Thank you for your interest in presentations, trainings, and facilitations offered by the Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices (OSARP) at James Madison University (JMU). Trainings and presentations can be requested by any JMU organization, club, group, or department. For OSARP staff to facilitate a Circle for an organization, club, group, or department, at least one of the participants must be a JMU student. We ask that you complete the request form below with as much advance notice as possible to allow OSARP adequate time to prepare. OSARP requires an intake meeting with the person requesting the presentation, training, or facilitation prior to approval, in order to better understand the needs of the group. A minimum of three weeks' notice is preferred to accommodate your request. Please note that OSARP cannot guarantee all requests will be fulfilled. More information regarding presentation, training, and facilitation options can be found below.
After you complete the request form, OSARP Restorative Practices staff will contact you via email to schedule an intake meeting. If you have any questions about the presentations, trainings or facilitations offered, please email osarp-restorativepractices@jmu.edu.
Information about Trainings and Facilitations
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Duration: 30 minutes
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This session offers a brief introduction to Restorative Practices and how they are used at JMU. It can be facilitated in person or virtually and addresses the following questions:
- What are Restorative Practices?
- How does OSARP use Restorative Practices?
- How can I access Restorative Practices through OSARP?
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Ideal for:
- In-person or virtual groups.
- Individuals or groups with limited knowledge of Restorative Practices.
- JMU individuals or groups interested in learning more about Restorative Practices at JMU.
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Duration: 1-2 hours (based on group’s current understanding of Restorative Practices)
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The Foundations of Restorative Practices training offers participants a deeper exploration of Restorative Practices beyond what is covered in the Introduction to Restorative Practices session. Designed for those looking to integrate restorative principles more fully into their work, this interactive training provides practical tools and resources to apply a restorative lens within your organization, group, club, or workplace.
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Participants will:
- Deepen their understanding of the core principles of Restorative Practices.
- Learn about the various tools used in Restorative work.
- Explore Restorative approaches to conflict.
- Examine the differences between Restorative Practices and traditional conflict resolution methods.
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Ideal for:
- In-person or virtual groups.
- Individuals seeking to build a more empathetic and community-centered approach to team building and conflict resolution.
- Individuals wanting to integrate Restorative Practices principles into their organizations, groups, clubs, or workplaces.
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Duration: 1 hour
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Community Building Circles create space for building relationships within groups, teams, or organizations. OSARP’s trained facilitators will lead a one-hour Circle to help deepen connections and foster understanding among group members. A Circle Process is “a structured process for organizing effective group communication, relationship building, decision-making, and conflict resolution,” as defined by Carolyn Boyes-Watson and Kay Pranis in Heart of Hope (2010, p. 29). Community Building Circles can include elements such as ice breakers and team building activities to help build community.
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Ideal for:
- In-person groups (virtual option available upon request; in-person is highly encouraged).
- Newly formed organizations, clubs, or groups, groups with new members, or those undergoing transitions.
- Organizations, clubs, or groups seeking to build relationships, connection, and trust.
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Duration: 2-4 hours (The length of this training can vary depending on the group’s needs. OSARP will work with your group during the intake meeting to determine the appropriate training length.)
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The How to Facilitate a Community Building Circle training introduces participants to the fundamentals of Circle Processes. A Circle Process creates a respectful and welcoming space where participants sit in a physical circle and use a talking piece passed from person to person, allowing everyone the opportunity to speak and be heard. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of Circle Processes, learn about the elements of a Community Building Circle, and engage in hands-on learning through roleplay and examples relevant to their work.
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Ideal for:
- In-person groups (virtual option available upon request; in-person is highly encouraged).
- Individuals seeking a deeper understanding of Circle Processes.
- Individuals wanting to facilitate Community Building Circles within their organizations, groups, clubs, or workplaces.
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Duration: 2 hours
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Values and Expectation-Setting Circles offer groups, teams, and organizations a dedicated space to intentionally set, revisit, or refine their shared values and expectations. Facilitated by trained OSARP staff, Values and Expectation-Setting Circles provide participants the opportunity to collaboratively create a list of shared values and expectations. This approach creates a respectful and welcoming space where participants sit in a physical circle and use a talking piece passed from person to person, allowing everyone the opportunity to speak and be heard. By engaging in a Values and Expectation-Setting Circle, your group can:
- Build stronger relationships and a sense of community.
- Establish a shared foundation of values and expectations.
- Foster trust and open communication.
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Ideal for:
- In-person groups (virtual option available upon request; in-person is highly encouraged).
- Groups wanting to define shared values and expectations.
- Groups seeking to address group dynamics.
- Groups wanting to address how to handle conflict if/when it arises.
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Duration: 1 hour
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This training invites participants to explore different conflict styles and approaches to conflict resolution. Through interactive activities and guided reflection, participants will gain insight into different conflict styles, approaches to navigating challenging conversations, and the difference between intention and impact.
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Ideal for:
- In-person or virtual groups.
- Individuals and groups wanting to gain deeper knowledge of conflict styles and approaches.
- Individuals and groups wanting to learn approaches for navigating conflict in their organizations, groups, clubs, or workplaces.
