Mission
PeaceKidZ is a program that aims to develop children's ability to understand, analyze and resolve conflicts in their everyday lives. PeacekidZ teaches children the ''three R's" of conflict resolution, "recognize, respect, resolve." Organization and Background In September 2002, Dr. I. William Zartman suggested that students from the Conflict Management program at SAIS become involved in an outreach program at a local school. The challenge was taken up by a team of students who, during the Fall 2002 semester, researched and designed a conflict resolution program for sixth grade children. In the Spring 2003 semester, the program was taught to a class of 38 students at Francis C. Hammond Middle School in Alexandria VA, with great success. Today, PeaceKidZ continues to be entirely run and organized by SAIS students. The program has expanded, with five teams independently designing their own programs, using the approach of the original PeaceKidZ team while adapting lesson plans to incorporate their own unique ideas. Newer approaches include utilizing adapting the program to teach it to ESL (english as a second language) students, as well as incorporating team sports as a conflict management tool. Over the years, PeaceKidZ has operated at seven local institutions, including the Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA as well as schools. Testimony from a 2007-2008 student Peace KidZ is one of the most valuable opportunities the Conflict Management program offers its students, and any concentrator interested in putting principles into practice should strongly consider making Peace KidZ part of their academic program. I gained more insight, more real experience in nine weeks of working with my students than any textbook course can offer. It's not easy work, but it's deeply rewarding, and I imagine my experience with the Peace KidZ program will continue to be one of my fondest memories of my SAIS education. Throughout the nine week course, I watched my students grow, and I felt the theories of conflict management, once intangible, take root deep inside me. I know future work, as a mediator or negotiator, or teacher, will reap the benefits of these seeds sewn Program The PeaceKidZ program has three main stages: Stage 1: Understanding and Analyzing Conflict
During this stage the children define what a conflict is and learn to identify conflicts in their everyday lives. The children also consider the many different sources of conflict. Particular attention is paid to prejudice and stereotypes as sources of conflict. Finally, the children develop an understanding of the different stages of conflict and the importance of recognizing these stages for successful conflict resolution. Stage 2: Attitudes and Awareness
The children learn to better identify their emotions and to appreciate the role emotions play in everyday conflicts. Techniques for managing emotions in conflict situations are introduced to the children. During this stage particular emphasis is placed on communication skills including active listening and 'I' messages. The children also develop a better awareness of self and others. Finally, the children learn that conflict resolution begins with the choices they make in conflict situations. Stage 3: Conflict Resolution Skills and Strategies
Stage 3 builds on conflict resolution skills and strategies introduced at various points during Stages 1 and 2. The children brainstorm and think about the many different conflict resolution skills and strategies available to them. The children learn how these skills and strategies work and put them into practice in role play situations. Particular emphasis is placed on mediation, problem solving and negotiation skills. The children consider which conflict resolution skills and strategies are most appropriate to them in their everyday lives. Finally, the children learn the importance of a 'peaceable' classroom and think about how they can contribute to one both individually and as a group. Resources Through each year of PeaceKidZ, each group of SAIS student teachers builds a curriculum detailing the lessons and activities they taught during the course of the nine-week program. They then compile these into a final document. The Conflict Management Toolkit will assemble and offer these curricula as a resource for other universities and outreach programs that are interested in developing similar programs. We will also provide a bibliography with more detailed books and resources on teaching. Currently, the manual from the first year of PeaceKidZ and a bibliography of the materials SAIS students consult to design the program are available for download. All materials are in .pdf format. PeaceKidZ Manual - Spring 2007 (.doc format) PeaceKidZ (Original) Manual - Spring 2003 PeaceKidZ Resource Bibliography Contact Us For further information and queries, please email the program coordinator of the SAIS Conflict Management department, Isabelle Talpain-Long at: itlong@jhu.edu. | 
