Western Justice Center Foundation

WJC EMPOWERS PEOPLE TO STRENGTHEN THEIR COMMUNITIES BY GROWING THE CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS AND CAPACITY OF YOUTH, EDUCATORS, SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION EDUCATION (CRE) IS AN UMBRELLA TERM THAT INCLUDES COMMUNITY BUILDING CIRCLES, STUDENT-LED PEER MEDIATION PROGRAMS, RESTORATIVE CASE CONFERENCES AND OTHER NON-PUNITIVE PRACTICES.WJC PUTS STUDENTS IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT AT THEIR SCHOOL -- AS COMMUNITY LEADERS AND BUILDERS. OUR CRE PROGRAMS TEACH YOUTH HOW TO BECOME PEER MEDIATORS AND LEAD COMMUNITY BUILDING CIRCLES. WJC CHALLENGES STUDENTS TO LINK THEIR WORK AS MEDIATORS TO MOVEMENTS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE, ENCOURAGES THEM TO INITIATE SOCIAL JUSTICE PROJECTS AT THEIR SCHOOLS AND CONNECTS THEM WITH CAREERS IN MEDIATION. WITH WJC, STUDENTS LEARN CORE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS, SUCH AS SELF-AWARENESS, EMOTIONAL SELF-MANAGEMENT, SOCIAL AWARENESS, (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING. THESE SKILLS ARE CRITICAL BUILDING BLOCKS TO SUCCESS -- IN SCHOOL AND IN LIFE. THE SPECIFIC SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES THAT WJC PROVIDES INCLUDE: (1) IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL CRE TRAINING FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 4-12 WITH AN INTERACTIVE ARTS COMPONENT; (2) A REGIONAL SUMMIT FOR YOUTH INVOLVED IN PEER MEDIATION, PEER COUNSELING, RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND GANG INTERVENTION EFFORTS IN THEIR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES; (3) OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT TO CAREERS IN MEDIATION, PARTICULARLY FOR YOUTH FROM STRUCTURALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES; (4) CRE TRAINING FOR EDUCATORS AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS ON HOW TO USE PEER MEDIATION AND RESTORATIVE PRACTICES IN THE FIELD; AND (5) IN-DEPTH PARTNERSHIPS WITH A SELECT SET OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS COMMITTED TO TRANSFORMING SCHOOL CULTURE, DECREASING RELIANCE ON PUNITIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE USE OF POLICE ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES, AND PARTICIPATING IN DATA-DRIVEN RESEARCH. WJC PARTNERS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE GREATER LA AREA, CHOOSING TO INVEST IN TRANSFORMATIONAL MULTI-YEAR RELATIONSHIPS RATHER THAN CONDUCT A SERIES OF TRANSACTIONAL ONE-AND-DONE TRAINING SESSIONS. THE WJC APPROACH IS A COMPREHENSIVE ONE. WITH EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT BECOMES A WJC SCHOOL PARTNER, OUR AIM IS TO BUILD THEIR INTERNAL CAPACITY TO SUSTAIN CRE PROGRAMS INDEPENDENTLY OVER TIME THEN PROVIDE ONGOING SUPPORT THROUGH OUR ONLINE CRE CURRICULUM PORTAL, SCHOOL TOOLS (WWW.SCHOOLTOOLS.INFO), WHICH IS ACCESSED BY MORE THAN 40,000 UNIQUE USERS EACH YEAR. THE IMPACT OF WJC'S CRE WORK IS ASSESSED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MAJOR RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, SUCH AS THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WJC AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION EDUCATION PROGRAMS, GO TO: WWW.WESTERNJUSTICE.ORG

WJC'S MISSION INCLUDES A COMMITMENT TO USING THE HISTORIC LANDMARK BUILDINGS THAT MAKE UP OUR CAMPUS NEXT TO THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT IN PASADENA AS A PLACE TO BUILD, CREATE AND FOSTER COMMUNITY. THE WJC CAMPUS OPERATES UNDER A 55-YEAR LEASE WITH THE CITY OF PASADENA THAT BEGAN IN 1989 AND IS ELIGIBLE IN 2044 FOR A 44-YEAR EXTENSION THROUGH 2088.OVER THE YEARS, WJC HAS SERVED AS HEADQUARTERS FOR MANY NONPROFITS, INCLUDING THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN OF INCARCERATED PARENTS, COMMUNITY NONVIOLENCE RESOURCE CENTER, COALITION FOR ZERO VIOLENCE, AND THE LA COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION'S DISPUTE RESOLUTION SERVICES PROGRAM. CURRENTLY, THE WJC CAMPUS COMMUNITY IS HOME TO MORE THAN A DOZEN NONPROFITS, (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)INCLUDING THE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER, CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE FOR ARTS EDUCATION, CALIFORNIA ART CLUB, JERICHO ROAD PASADENA, THE LAUREL FOUNDATION, LEADERSHIP PASADENA, PASADENA BEAUTIFUL FOUNDATION, RESOURCES FOR INFANT EDUCARERS AND YWCA OF GLENDALE AND PASADENA, AMONG OTHERS. WJC DOES NOT SERVE AS FISCAL SPONSOR, AFFILIATE OR AGENT FOR ANY OF ITS NONPROFIT TENANTS. RATHER, WJC PROVIDES OFFICE SPACE IN THE BUILDINGS LOCATED AT 65, 75 AND 85 S. GRAND AVENUE AND OFFERS USE OF ITS MAIN BUILDING AT 55 S. GRAND AVENUE (KNOWN AS THE MAXWELL HOUSE) FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH PROGRAM-RELATED AND OTHER MISSION-CENTERED TENANT ACTIVITIES