Mediation initiative creates healthier school climate

A new Mediation Model in Penn Hills SD is helping students resolve their problems in a healthy way. According to an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, a core group of teachers in the district received training in mediation from an outside specialist. The goal of the training is to give teachers the tools to prevent or control student confrontations and in turn, educate students in how to deal with conflict before it escalates. Like many districts, Penn Hills has seen disagreements related to student social media posts, a topic that was specifically addressed in the training. Administrators say that students have been receptive to the concepts and there has been an overall reduction in the number of fights in the high school since the program has been implemented. The district hopes to train more staff members in the near future.