Tournament Winning Teams Press Release

The first annual online international peer mediation tournament was held March-May, 2024, supported by Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services Inc. (JAMS), the National Association of Peer Program Professionals (NAPPP), and a division of NAPPP, the On-line Peer Mediation Platform (OPMP). The goal was to allow peer mediators to practice their peer mediation skills in a friendly competition with other students worldwide. Another goal was to encourage peer mediators to continue to grow their resolution skills which they showcased during the competition. Mediation is a peaceful, critical conflict management strategy that trained peers called conflict mediators use to help youth resolve conflicts.

High school and middle school conflict management teams received coaching from adults skilled in mediation techniques. Experienced professionals in the peer mediation field served as tournament judges. Teams were judged based on the demonstration of their skills in following the mediation process and their ability to have disputants reach a mutually agreeable solution.

The winning high school team was Rockdale Virtual Campus Peer Mediators and their coordinators were Cynthia Morton, Monica Seeley, Vanessa Burch, and Kindra Latimore. Their mediation team has been in existence since 2008. Their trained mediators have conducted around 50 mediations since 2008 in four high schools. The 2023-2024 high school mediators consisted of juniors and seniors who have been in the Rockdale Virtual Campus Peer Facilitation program for two years. All the students put in countless hours of practice to prepare for the tournament and have been trained mediators for two years.

The winning middle school team was KIPP Inspire Academy, and their trainer was Kristin Watt. Their mediation team has been in existence since 2023-2024. Their trained mediators conduct around 10 mediations per year for fellow students at KIPP Inspire Academy. This was the first year their school had a peer mediation program which received training from Conflict Resolution Center, St. Louis, MO. The students worked very hard throughout the course of the tournament to prepare each case and used a lot of teamwork in helping each other in their roles. The whole team is entering high school next year.

The winning teams received recognition on the JAMS Foundation website, the OPMP Website, and the NAPPP Website. The winning team and their adult coordinator received certificates and other prizes. The winning team received recognition cords to be worn when they graduate. The schools received a JAMS/NAPPP/OPMP Tournament Champions banner for display.

JAMS/NAPPP/OPMP applauds all the tournament participants and plans to conduct an expanded tournament in 2025 with returning and new teams.

Want to start a peer mediation program, but lack the support or knowledge to get started? Check out this short video... Why Peer Mediation?