News & Announcements

The IIRP is inviting restorative practitioners and others working in the field to submit proposals to create 15-minute video presentations that will be featured as on-demand content in the upcoming virtual World Conference running January 25-27, 2023. The deadline for submitting a proposal is September 15, 2022. The selection committee will review all proposals and determine which will be accepted by September 30, 2022.

Episode 4 of the Three Questions video series features special guest Ramin Sedehi. Ramin is the Chief Strategy Advisor at EmC Leaders and a transformative leader in academic medicine, healthcare and higher education. EmC Leaders is a consulting firm that helps transform leadership in organizations with the Emotional Connection (EmC) strategy through training programs, consultation, as well as publications of articles and books.
Under the guidance of art teacher Heather Walter, students at the newly renovated Buxmont Academy Pottstown campus designed a mural depicting the promise and challenge of making life changes!For nearly 45 years, Community Service Foundation (CSF) has operated counseling, foster care and other programs serving youth and families in southeastern Pennsylvania. These programs pioneered many ideas that would be incorporated into the field of restorative practices, and they continue to serve as model restorative programs of the IIRP Graduate School.
CSF is always striving to refine its offerings to meet the changing needs of our community. Jerry Bradley, Assistant Director of Community Based Services, says they recently launched a new weekend program for young people on juvenile probation called Citizenship and Social Responsibility (CSR) Weekend Program. Sessions run a full day Saturday and half day on Sunday. Youth take part in meaningful community service projects in the morning followed by life- and social-skills building exercises such as personal financial literacy, public speaking, study skills, computer skills, and social and digital responsibility. Families are also invited to participate with staff and students to discuss what has been learned.

James Mureithi, an IIRP graduate student and founder and executive director of Youth Promise Centre Kenya, has been awarded the Shawn Suzch scholarship. The center is associated with Urban Promise International, a Christian-based youth development organization that serves vulnerable children and teens in under-resourced communities around the world.
Located at Embu at the foot of Mount Kenya in Kenya, Africa, the Youth Promise Centre focuses on training in computer literacy, basic life skills, leadership and entrepreneurship for young people ranging from middle schoolers to post-college graduates. The programs empower students to develop their individual interests and talents to help them realize their potential and that of their community.

Episode 3 of the Three Questions video series features the inspirational work of special guest, Lauren Bailey. Lauren is co-founder and instructor at the Thrive Empowerment Center, which offers practical, female-led, trauma-informed personal safety and assault resistance education. Thrive's supportive community fosters growth, strength, confidence and healing with the use of restorative practices.

The Three Questions video series features new and innovative thinkers from the field of restorative practices and beyond. In each episode, a special guest is asked three engaging questions by John W. Bailie, Ph.D., IIRP President, that center around themes of leadership and organizational culture.
Episode 2 of the Three Questions video series features Steven Lozada, MBA, PCC, PMP. Steven is the President and Chief Coach at Upward Mindset, a consulting firm that specializes in emotional intelligence, motivation, and how values shape leadership and organizational culture. He is also a leadership coach for Flawless Consulting.
This video features a conversation with Pat Lewis, the new director of IIRP Canada. Listen to Pat as she reflects on the past year, the most important elements of restorative practices, and her vision for the future of IIRP Canada within the field of restorative practices.

Kailani Capote, the IIRP Graduate School’s 2021 Impact Scholarship recipient, had been working to build her capacity for restorative action for several years. But when the pandemic hit, she found her work immediately relevant to address calls for support and dialogue in New York City.
“I started off by offering community building circles for whoever wanted to talk about the pandemic. People were asking, ‘Where do we go from here?’” explains Kailani.
After George Floyd’s murder and the historic protests it inspired, various communities in upper Manhattan reached out to the New York Peace Institute, where Kailani has worked for four years. She ended up facilitating numerous conversations about racism and the harms it causes.

The Three Questions video series will feature new and innovative thinkers from the field of restorative practices and beyond. In each episode, a special guest will be asked three questions by John W. Bailie, Ph.D., IIRP President, that center around themes of leadership and organizational culture.
In Episode 1, you will hear from Zach Mercurio, Ph.D., author of “The Invisible Leader” and a researcher and consultant for Purposeful Leadership.

The IIRP Graduate School recently partnered with Microsoft Educator Center to create a free professional development resource for educators seeking to do effective anti-racism work in the classroom.
A series of courses for individualized, self-directed learning, the modules can also be worked through by an independent team of educators within a professional learning community.
The Anti-racism journey for educators with students includes a kit of resources grounded in social and emotional learning (SEL) and curated by experts in the fields of equity and inclusion, restorative practices and education technology.