn off comments on the Tousis post?

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  4. As long as we have the class war waged by the rich against the rest of us, a just peace of any kind is impossible.

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  5. Needed: Social justice. Without it, peace is merely another term for docile servitude.

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  6. Considering the anger that today's youth have and how they handle it, I'd think anything that helps young people learn how to be peaceful is a good thing. Want more shootings? Want more girls running over people in parking lots? Want more adults going to high schools to settle it for their kids? All things that have happened in Racine. Hey! Maybe adults could benefit from some peace cirlces!

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  7. "learn and practice pro-social relationship skills, values, teamwork, how to be a positive impact, how to resolve a small problem before it becomes a bigger problem, conflict resolution without violence, and how to be a peacemaker and peace mentor in the home, school and community"

    Sounds like parenting to me.

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  8. Tim the Shrubber3/17/2010 2:22 PM

    Anon: 12:25 - Discussion on Racine Post is over. On one hand I do not blame Dusitn and Pete for shutting off comments when people start posting outside the bounds of decency (and possibly legality), but on the other hand I realize that they just gave the power to end all discussion to the person willing to go too far.

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  9. True peace comes from a relationship with Christ. And I'm saying this as someone who is not a right-wing whacko. We keep feeding kids this junk when it's not the truth.

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  10. Dustin, Are you guys aware that it is illegal to post pictures of juveniles through any media outlets w/out the permission of the parent or guardian? Just curious.

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  11. Seriously, what's the point of discussion if it's not constructive? I fully support closing comments if things get out of hand. It's so easy to type hurtful things.

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  12. Does this help make soldiers?

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  13. I don't understand why people would want to put down something positive that can only help our children and communities. So many people complain about all the violence and media coverage when something goes wrong, yet when there is something positive, there are still negative remarks.

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  14. This stuff exists to keep ordinary people and their kids nice and subservient. Alas, oligarchic clans such as the Waxies know that if rank-and-filers ever feel free to vent their rage at their oppressors, the capitalist cash-cadgers' carnival soon will be over.

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  15. It's always good to learn about people and places who are working to keep our community safe, healthy and prosperous. However, I don't see the phone number or e-mail in the story for more information.

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  16. 12:55 - you said and always say: "Alas, oligarchic clans such as the Waxies know that if rank-and-filers ever feel free to vent their rage at their oppressors". Come up with some new material and quit puting down anything good in this community. What exactly are you doing to give students support. To help many who come from one parent families, parents who do not watch out for their kids, those that are in and out of jail? You like to do a lot of trashing but do nothing personnaly to improve things other than making threats. Would you be so bold if you had to post your name?

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  17. What I say is merely nothing more nor less than the truth. Kids from disadvantaged backgrounds shouldn't be taught docility toward a system which impoverishes them while handing the filthy Waxtrash an extra two hundred million smackers apiece. No, such youngsters need to know who their enemies are and how to overthrow the socio-economic elite responsible for their misery.

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  18. Without social justice, peace is a farce.

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  19. Regarding my identity, that's irrelevant--in the vast scheme of history, no individual is indispensable. Considering my poverty, advanced age and lack of propspects, my death would be an act of divine mercy. However, I protect myself via anonymity in order to contribute what I can or may to the struggle against the big buck buccaneers who've oppressed millions of victims here and abroad.

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  20. Ok Mr. Angry - you always have an excuse - take responsibility for your own life and quit blaming others.

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  21. Who's Mr. Angry? I'm just one of MANY men who loathe capitalism, the oligarchy and the filthy House of Wax.

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  22. Tim the Shrubber3/18/2010 12:52 PM

    Uh oh...the kid who has read too much Zinn is going to get the comments shut down on this post also.

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  23. Mr. Angry - just men - then I guess Winnie's ok!

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  24. The bottom line is that we have a major maldistribution of assets and access thereto in our present, far-from-pleasant socio-economic system. Telling poor and lower-middle class youngsters to be peaceful--id est, docile--is criminal. Instead of pushing pax, we ought to be teaching rank-and-file kids who their real enemies are: the corporate pigs.

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  25. Big business and the dollar sign dynasties which control it are the real enemies of the American people. Every impoverished kid needs to know why he's poor and who benefits from keeping him at the bottom.

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  26. Revolution's the solution!

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  27. Justice is truth in action. Until we social justice prevails, we don't need pro-peace propaganda.

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  28. Every non-privileged kid should learn exactly how the system works and why it benefits the rich at his expense.

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