At the elementary school level, teachers lead group mediations. Through the mediation process, students begin to recognize the steps involved in peacefully solving a conflict. At the intermediate and middle schools, a diverse group of nominated students receive 20 hours of peer mediation training. Pairs of mediators guide students through solving problems peacefully. Counselors and teachers supervise mediators.
Experts say the best way to solve disputes is to allow students to work it out among themselves.
The mediator s primary role is to listen and help the disputants discuss their problems. Their job is not to solve the problems for the students, but to open positive two-way discussion and allow disputants to think of their own solutions. For students at the Walther and Bobby s Run schools, most mediations take place in the classroom and during lunch periods. For students at the middle school, mediation takes place during activity periods and during lunch as needed. In the case of extreme discipline problems, each school has an age appropriate discipline policy that is administered by each principal.