October 08, 2009

The importance of conflict resolution skills in sports and business will be the focus of the sixth-annual Mediator Appreciation Day on Tuesday, May 20, at California State University, Fresno.

More than 1,000 student conflict managers from five Central Valley school districts will convene at the Satellite Student Union from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., where they will be honored for mediating conflicts among peers through Fresno State’s Mediator Mentors program.

The program is a nationally-acclaimed university-public school partnership based in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development.

In February, the Corporation for National and Community Service honored Mediator Mentors with a Special Achievement Award at the American Council on Education (ACE) annual conference, part of the second-annual President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Fresno State was one of two minority-serving institutions that won the distinction.

“At Mediator Appreciation Day, we will celebrate another year of peaceful interpersonal problem-solving,” said Dr. Pam Lane-Garon, professor in the Literacy and Early Education Department. She directs the program with Dr. Art Wint, coordinator of Peace and Conflict Studies in the College of Social Sciences.

The peer mediators – nominated by their peers and endorsed by teachers at 55 schools – were trained by university professors, university student mentors and public school teachers under the direction of Lane-Garon and assistant trainer, Karen De Voogd. Mentors are trained by Fresno State education students, counselors, school psychologists and social workers. During eight to 10 hours of training, they experience direct instruction and participate in guided role-play scenarios.

Since the program began in 1998, Fresno State has trained more than 3,700 students, teachers and administrators in conflict resolution and mediation skills. This year, 30 university students are involved in the program with some coaching in training sessions held at Fresno State and others spending the entire year on the campus of their selected school site mentoring the young mediators.

Other university partners include The Center for Research, Evaluation, Assessment and Dissemination, The Bonner Center for Character Education, and University Outreach Services in the Student Affairs Division. At the appreciation day, local mascots local sports team mascots and Grizzlies owner, Chris Cummings and Fresno Falcon’s owner John Tull will be present to kick off the event. Mediators will tour seven of the university’s nine schools and colleges. At Sunday’s Fresno Grizzlies, the program was honored and a fundraiser auction was held.

For more information, contact Lane-Garon at pamelalg@csufresno.edu or 559.278.0320.

Here is the Sixth Annual Mediator Appreciation Day Schedule