JAMS Foundation/ACR Initiative for Students and Youth

JAMS Foundation/ACR Initiative for Students and Youth

The JAMS Foundation/ACR Initiative for Students and Youth provides grant funding for conflict prevention and dispute resolution programs for K-12 students and for adults working with youth populations in ways that directly transfer CRE skills from adults to youth.

Each year, ACR and the JAMS Foundation will identify particular subject areas seeking to address otherwise unresolved issues and unmet needs of both general and target youth populations, based on current research and feedback from leaders and stakeholders in the dispute resolution and education fields.

Funding contexts for selected subject areas will vary, and may include community-based organizations, alternative education settings (online education, charter schools), after-school programs, court- or juvenile justice-connected programs, as well as programs operating in traditional K-12 school districts.

Once a target subject area has been determined, a  Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) soliciting Initial Project Ideas will be posted on the ACR and JAMS Foundation websites and distributed through other appropriate venues. Following ACR’s review of the Initial Project Ideas received, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full grant proposal for review by ACR’s Grant Review Committee.

All grant inquires and proposals should be directed to ACR. Grant proposals submitted in response to the Notice of Funding Availability will first be reviewed by ACR, with subsequent review and final approval by the JAMS Foundation Board based on recommendations from ACR and the Board’s own review of top-ranked proposals.

It is anticipated that for each designated subject area, 1-2 applicants will be selected each year to receive Year 1 grant funding of up to $50,000 to support their efforts to develop, refine, or expand programming in that subject area.  Grant recipients may also be eligible for Year 2 funding of up to $25,000, contingent upon the satisfactory achievement of Year 1 benchmarks and goals.

Current Areas of Concentration

New: 2017 Request for Proposals – Conflict Resolution Education for Youth Experiencing Interventions by Juvenile Justice or Social Service Agencies

To view the 2017 Notice of Funding Availability, click here.

2016 Request for Proposals – Conflict Resolution Education for Structurally Disadvantaged Youth

The following organizations were selected to receive grant funding in this area:

Nashville Conflict Resolution Center (Nashville, TN) – In collaboration with the Juvenile Court, public housing authority and other community partners, this $30,000 grant funds the development and expansion of a mediation and restorative justice program for at-risk youth involved in cases of fighting, assault, threats, harassment, bullying, vandalism and theft in an effort to reduce violence, provide non-punitive alternatives to juvenile justice and connect youth with other needed resources and community-based services. http://nashvilleconflict.org

Our Family Services (Tucson, AZ) - $41,000 to expand and evaluate a pilot program providing conflict resolution education for homeless and abused youth and the direct-care helping professionals who work with them.  The program employs circle processes to create safer and more constructive environments for vulnerable youth while at the same time teaching them peaceful conflict resolution skills. The curriculum and training modules developed through this grant will be made available at no cost to organizations serving structurally disadvantaged youth, including homeless youth, those in foster care, involved with juvenile justice or child welfare systems, immigrants and those in academically disenfranchised or economically impoverished communities.  http://www.ourfamilyservices.org

To view 2016 Notice of Funding Availability, click here.
 

2015 Request for Proposals – Conflict Resolution Education in Special Education

The following organizations were selected to receive grant funding in this area:

Direction Service (Eugene, OR) - $50,000 to develop a series of high-quality, easily accessible and self-directed online learning modules to help students with disabilities learn and master essential communication and conflict management knowledge and skills, as well as a facilitator’s guide and tools to assist parents, mentors and teachers in supporting students’ e-learning experience. http://www.directionservice.org

SchoolTalk (Washington, DC) - $25,000 to develop and test an interactive, arts-integrated conflict resolution education curriculum to help transition-aged youth with disabilities aged 14-21 address interpersonal conflicts and organizational challenges in the workplace, providing them with knowledge and skills to improve their own transition outcomes by maintaining meaningful community-based employment. http://www.schooltalkdc.org

To view the 2015 Notice of Funding Availability, click here.
 

2014 Grants

The Foundation is currently providing grant support for the following initiatives:

Online Peer Mediation Platform

Initiated by ACR and currently administered by the National Association of Peer Program Professionals (NAPPP), this $55,000, 2-year grant funds the development of a comprehensive online peer mediation website, enabling children aged 10-18 to learn about, practice, receive mentoring, and provide peer mediation services online.

Based on the increasing prevalence of online public education and growing preference for technology-supported communications, the online platform will be designed to serve students in a variety of settings, including conventional school peer mediation programs, charter and cyber-schools, as well as programs sponsored through community groups, recreation centers, boys and girls clubs, and other interested organizations.

The comprehensive web-based platform will include several interactive components, including a clearinghouse of peer mediation information and resources, online peer mediation training, skills assessment for trained peer mediators, and a platform for conducting online peer mediation sessions.

For additional information regarding this program, click here, or contact Dr. Judith Tindall, NAPPP President, at psynetinc@sbcglobal.net.

Conflict Resolution Education for Children of Incarcerated and Returning Parents (CHIRP)

Developed by the Good Shepherd Mediation Program in Philadelphia in collaboration with state and local, prison administrators, juvenile justice advocates and child welfare organizations, this $85,000, two-year grant funds a unique program providing conflict resolution education to children of parents who are currently in prison or returning home after a period of incarceration.

Complementing GSMP’s Restorative Reentry Services for inmates and former inmates following their release from prison, this initiative focuses on providing their children with the necessary communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution skills to help them effectively navigate the many challenges they face and, where possible, to facilitate family reunification.

For additional information regarding this program, contact Cheryl Cutrona at Good Shepherd Mediation Program at ccmed8r@aol.com.
 

For further information regarding the JAMS Foundation/ACR Initiative for Students and Youth, contact:
Cheryl Jamison, Executive Director, ACR at ed@acrnet.org
Or
David Brandon, Managing Director, JAMS Foundation at dbrandon@jamsfoundation.org