Restorative Justice in Action: Transforming Conflict Resolution in OST Programs

with Nora Gibbons, Montana Afterschool Alliance

Saturday, April 20th at 1:15 pm

Explore restorative justice as a powerful tool for transforming conflict resolution and community well-being within out-of-school time (OST) programs. Participants will delve into the core principles of restorative justice and its application in OST settings, focusing on fostering empathy, accountability, and inclusivity. While considering restorative justice as a potential paradigm shift, participants will be invited to reflect on their current approaches to discipline, conflict resolution, and community building. The interactive workshop will feature opportunities for dialogue and sharing perspectives with one another, while also experiencing a restorative practice in action through a community-building circle. Attendees will leave equipped with practical strategies and tools for implementing restorative justice to various extents in their programs, whether they are interested in integrating just a few restorative practices or transforming their overall approach to conflict resolution and community building.

Nora Gibbons (she/her) is the Engagement Coordinator at the Montana Afterschool Alliance. She is a dedicated advocate for restorative justice and youth empowerment and has worked as an educator, facilitator, administrator, and researcher in various youth-focused settings in Montana and abroad. Nora's journey into restorative justice began while working at Stomping Ground, an overnight summer camp where she first witnessed restorative justice’s transformative impact. Since then, her work in restorative justice has spanned from conducting ethnographic research on student perceptions of restorative justice in Ireland to leading the process to co-create a restorative system alongside her students at a school she previously directed in rural Montana. Recently, Nora returned from two months in South Africa, where she served as a consultant at an alternative school incorporating restorative practices. Additionally, Nora is currently completing a professional certificate in Restorative Justice at Vermont Law School.