Peer Power & Restorative Approaches

Peer Power and Restorative Approaches offer support at every stage along the spectrum of restorative practice processes, from prevention to intervention. With the guidance of skilled facilitators, our services provide students with opportunities to expand their communication and conflict resolution skills to help build safe and inclusive school communities and opportunities to repair harm to resolve their conflicts with their peers.

Our values

• Mutual Respect
• Embracing the diversity and dignity of all people
• The understanding that with support, people have the capacity to be self reflective, accountable, and capable of change
• The belief that given time and support, conflicts and problems can be resolved and harm repaired
• The feelings, needs, and perspectives of all involved are heard and valued and decisions are made collaboratively

Peer Power serves youth grades 4-12 and can be referred by school staff.  Using facilitated discussions that include an experiential learning component,  youth are empowered with knowledge, skills, and resources to better help themselves and their peers.  Youth are encouraged to be self-reflective and to explore new ways to respond to challenging emotions or conflict.  This assists in contributing to a safe and positive atmosphere in the classroom, school, and community.

Peer Power programs include:

• Classroom sessions create community and build connections. Empathy develops through discussing common challenging peer dynamics. With a focus on relationships, each person is given a voice and chance to hear from one another.
• Peer Helping trainings develop students’ confidence and communication skills to support and help empower one another. 
• Peer Mediation is a restorative practice that provides an opportunity for conflict resolution and student accountability. Youth are trained by educators to guide their peers through a structured five-step process with the goal of reaching a resolution that meets both parties’ needs. Peers turn to each other when in difficulty and a mediation team provides an empowering opportunity for youth to help one another and themselves.

Restorative Approaches program provides all TVDSB students the opportunity to engage in positive restorative and supportive work when dealing with conflict and bullying in the school setting. The purpose is to repair the harm caused in a safe and supportive environment. The program goal is to create solutions and outcomes that provide the framework for learning how to manage difficult situations and move forward with a sense of resolution and well-being.

Referrals are made to the Restorative Approaches team staff by School Administrators and the process begins. After meeting individually with students, an appropriate restorative process is decided upon with the students involved which could include:

• Restorative Conversations help students tell their stories, navigate their peer relationships, and access supports.
• Student agreements and mediations assist in bridging relationships. hearing other perspectives, understanding impact. Students create healthy boundaries through collaborative agreements.
• Restorative Conferencing– helps to build connections between students, includes families, school staff, and community partners. Conferences offer opportunities to repair harm, reduce suspensions and provide meaningful reintegration.