Parents were asking questions that we couldn't answer. One year after the murder, College of Education officials approved a grant that would match fund-raising attempts to create a resource center for the rest of the community. We continue to develop non-violence curriculum. The Resource Center contains a collection of videos, books and brochures on a number of topics from dealing with abuse to how to grieve. Center staff also instituted a more assertive teaching philosophy of non-violence.
All teachers instruct their students on alternative methods to violence.
Besides teaching children how to handle their own conflicts in a peaceful manner, staff have pledged to be more aggressive in identifying violence. Additionally, enrollment packets for new families contain information about identifying abuse, and the center also works with other organizations to train in abuse prevention and intervention. Laws mandate child care providers to report any suspicion of neglect or abuse, but staff of the University's center pledged to report any suspicion of any sort of violence a child has witnessed. The resources and curriculum at the child center also reach the community. Finstad said because of the amount of people from the University community that are either center employees or take their children there, the center has an advantage at influencing the community.