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PeaceBuilders® Creating Safe, Positive Learning Environments

Testimonials & Success Stories

“The PeaceBuilders way of life is the right fit within our comprehensive guidance and counseling program. It nurtures multiculturalism and supplies the common language and expectations that a positive behavior support school should have. Our junior high campus, out in the pacific island region, is full of diversity and PeaceBuilders helps to foster peace and inclusive behaviors that promote a culturally compatible school campus community.”
Patty Aho Mendoza
Guidance Counselor
Hopwood Junior High School
Saipan, MP
“Before the PeaceBuilders program, the youth would play touch football and get extremely aggressive, and competitive. The norm for most of the kids was to bump into one another and disregard the safety or boundaries of others. If somebody fell or was hurt, no one would acknowledge the kid who was knocked over. They would just continue playing without considering that he or she might be hurt. After the Team Leader shared Noticing Hurts and Helping Others, if a participant fell or was bumped into, the youth would stop quickly and say, "Hey, are you okay, man?" and lend them a hand. They began to recognize the feelings of others, and I have seen a lot of these kids showing respect and compassion for another.”
Instructor report
Northpointe Community & Recreation Center
Long Beach, CA
“A few years ago, I started looking for information or materials that would help our site with bully-free rules and ideas. I was hoping to find a program that would help our students learn to be responsible for their own actions, as well as provide a feeling of success and achievement for better behavior. I expected that I would have to mix a few programs to get everything I was looking for. But then I came across the PeaceBuilders website.

The folks at PeacePartners, Inc. have provided everything they promised and more. Not only has PeaceBuilders made my job as a counselor easier, with fewer discipline referrals, but our teachers report that they have had more time to actually teach, instead of taking care of hurt feelings and arguments. Because of the consistency in expectations and rewards at all grade levels, and the students' desire to meet the goals of the PeaceBuilders Pledge, our school is much more happy, more wise, and more peaceful this year. The rewards offered by PeaceBuilders are prizes our students treasure. It's so good to see the smiles, hear the compliments in our hallways, and see children helping one another.”
Tresa Euper
Counselor
Francis Elementary School
Ada, Oklahoma
“Yesterday, while doing a formal observation of my 6th grade (Religion) teacher, I listened as the teacher talked about the 10 Commandments and other rules we have at home, at school, and in the community. The teacher asked the students to work in groups to develop a list of the most important rules in each of these areas. Several of the groups had “school” as their topic; this made for a rather long list when the students compiled their answers on the board. Since the list was so long, the teacher asked if the students could go back into their groups and narrow things down a little bit. The end result went from about a dozen rules to three, and the #1 rule was “Be a PeaceBuilder.” The students had determined that almost every rule of behavior they had on their original list could fall under the PeaceBuilder umbrella. There is absolutely no doubt that these kids understood completely the correlation between PeaceBuilders and discipline.”
Pam Breunig
Principal
St. Dominic School
Springfield, KY
“The biggest difference has been the fact that we all have a common language for dealing with kids at school and at home! I had one parent stop me a few weeks ago and tell me that she makes an effort to bring her kids to school at least two days a week so she can stay and be a part of our [PeaceBuilders] pledge time.”
Deann Jeffreys
Principal
Boulder Oaks Elementary School
Alpine, CA
“The way our principal, Teresa Clemens-Brower, incorporates PeaceBuilders is inspiring to our whole community. She encourages staff and parents to write PraiseNotes during meetings and begins each staff meeting with a “Rose Ceremony” to publicly share praise and celebrations. Because she demonstrates the value of the PeaceBuilders principles, the staff is more empowered to implement the concepts and strategies in the classrooms and common areas.”
Moe Caryl
School Counselor/PB Coordinator
Errol Hassell Elementary School
Beaverton, OR
“I do love PeaceBuilders. I wish every school would use it. We always hear nice comments about our kids from substitute teachers and one of the reasons is because of PeaceBuilders!!”
Gail Jackson
Special Education Teacher and PeaceBuilders Coordinator
Lincoln-Irving Elementary
Moline, IL
“PeaceBuilders augments the good things that are found within a school community. Children who feel valued and safe are more able to learn, retain acquired knowledge, and make positive contributions to others. Parents who know their child is treated with respect can support the efforts of teachers and school staff. Teachers with engaged learners can assist their students to meet, and even exceed, expectations.

“For almost ten years, I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with PeaceCoaches—teens that model and reinforce peace at schools and in the community. Our City of Readers Youth Ambassador Academy has always included three tenets: PeaceBuilder training, literacy and tutoring, and acquisition of job placement skills. San Bernardino City Schools embrace peace.”
Sheri Becar
Teacher on Assignment
San Bernardino Unified School District
San Bernardino, CA
“With all of our students’ enthusiasm, the most touching events are the daily acts of kindness—picking books up for a fellow student who has dropped them, helping a fellow student in need, comforting a fellow student in pain—that, while they occur every day, everywhere in the world, are recognized here as fitting into the larger, positive framework that is the PeaceBuilders movement.”
Charlie Wilkinson
PeaceBuilders VIP
Franklin County School District
Appalachicola, FL
“As a Certified PeaceBuilders Showcase Site, Charlton Street Elementary School has enjoyed a significant decrease (about 80%) in behavioral problems, an increase in positive behaviors (including a 95% attendance rate), an increase in academic performance and an increase in family/community awareness since implementing the PeaceBuilders program seven years ago.

“And PeaceBuilders is easy to maintain. The concepts of the program can be completely infused into the existing curriculum. It takes no “extra time” to teach the PeaceBuilders Principles or lessons. PeaceBuilders definitely, absolutely works.”
Bryant Montigny
Principal
Charlton Street School
Southbridge, MA
Read what young people have to say about PeaceBuilders:

“I am a PeaceBuilder. I pledge to praise people, to give up put downs, to seek wise people, to notice and speak up about hurts that I have caused, and to right wrongs. I will build peace at home, at school, and in my community each day. The PeaceBuilders Pledge was taught to me when I started 1st grade in 1995. Back then, it was just part of the day, like gym or lunch, nothing to really make a big deal about. Now, not only is it still part of the day, but it is also, a piece of my life.

“‘Peace is given only to the ones who choose to take it, and those who are willing to work hard at maintaining it.’ Even with all the violence going on in the world around me, I can still wake up each day with a smile. Not because I am pleased with what’s going on, but because I know that this is just another day for me to make a difference.

“Going to Community of Peace Academy, I have learned that there really are peaceful ways to solving problems. I have also learned that these ways are more efficient and more effective. Once I really started to understand the PeaceBuilders Pledge, I also started to understand myself. Ever since I decided to live peacefully I became less stressed out, my grades turned around, and I became a lot happier.

“PeaceBuilders are similar to the domino effect. When one person decides to either stand up for his or herself, or even for someone else, it inspires others to do the same. Or if they decide not to make fun of someone, others will follow. PeaceBuilders are the ones making the differences everyday, they are the heroes.

“There is nothing like living peacefully. It’s a sort of a feeling that you get when everything is going wrong, yet you don’t panic, because you know everything will be ok. It’s the power of the PeaceBuilder.”
Keonna
High School Student
Community of Peace Academy
Saint Paul, MN
“The most helpful thing about PeaceBuilders is there’s not bullying here.”
Madison
Sixth Grade Student
Redmond Elementary School
Redmond, WA
“Being a PeaceBuilders PeaceCoach makes me feel like I am part of something important.”
Taylor
Fourth Grade Student
Lemon Crest Elementary School
Lakeside, CA

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