The 2020 Northeast Ohio Conflict Resolution Youth Symposium

Becoming Agents for Positive Change in Our Schools, Communities and the World

Becoming Agents for Positive Change in Our Schools, Communities and the World

Cuyahoga Community College
Metropolitan Campus
Friday, Feb. 21, 2020
8:45 a.m.-2 p.m.

The third annual Northeast Ohio Conflict Resolution Youth Symposium for high school students (grades 8 through 12) and youth educators focuses on empowering youth to be agents of positive change in their schools, communities, and the world. This symposium will emphasize the role of social emotional learning in helping to develop youth with the capacity to utilize conflict resolution and dialogue skills to address the critical social justice issues in their schools and in the community.

Who is this for? 
People interested in being a part of and/or leading social justice efforts at their school and/or in their community. This includes students as well as teachers, administrators, parents and community organizations that work to support high school-aged youth.

Registration Information

Group registration is open now!

To register a group or school with contact Tyler Olson, 216-987-2582 or tyler.olson@tri-c.edu. (Use subject line: "NEO Youth Symposium")

Registration is open until February 1st, or until space is filled. 

Registration is $10 for students and $15 for adults. High schools are encouraged to sponsor a group of 10-15 students and 2-3 adults.

There are resources for scholarships. Please contact Tyler Olson (tyler.olson@tri-c.edu) ASAP to learn more.

Did you enter The Stop the Hate Essay Contest?

You can earn an Upstander Certificate by attending this event! As part of the Youth Symposium, a special Stop the Hate track will be offered for students who participated in the Maltz Museum's Stop the Hate essay contest. All 6th - 12th grade students who submitted an essay are eligible to attend the symposium at no cost, as space permits. Seats will be filled on a first come first serve basis. If you are interested in attending the symposium, and space has filled you may add your name to a waiting list to be notified if space opens or when similar programming is announced. To register, please contact the Maltz Museum at: www.maltzmuseum.org/STH or call 216-593-0595 to speak with Sjobor Hammer.

Lead a Breakout Session

Submit a breakout session proposal here! 

Deadline for proposals: February 4th

Breakout session will be 45 minutes in length.

This year our goal is to have students and schools lead many of the breakout sessions, sharing what you are doing to promote positive change in your school, community, or the world.

We are also requesting breakout session proposals from college students, community organizations, and individual change agents focused on what is being done to promote positive change in Northeast Ohio.

Topic ideas include, but are not limited to addressing: identity-based discrimination, racial tensions and inequality, gun violence, gender violence and inequality, social justice and the environment, and social media's role in promoting positive social change.

Participants will exchange ideas on:

• How we effectively lead change for a more socially just community and society.
• Leadership development focused on social justice and civic engagement.
• Effective ways to utilize conflict resolution processes and skills to address social justice issues (e.g., civil and sustained dialogue, nonviolent social action, community organizing, group facilitation, mediation, anti-bullying tactics, restorative justice).
• New strategies and approaches for building sustainable programs to address microaggressions, hate speech, bullying and other dehumanizing and violent behaviors.

Audience

• 8th through 12th grade students from Northeast Ohio schools (public, charter and private schools, as well as urban, suburban and rural schools).
• 8th through 12th grade teachers and administrators.
• Program coordinators and educators who work with high school-aged youth and are interested in social justice and community building.
• Anyone interested in working with youth to make positive change in schools and the community at large.

A 2-hour educators' program will take place concurrently with the Youth Symposium. 

Co-hosted by Cuyahoga Community College’s Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies program and Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Winning Against Violent Environments program, in collaboration with The Maltz Museum's Stop the Hate program and other community organizations.