Stand for Peace Workshop Goes National

In March of 1999, April Pavlik, Alexandra Matteucci and Jim Skelton were invited to present the "Stand for Peace Workshop: Strategies to Achieve Sportsmanship and nonviolence in Sports and in Life" at the 12th annual Youth Crime Prevention Conference in Denver. The conference was sponsored by Youth Crime Watch of America and The National Crime Prevention Council. The workshop was presented to an audience that represented states across the nation and was received well by all in attendance. The workshop included a presentation by Alexandra about the circumstances surrounding Joe's death. April presented information about learning to set appropriate goals to achieve a more sportsman like attitude.

Strategies to deal with frustration and anger were also taught. Team building activities were lead by Jim Skelton, who challenged participants to have fun and learn to work together as a team. All who participated, including April Jim and Alexandra, learned a great deal about the issues surrounding youth violence while enjoying what the city of Denver had to offer!

Student Mediators Graduate

by: Carolyn R. Saraspi

Nearly 770 students were honored on Thursday, May 13, 1999, for finishing a program in which they have been trained to handle campus conflicts before they turn into bigger problems. Mediation Services graduated its biggest class of student mediators at Centennial Hall. The Castro Valley Organization has trained youth from 22 elementary, middle and high schools from all over Southern Alameda County as peer mediators in an effort to keep campuses calm. Before conflict mediation administrators often told fighting students not to talk to each other any more, or used suspensions as a way to handle campus disputes. "That does not resolve the issue because the students do not have any resolution themselves," said Roland Ellingsen, director of Mediation Services. "When someone tells you what to do, you are frequently resistant. We train students to act as support services. They create their own resolutions, which is so much more powerful." Through this program, students learn to facilitate discussions so that two parties can talk out their problems. The Joseph Matteucci Foundation in partnership with Mediation Services would like to congratulate all 770 students involved in Mediation Programs throughout Alameda County on their graduation and would like to challenge each individual to become more involved in the drive to create a more peaceful and safe tomorrow.

Thank you and Congratulations!!!

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