EduCon 2026Every Conversation Counts: Restorative Practices at Building 21
In a traditional school setting, conflict often leads to punitive measures and missed opportunities for growth. What if students were empowered to lead the resolution of conflict? Building 21’s Community Council is a powerful Tier 1 behavior intervention where 11th and 12th graders are trained to facilitate daily restorative conversations. Instead of simply punishing behaviors, this student-led model teaches peers to engage in a process of intentional restoration.
Community Council members guide their peers through a structured conversation to process an incident, identify who was impacted, and create a plan to repair the harm. This practice transforms conflict from a disciplinary issue into a learning opportunity, developing essential skills like empathy, accountability, and communication. This session will explore how to replicate this intentional, student-centered approach to behavior intervention. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how to implement a similar program, equipping them to foster a more connected and compassionate school community.
Conversational Practice
Just like how Community Council operates at Building 21, the student leaders would facilitate the conversation as well. They could model what a Community Council session looks like and then discuss with the audience how it's different from other more punitive measures. Once students have modeled an incident, the student leaders could work with audience members to engage in role playing activities to help the participants process the impact that these conversations could have.
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