Teacher and administrator perceptions of peace education in Milwaukee (US) Catholic schools

ABSTRACT

Often intersecting with systemic inequity and injustice, young people’s exposure to community violence has been linked to a myriad of developmental impacts. A growing literature demonstrates the potential of peace education programs to promote resilient and prosocial outcomes for these individuals. Still, more work can be done to understand underlying mechanisms and implementation challenges to support these young people and build cultures of peace through education more effectively. In this article, we detail the theoretical foundation, context, and socioecological model for Marquette University Center for Peacemaking’s Peace Works program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, before presenting the results of focus groups with teachers and administrators where it was implemented. The conversations touched on how teachers and administrators perceive of the implementation of this peace education program, what impacts they observe in students and school culture, and obstacles to promoting peace in students, schools, and broader communities through this approach. Overall, we aim to contribute to understandings of peace education in violent urban contexts by offering a model built on a theoretical focus on nonviolent communication and behavior and a socioecological model for transformative change, as well as lessons from the program’s implementation.

KEYWORDS:

• Non-violent communication
• middle school
• education/learning
• Milwaukee

Disclosure statement

Three of the authors are employees with the Marquette University Center for Peacemaking, which runs the Peace Works program. They were not involved in data analyses, but contributed to the writing of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gabriel Velez

Dr. Gabriel Velez is an assistant professor in Educational Policy and Leadership at Marquette University. His work focuses on adolescent development in relation to educational contexts and experiences, including restorative justice and peace education.

Margaret Angucia

Dr. Margaret Angucia has taught and conducted research on children and youth in both conflict and refugee settings. Angucia also examines post-conflict youth in political participation, peace building, and justice.

Thomas Durkin

Dr. Thomas Durkin serves as the Research &d Grant Coordinator for the Marquette University Center for Peacemaking. At Marquette, Durkin also teaches English courses and Introduction to Peace Studies in the Klingler College of Arts & Sciences. In addition, he serves as Education Program Director for the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation.

Lynn O’Brien

Lynn O’Brien is the former Peace Works Program Coordinator for Marquette University Center for Peacemaking. O’Brien’s work focused on the application of social-emotional curriculum, restorative practice and peer mediation training in school settings to reduce violence and build student competencies

Sherri Walker

Sherri Walker serves as the Assistant Director for Marquette University Center for Peacemaking. Walker directs the Peace Works program, a peace education and violence prevention program that increases young people's capacity to identify and resolve conflicts nonviolently