View curriculum:
Foundation Courses
Restorative Practices and Education
Restorative Practices and Youth Counseling
Foundation Courses
FN 500 Basic Restorative Practices
Prerequisite: None | Credits: 3
This course examines the fundamental principles of restorative practices. Issues critical to the development of restorative practices such as models of human interaction, theories of behavior and current research will be considered. Special attention will be given to understanding the restorative circle and its application with responsive circles. The course explores philosophy, theories, practices, models and skills of restorative practices as they apply to families and communities, with a special emphasis on restorative conferencing and family conferencing and the informal applications of those processes. Students will assess the role of human emotion, especially shame, in social relationships. Students will complete 12 hours of coursework online.
FN 515 Restorative Leadership Development: Authority with Grace
Prerequisite: None | Credits: 3
An intensive group experience, this course will immerse students in a culture of restorative practices in class. The course will emphasize leadership and self-assessment of both personal and professional styles and growth in restorative practices. Students will also learn to facilitate and implement a professional learning group. Students will complete 12 hours of course work online.
FN 525 Restorative Practices in Action
Prerequisite: FN 515 | Credits: 3
This course is an online sequel to FN 515 designed to enhance and refine students’ understanding of restorative practices as they relate to leadership. Students will implement a restorative practices project that builds on their previous course experience and will evaluate their project through action research techniques. Students will acquire restorative skills through readings, lecture, self-assessment and an interactive online process.
FN 535 Restorative Responses to Grief, Trauma and Adversity
Prerequisite: None | Credits: 3
This course explores a variety of disciplines to provide a deeper understanding and application of restorative practices. It uses group processes, emotional dynamics, and empowerment strategies to address a wide continuum of harm. Students will complete 12 hours of coursework online.
Note: People have been exposed to various levels of trauma in their lives. This course considers the use of restorative practices in cases of grief, trauma or adversity. We advise students to consider establishing an emotional support system for themselves while taking this course.
FN 540 Restorative Practices: Symposia and Conferences
Prerequisite: None | Credits: 3
In this course students gain credits based on participation and engagement at an IIRP restorative practices conference, symposium or seminar. They supplement this direct experience with related readings, writing assignments and online discussions. Students actively evaluate, discuss and critique presentations using restorative practices principles.
Note: This course requires preparation work to be done between the time of registration and the time the symposium or conference commences.
Non-matriculated students: Be advised if you later choose to matriculate, this course counts as an elective.
FN 550 Directed/Independent Study
Prerequisite: FN 500 | Credits: 3
This course provides for a single learner to draw up a learning contract that identifies the directed study or an independent study on a special topic demonstrating a deeper understanding and application of restorative practices in a school or workplace.
Note: This course requires Academic Affairs approval after a learning contract has been designed between faculty member and adult student.
FN 610 Evaluation of Research
Prerequisite: FN 500 | Credits: 3
This course teaches students to be knowledgeable consumers of research so that they can understand and critique what they read. Students will explore approaches, methods and techniques through online group discussion and readings of research that they choose based on their own areas of interest.
FN 660 Final Professional Learning Group
Prerequisite: All required master's degree coursework | Credits: 3
The final course assists students in achieving the two capstones of the master’s degree program through a highly interactive group process in which students make oral and written presentations and engage in discussion about each presentation to help the group review the processes, philosophy, theory and research in restorative practices and education or youth counseling. Students will also support each other in writing their culminating project.
Restorative Practices and Education
ED 621 Restorative Practices and the Teacher
Prerequisite: FN 500 | Credits: 3
In this course the role of teacher will be explored through a restorative lens. The teacher role will be examined in relationship to the learner, instructional methods, content, responsibility, power, and assessment. Students will transform standard practice into restorative practice that aligns with personal style and strengths.
ED 631 Restorative Practices and the Learner
Prerequisite: FN 500 | Credits: 3
This course examines the learner and the use of restorative practices. First, the course explores the learner and the theories of and research on the learning process. Second, it will focus on the application of these findings in combination with the philosophy and processes of restorative practices.
ED 641 Issues and Innovations for Restorative Education
Prerequisite: FN 500 | Credits: 3
In this course students will investigate, assess, and apply findings about various issues and innovations taking place in our contemporary world of education. Special attention will be given to our families of today and how our families are a factor in the educational process and how educators can and should address the needs of the learners coming from a variety of families.
ED 651 Educating Individuals with Special Needs
Prerequisite: FN 500 | Credits: 3
This course is designed to enable working teachers to better understand and respond to the wide range of learning, developmental, and behavioral patterns present in almost every school classroom. Challenging and disturbing student behavior will be examined, along with an array of community building and restorative techniques.
Restorative Practices and Youth Counseling
YC 620 Restorative Practice in Communication and Intervention
Prerequisite: FN 500 | Credits: 3
This course focuses on the basic communication process, problem management and intervention counseling with youth. The restorative strategies highlight life space crisis interventions to manage and provide counseling responses in creating reclaiming environments for troubled youth.
YC 630 Individual Counseling: Practices for Empowering Youth
Prerequisite: FN 500 | Credits: 3
From this course, students will develop an understanding of the theory and practice of individual counseling. Students will develop a knowledge of counseling theories that empowers decision making processes. This course will provide a knowledge base for learners to access and provide therapeutic processes that fit the specific client. Students will learn to apply restorative practices to enhance growth and healing within the individual.
YC 640 Restorative Practices with Families and Communities
Prerequisite: FN 500 | Credits: 3
This course is designed to prepare students to use family based services with youth and their families. The focus is on how solution focused strategies provide youth and families with a safe and reclaiming environment to explore family issues, develop social competences, use realistic parental expectations and boundaries to restore family connectedness and growth.
YC 650 Alcohol and Other Drugs: Working with Abuse and Addiction
Prerequisite: FN 500 | Credits: 3
This course provides an introduction to the field of addiction. Students will explore prevention, intervention, and treatment models that have been the foundation of the field. In addition, students will explore emerging models that reflect a restorative approach, including the use of solution and strength based models and theories.
