Encourage youth to write poetry about who they are, what they value, and where they come from. “I am from…..” can be a helpful writing prompt, followed by family names, ancestor names and descriptions, sounds, sights, smells, foods, songs, place names, verbal expressions, and more. This is a useful way to learn more about the …
Create an end of the semester or end of the year skit or play on a particular historical event. Each child/student has a role. Play it out so they feel the differences in perspective, interests and needs. Identify who needed the most help. Ask, “what could have been done differently?”
Reduces stress, lowers cortisol levels and enhances neuron growth and neuronal connections. Physical activity provides the brain with oxygen and glucose and releases endorphins and adrenaline, which provide a mood-lift and prepare the brain for challenging tasks. Explore mind-body connections for optimal wellness and use brain-exercise techniques (i.e. “Brain Gym”) to enhance academic performance.
Youth propose discussion topics and craft questions around topics that interest them. They vote on the topics/questions they want to pursue as a group, and use a community ball or talking stick to facilitate discussion. Youth learn to ask a variety of open-ended questions to foster critical thinking. Questions might include, “Is it fair to …
Youth and adults tend to “take sides” when conflicts erupt. It is important that when resolution is achieved, those involved in the conflict ensure that their peers know about the resolution and are committed to not continuing the conflict themselves. It is about building capacity for all to commit to supporting one another in the …
Train youth to be peer mediators. Use video to demonstrate what mediation looks like (i.e.: community heroes who help others and provide basic mediation skills). Peer Mediation Teams should be comprised of 3-5 youth, and team members should rotate each month. Each member wears a peace sign (or other item to signify their role) to …
Pull apart the layers of a problem in your classroom, school or community. Look at the history of the problem, the needs and interests of everyone involved, tipping points, and potential collaborations. Peeling the onion is about making the problems small and manageable after you’ve pulled away the layers to get to the essence of …
Providing a space for problem solving is important. A peace table designates expectations for where and how youth will engage with each other. Peacebuilding literature, small peace gardens, talking sticks, peace flowers, and other problem-solving tools are kept in this prominent area. Have youth design and decorate their table or space and plan activities or …
Multiple peace education and character education books exist (go to www.ceedsofpeace.org for many book titles). Use throughout all lessons and have readily available in the classroom/home/library. Look to our resource lists in order to build your own peace education resource library or find culturally relevant literature on topics such as compassion (“Wonder”), courage (“Say Something”), …
A strategy for youth to problem-solve themselves. Between two children, they pass a flower back and forth. The first child begins by saying, “I felt ________when this happened.” The child then passes the flower and the other child repeats back what they heard. “It sounds like you felt ________when I did _________.” Then an apology …