Last year, the Center for Peacemaking applied for a $100,000 grant from the Milwaukee Brighter Futures Initiative. This money, was put toward a project to create peer mediation programs in Milwaukee Public Schools.

According to the Rev. Simon Harak, these programs were intended to teach non-violent conflict resolution. Administrators made peer mediation their first step in the disciplinary action process for malicious students.

He said after only one year, the results as reported by MPS were extremely impressive, with an 80 percent decrease in malicious conflict.

“Teachers and administrators agreed that students were more cooperative,” Harak said. “Schools just had an overall better learning atmosphere.”

With these results, the Brighter Futures Initiative recently renewed its grant with the center, providing $75,000 per year for the next three years.

On Thursday, Feb. 18, the Center for Peacemaking will host its Brighter Futures Initiative presentation by students who have been through the program at MPS.