Embedded Files
The Peer Mediation program is a re-established program which trains students to serve as neutral and impartial third-party facilitators in peer to peer conflicts or concerns. Housed in Student Affairs (VPSA), this program was led by Ankita Rakhe and Carson Smith along with six peer mediators. These peer mediators participated in over 30 hours of training. Below are a variety of the resources used to train students in mediation and conflict navigation skills. Below, we have separated the peer mediation training out lesson by lesson.
These trainings would have been impossible without the knowledge and support of other facilitators, including Stanford Ombuds Brenda Berlin.
Please note that while these lessons and activities are useful, they cannot supplement trainings with professional facilitators. Thank you!
Lesson 1: Introduction to Peer Mediation Program
30 Minutes: Welcome and Program Overview
30 Minutes: Values Circle
Description: Using circle practices to encourage students to speak with each other and introduce the values they want to guide this course.
Learning Goals:
Introduction to basic circle principles/practices. By becoming acquainted with circle principles/practices in a low intensity environment, students will have a better understanding of how to utilize these skills in the midst of conflict later on.
Learning to start conflict resolution work with the sharing of values and witnessing how this can develop a framework of community care.
10 Minutes: Break
50 minutes: The Basics of Conflict Presentation and Discussion
Description: Presentation overviewing why conflicts happen, the difference between interests and positions in conflict, and the various conflict resolution styles. Students will be asked to deconstruct a conflict in their own lives for each of these elements. (If there is time, we will begin discussing the range of options available for the resolution of a conflict, both formal and informal.)
Learning Goals: Students should be able to answer the following questions and provide examples through a conflict in their own life:
What are the root causes for conflict?
What is an interest? Alternatively, what is a position?
What are the different types of conflict management styles? What are the pros and cons of each?
Lesson 2: Introduction to Resolution Models
10 minutes: Weekly Check-In
10 minutes: Discussion of Assigned Readings from Holding Change by adrienne maree brown
50 minutes: Basics of Resolution Presentation
Description: While the previous presentation discusses the components of conflict, this section outlines the types of resolution available and their components.
Learning Goals:
Recognize that resolution can have many objectives such as learning to coexist, building understanding, and identifying substantive outcomes, etc.
Understand the difference between formal and informal resolution options.
Compare different models of informal resolution including mediation, peacemaking, and restorative justice. Peer mediators should understand the following information about each model:
Description/core tenets
Who are the participants?
The role of the third-party facilitator
When in a conflict this model should be used
Specific example conflicts this model could be used for
5 minutes: Break
45 minutes: Listening to Understand Activity
Description: As a mediator, the most important thing you can do is listen. This activity is an opportunity to practice this skill and sit with someone as if you were in a mediation and outline the different components of their story.
Learning Goals:
Students should be able to label the interests, positions, feelings, facts, and interests of all parties in a dispute.
Students will be able to practice sitting with someone who is sharing their story, sympathizing, and summarizing critical parts of this story.
Lesson 3: Protective Identity Harm Reporting and Bias in Mediation
5 minutes: Weekly Check In/Logistics
45 minutes: PIH Process Presentation
Description: This presentation overviews the components of the Protected Identity Harm Reporting process and how students can access this process to report concerns of identity-based bias and discrimination.
Learning Goals:
Understand definitions around protected identity harm.
Understand the role of free speech on university campuses.
Know the steps to the PIH reporting process and how this system can be used to support the roles of peer mediators.
5 minutes: Break
30 Minutes: Bias in Mediation Presentation
Description: This presentation outlines how bias can arise in conflicts and mediation and how to address these concerns as a mediator.
Learning Goals:
Understand what is bias, including implicit bias, and how this might show up in mediation cases.
Be prepared to address and manage potential bias when it occurs in a conflict.
Lesson 4: Learning the Steps to Mediate
10 minutes: Weekly Check In
45 minutes: Discussion with Brenda Berlin, Campus Ombuds
Description: This meeting with Brenda Berlin provides an overview of what students shoudl consider before beginning a mediation. This handout from Brenda provides some of these thoughts and questions as well as other mediation tips.
Learning Goals:
Learn about the Office of the Ombuds, its role on campus, and how peer mediators can utilize Brenda for support.
Understand considerations that one should take into account before going into mediation.
5 minutes: Break
45-60 minutes: Steps to Mediate
Description: This presentation outlines the basic steps to a mediation process and the role and responsibilities of a mediator in depth.
Learning Goals:
Understand what steps are needed before mediation begins such as how to identify is a case is right for mediation, how to collect needed information, and how to plan an agenda for mediation.
Understand the basic process for how a mediation session is run including setting ground rules, identifying main issues for discussion, and tools for guiding discussion.
Know what makes a comfortable and safe space for mediation.
Be able to identify follow up steps after the mediation process.
Lesson 5: Non Violent Communication and Mediation Practice
Note: Our peer mediators never received this training as we didn't have enough time; however, we think it would be a good addition to a peer mediation training in future years. This training was inspired by the Meeting the Moment class led by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life on campus.
10 minutes: Weekly Check In
30-45 minutes: Non-Violent Communication Activity based on content from PuddleDancer Press with accompanying Non-Violent Communication Handout from the Center for Non Violent Communication
Description : This activity allows mediators to practice forming non-violent communication as might be done in during a mediation.
Learning Goals:
Know how to reframe potentially harmful statements into non-violent statements by expressing their observations, feelings, needs, and requests in a clear way.
Understand how to support someone else in reframing their statements through this same lens of non-violent communication, which may be useful during a mediation session.
5-10 minutes: Break
1 hour: First Mock Mediation Practice
Lesson 6: How to Prepare a Mediation Case
10 minutes: Weekly Check In
30-45 minutes: Discussion of Assigned Readings from Holding Change by adrienne maree brown
5-10 minutes: Break
1 hour: How to Prepare a Meditation Session Activity
Description: This activity reminds the peer mediators of how to prepare a mediation session and allows them to practice it. In this activity, Ankita and Carson acted as different individuals in a conflict scenario and allowed peer mediators to interview them so the peer mediators could create a mediation agenda/plan. Students were also given this example mediation plan.
Learning Goals:
Learn how to interview disputants before a mediation session.
Practice how to create a plan for their mediation session.
Lesson 7: Restorative Justice and Peacemaking
Note: Our peer mediators never received this training as we didn't have enough time; however, we think it would be a good addition to a peer mediation training in future years.
10 minutes: Weekly Check In
30 minutes: Basics of RJ Presentation
5-10 minutes: Break
30 minutes: Introduction to Peacemaking Presentation:
Description: The below presentation provides an overview of peacemaking including an explanation the components of a circle.
Learning Goals:
Understanding of peacemaking and the role of a peacemaker.
30 Minutes: Practicing Values Circles Guide:
Description: This guide asks individuals to break into groups and practice leading values circles. These values circles are often used to help strengthen community bonds. Values circles are also a great way for people to begin practicing their facilitation skills and understanding the basic components of a circle.
Learning Goals:
Become comfortable with leading a circle.
Understand the basic components of a circle in practice.
Lesson 8: Mediation Bootcamp
Description: The Mediation Bootcamp was a six hour training where our peer mediators engaged with three conflict scenarios from start to finish . This event allowed our peer mediators to bring together all of the skills they had learned and practiced in previous trainings.
Students were also provided a quick tips sheet, including many of the notes shared by Brenda Berlin and in previous presentations/trainings.
Lesson 9: Your Responsibilities as a Mediator/Operations
Towards the end of our trainings, we worked with our peer mediators to better understand their role on campus. While during this pilot phase we intermixed these discussions into different meetings and trainings, in the future, it would be useful to dedicate an entire meeting to understanding these responsibilities.
Additional Materials
While we trained our peer mediators throughout the school year, we began offering peer mediation services to the student body in February. You can read more about the program and request peer mediation support at mediation.stanford.edu
Materials were made by student employees in the Dean of Students Office to advertise the peer mediation program. Please see some of those materials below:
Blue Flier.pngPage updated
Report abuse