Jen Williams (Free Event)

Session Description

Taking the risk of student-driven restorative practices. Jen will highlight her new publication inside IIRP’s latest book: Restorative Practices in Education: Research and Applications. She moves from giving students voice and agency, which fosters leadership, to impacting the outside community. Concrete implementation ideas are explored, and potential barriers are discussed. Jen has over 20 years of experience working with youth, primarily at the middle level as both a school counselor and restorative trainer. She holds an M.Ed. from Villanova University and an M.S. from the International Institute for Restorative Practices. Ms. Williams is the creator and author of Peacekeepers, a student training that empowers youth to use restorative justice conferencing to build community, resolve conflict, and repair harm with their peers, as well as to learn to be leaders in creating safe and supportive school environments by practicing communication skills, conflict resolution, and the Peacekeeper Conference process. Her other publications include the Pillars of Peace Curriculum that accompanies the Peacekeeper program, as well as Chapter 15, titled "Student-Driven Engagement: Developing Lifelong Skills," in the book Restorative Practices in Education: Research and Application, published by the International Institute for Restorative Practices. Jen is active on the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education board, where she is the past President and serves on the Schools to Watch state team. She supports schools across the globe and speaks with educators who share her passion of empowering students to lead healing conversations. Most recently, Ms. Williams spoke at the Promising Youth Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah and at ELME (European League for Middle Level Education) in Malta and Prague. ​ Jen resides in Chester County, Pennsylvania, with her husband, two children, and two cats. She loves watching her daughter play volleyball and her son participate in his university’s orchestra.