Pettit Grant will help provide children with alternatives to violence

w w w. r i v e r w e s t c u r r e n t s . o r g
March 2006
17
Pettit Grant will help
provide children with
alternatives to violence
“We are excited to have the generous
support of the Jane Bradley Pettit
Foundation,” said Evelyn Ang, Executive
Director of the Peace Learning Center
of Milwaukee.
The PLC-M gratefully announced the
$10,000 grant for their work with 4th
graders and their teachers. “We have
created our elementary school program
to help students increase their skills in
non-violent conflict management and
communications,” said Ms. Ang. “This
wonderful award will help us expand
our program to include more schools,
and to train more facilitators.”
The center’s “Peacemakers Workshops”
are held at the Koenen Land Preserve
on the Milwaukee River at the Friends
Meetinghouse. When the 4th grade
classes arrive with their teachers,
they receive intensive 5-hour training
including community-building games,
small-group learning experiences and
opportunities to “try out” and practice
their newly acquired communication
skills. Several weeks later, PLC-M staff
conducts in-school “booster” sessions,
and students receive “Certificates of
Achievement.” PLC-M also verifies the
workshops’ effectiveness with ongoing
research-evaluation of the children’s
understanding and use of these nonviolent communication techniques,
and their longer-term retention of these
skills.
Schools, community groups and
teachers interested in learning more
about “Peacemakers Workshops” can
contact PLC-M c/o 3224 N. Gordon
Place, Milwaukee 53212, by calling 4628537 (Evelyn Ang), or 771-6175 (Don
Austin) or by e-mail: peacelearning@
sbcglobal.net The Peace Learning Center of
Milwaukee is a partner in the Riverwest
Health Initiative and has a collaborative
relationship with Boys and Girls Clubs
of Milwaukee and COA Youth and
Family Center. The PLC-M has received
financial support from the Junior
League of Milwaukee, North Shore
Presbyterian Church, and the Religious
Society of Friends (Quakers), among
others. The Peace Learning Center of
Milwaukee’s mission is to be a catalyst
in the community for non-violent
conflict management and respect for
self, others and the environment.
Tom Raworth Performs at Woodland Pattern March 4
Tom Raworth is a British poet who has written over 40 books. His most
recent book of poems is Tottering State. He will be reading on March 4 at
Woodland Pattern Books.
From Listen Up
god is the space between thoughts, no, that’s
…Those wimpish heads
simplistic, someof tiny states without the power
times you can’t understand the words but know
to have a radio in the shower
the
should fall in line behind George Bush
medicine is right.
and join with him and Blair to push
the sword of truth through Saddam’s guts
(no need for any ifs or buts)
for god’s
we’ll even do it without the backing
sake
of UN cowards and their quacking –
stay open
remember how we thrashed the Nips
to your time
and fried them like potato chips?
what’s done
God’s on our side, he’s white and Yankee…
is
Tom Raworth
Tom Raworth
From Tracking (Notes)
Olusegun Sijuwade, Peace Learning Center workshop facilitator, received the Frank Ziedler Award from Mr.
Ziedler himself at a recent award banquet. ~photo supplied by Peace Learning Center
Peace Learning Center News
by Phyllis Berentsen and Don Austin
In a recent interview, Milwaukee
Police Department Chief, Nan Hegerty
commented that in order to stop the
violence in our city’s streets, people need
more skills to resolve arguments – 35%
of violence that her department is called
on to deal with are the result of conflict
between people who know each other,
and arguments that get out of control.
The Peace Learning Center of Milwaukee
is teaching conflict management skills
to fourth grade children. The core of
the program is an intensive 5-hour
workshop, in which fourth grade classes
and their teachers learn and practice
those skills – followed 2 weeks later by
an in-class refresher. The program has
grown from a pilot project with one
school to involving 15 schools this year
– serving 1,300 students since 2002.
The group conducts ongoing research
to evaluate the workshops’ effectiveness
in terms of students’ understanding,
retention and use of non-violent
communication
and
conflict
management skills. The research is
beginning to show measurable positive
change.
PLC’s growth has required adding staff.
They now have three facilitators and
an intern assisted by rotating shifts of
UWM students. Evelyn Ang joined as
part-time Executive Director in early
December, and the group will soon
be training more staff. They hope to
offer the fourth grade program to
more schools and develop an equally
effective program for older students
and community members.
Recently Olusegun Sijuwade, one of
the PLC lead workshop facilitators, was
selected by the Interfaith Conference of
Greater Milwaukee to receive the Frank
Ziedler Award. The award is given to
an individual whose present and past
activities contribute to the religious
community’s presence and involvement
in social issues.
The PLC is supported by individual
donors, the Riverwest Health Initiative,
several faith congregations, the
Junior League of Milwaukee, and
the Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation.
Students from the Mediation Center
at UW-Milwaukee participate and
assist in workshops. The use of the
Friends Meeting House is donated.
The PLC’s mission is to be a catalyst in
the community for non-violent conflict
management and respect for self, others
and the environment. If you would like
to attend one of our workshops call
414-462-8537.
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