{"id":22586,"date":"2014-11-28T21:59:36","date_gmt":"2014-11-29T02:59:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=22586"},"modified":"2014-12-22T09:45:57","modified_gmt":"2014-12-22T14:45:57","slug":"unique-restorative-justice-coursework-offered-to-educators-in-lancaster-area","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/unique-restorative-justice-coursework-offered-to-educators-in-lancaster-area\/","title":{"rendered":"Unique restorative justice coursework offered to educators in Lancaster area"},"content":{"rendered":"

The restorative justice<\/a> coursework within Eastern Mennonite University’s MA in education<\/a>\u00a0program \u2013 the first of its kind in the United States when launched in the fall in Harrisonburg, Virginia \u2013 will be available to educators in the Lancaster area of Pennsylvania beginning January 2015.<\/p>\n

Like their counterparts in Virginia, Lancaster school leaders, counselors and teachers will be able to pursue an interdisciplinary concentration in restorative justice in education (RJE)<\/a> by taking courses through the graduate education program at EMU’s Lancaster site<\/a>. A 15-hour graduate certificate in RJE may be earned by those who already hold, or who aren’t pursuing, a master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cRestorative justice offers a completely different model of addressing classroom discipline problems that focuses on building effective relationships both between teachers and students, and among students,\u201d said Kathy Evans<\/a>, PhD, an education<\/a>\u00a0professor who has led the development of the RJE programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the theories of restorative justice were originally developed as an alternative approach to criminal justice, they have increasingly been embraced by teachers looking for more creative ways to address classroom behavior and create better learning environments\u201d said Evans.<\/p>\n

The RJE coursework has been developed in conjunction with EMU\u2019s\u00a0Center for Justice and Peacebuilding<\/a>, the academic home of the renowned pioneer in the field of restorative justice, Howard Zehr<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis program recognizes that how we talk about both harmful and helpful life experiences in school shapes the academic and social growth of students as much as the experiences themselves and may matter more in shaping future behavior than any other single factor,” said Judy Mullet<\/a>, PhD, professor in the psychology<\/a> department at EMU. “Graduate education at EMU is a conversation about alternatives to violence that build the common good.\u201d<\/p>\n

The RJE graduate program offers different focus options for K-12 educators, administrators or other school leaders, community leaders, and social workers or school counselors. A variety of electives allows for focused study for each of these groups. Participants learn to:<\/p>\n