Listening, nonverbal skills, appropriate responses – all are key skills in peer mediation, a program that enables students to resolve conflicts in a non-confrontational, constructive manner.
A number of Schoharie High School seniors completed a full day of peer mediation training on Nov. 17, including: Madeline Phelan, Makaila VanWie-Adair, Jamie Fox, Katie Touchette, Rebecca Bortell, Mikayla Faas, Hannah Meyer, Megan Kruzinski, Abigail Tessitore, Adrianna Cornell, Caitty Schleifer, Michael Teeter, Mitchell Barton, Jacob Fagnani and Mohammed Elkadim.
The students learned the key skills for peer mediation and took part in a number of role plays.
Students participating in peer mediation settle their differences with the help of a neutral third party, the peer mediator. Peer mediation allows students to take responsibility for solving their own problems, with the help from their peers. It empowers people to solve their problems and to feel safe and respected.
Any student can request a mediation by seeing his or her school counselor. Both students in a conflict need to be in agreement that they want to settle their differences, and mediations are carried out with two students and two mediators.
Please feel free to contact the school counseling office with any questions about Schoharie’s peer mediation program.