Our Philosophy

RestoreEDU supports schools, educators, and students through training on the use of restorative practices and community circles to help create space for connection, compassion, and dialogue.  The skills gained from using a restorative practices approach will transfer to the classroom as a community building and teaching tool while supporting the creation of an inclusive and equity-centered school climate. A restorative practices approach will help educators use an empathetic mindset as a response to student behavior, while also helping empower students by identifying and sharpening their leadership skills.  In addition, RestoreEDU will use restorative practices as a tool to support your school and district's initiatives through collaboration and engagement in collective approaches.        

RestoreEDU believes that a proactive approach to using restorative practices for community building, teaching, and student leadership is critical if a school community wants to use this approach to repair harm. Familiarizing students and staff with safely using community circles proactively will lead to a natural transition when circles are needed to address harm. For many, understanding the structures of circles will help when the transition to more challenging content is required. 

The impact of the COVID pandemic has exacerbated the disconnect many students feel about school while highlighting the critical role schools play when identifying and responding to the social, emotional, and mental health needs of students and staff. The return to in-person learning, albeit significant, will not completely erase the impact of the pandemic. Schools are currently being called upon to fill many voids, and responding to the social, emotional, and mental health needs of students and staff are paramount.