The CDR is honored to be presenting two sessions at the Association for Conflict Resolution’s Annual Conference, September 29-October 1, 2021. The competitively selected sessions will focus on two of the CDR’s high-impact community programs: the Victim Impact Program for Youth, and Circles for Girls Diversity Circles. The sessions, led by CDR Director Dr. Charlene Berquist and Associate Director Heather Blades, will both include Missouri State students and alumni whose research and facilitation work with the programs will be highlighted.
In the first presentation, “Diversity Circles for Girls: Engaging Minority Youth in Conversations About Their Experiences,” Dr. Berquist and Ms. Blades will be joined by Conflict Certificate alumna Tina Pham, who served as a facilitator and trainer for the Diversity Circles program. The session will discuss how the CDR expanded its Circles for Girls educational exploratory talking circles (which are offered for at-risk youth in area middle schools) to include “Diversity Circles” aimed at engaging girls whose racial or ethnic backgrounds differed from the majority of students in their schools. Together Berquist, Blades, and Pham will share how these groups provide a venue where youth of color can connect and share their experiences, offering benefits to minority youth and Missouri State student facilitators alike. This presentation will be offered virtually September 29 from 10 – 11:15 a.m. (CST).
In the second session, “Engaging Youth to Inspire an Understanding of Crime’s Impact: An Exploration of Face-to-Face and Virtual Restorative Victim Impact Programs for Youth,” Berquist and Blades will be joined by Conflict Certificate students Kaitlyn Killingworth (who facilitates in the program) and Erica Pilgrim (whose seminar research focuses on program). The presentation will detail how the CDR’s Victim Impact Program for youthful offenders in Greene County, MO, was modified to be offered virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, and will showcase research on the impact that both formats have had on youth’s perceptions of crime and their own actions. This presentation will be offered virtually October 1 from 10 – 11:15 a.m. (CST).
Registration is now open for the Association for Conflict Resolution’s Annual Conference, and discounted registration rates are available through August 14th and for students