Mount Vernon High School launches Peer Mediation Program

Two Mount Vernon High School seniors were celebrated Tuesday for spearheading the effort to launch the school’s first Peer Mediation Program, which will permit students to settle conflicts among themselves.

Abraham Hibbert and Jazzy Christane Marsh and about a dozen of the newly minted mediators gathered for pizza, cupcakes and accolades.

The two seniors helped create the school’s peer chapter as part of their Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) component to earn their International Baccalaureate Diploma.

“I have a deep-seated love for this project. We had a very productive year and now have our own little community,” said Abraham, who plans to attend Mercy University in the fall and major in psychology.

He said he began planning for the peer program in mid-November after rumors spread about a conflict between two girls. Each student received three days of training to become a full-fledged mediator.

Fellow senior Jazzy, who plans to study corporate finance at Manhattanville University, also used the effort to fulfill her CAS requirement for her IB Diplomas.

“I’m really proud of myself. We want to help people have a positive feeling and have an impact,” she said.

One of the peer mediation coordinators, Matt Mishkin, said state funding for the program was allocated by the Community Dispute Resolutions Centers (CDRC) Program, a “statewide network of nonprofit organizations providing dialogue and dispute resolution services.”

The CDRC invited Mr. Mishkin’s organization, CLUSTER Community Services, to coordinate the program at the school.

“The program teaches students how to resolve conflict in a nonviolent manner,” he said. “The teachers and coordinators are not there to solve the problem; they're simply there to make sure that everything is kosher inside the room.”

“It's not a top-down hierarchical situation where the teacher is the one doing it, which is very common,” Mr. Mishkin said.

“The students are truly incredible. They are really passionate about the program. They’re intelligent, are good at it and show empathy,” he said, adding that the program will continue in the next school year.

Asked what kinds of conflicts are tackled by the young mediators, Mr. Mishkin said they run the gamut of gossip to relationship issues and everything in between.

If the mediated conflict rekindles, he added, the matter gets sent to the administration.

Mr. Mishkin stressed that the program keeps the discussions strictly confidential.

“The students have to feel as though their business is their business – but the administration is aware that these mediations do take place, and they are aware of the parties in case there is something that does happen afterwards,” he said.

In addition to Mr. Mishkin, the other coordinators are District staffers teachers Andrea Gelling and Tracey Anderson-Grant and school social worker Sandra Manzueta.

According to the CDRC, 70 percent of its mediations result in a “mutual agreement."

Principal Dr. Pauline Pearce also was on hand for the event and raved about the program.

“The Peer Mediation Program is a powerful tool for empowering students to take ownership of their actions and resolve conflicts constructively," she said. "It not only fosters accountability among peers but also strengthens the overall school climate by promoting empathy, communication and leadership. Beyond the school walls, it cultivates a culture of understanding and cooperation that positively impacts our entire community.”