Amigos in Mediation Program (AIM)

For over eight year, the Bexar County Dispute Resolution Center (BCDRC) has been transforming local school by creating a culture of peaceful dispute resolution through the “Amigos in Mediation” Peer Mediation Program.  The AIM program provides peer mediation/conflict resolution training and consultation services to all interested elementary, middle and high schools located within Bexar County.  All services are provided at no cost to local schools.  Schools wishing to participate in the AIM program are encourages to select students to be trained as mediators from a broad, cross-section of the student population in order to ensure representation across gender, ethnic and economic sectors of the school population spectrum.  With the assistance of trained student peer mediators who facilitate the mediation process, students are able to resolve their interpersonal conflicts without the intervention of school staff.

• 122 Schools with Active Peer Mediation Programs
• 622 Peer Mediation Training Sessions Conducted
• 11,937 Students Trained as Peer Mediators
• 1,720 School Personnel Trained as Peer Mediation Trainers
• 9,972 Student Mediations Conducted
• 9,498 Student Mediations Resulting in Agreements
• 96% Peer Mediation Agreement Rate
• 20,910 Student Disputants Participating in Mediation

Of the students using mediation to resolve their disputes, 88% stated that mediation prevented them from engaging in inappropriate action and 94% of those same students stated they would use mediation again to resolve future disputes.  Of the schools reporting, 79% stated that having a peer mediation program reduced the number of disciplinary incidents and the amount of time staff spent on disciplinary actions.

William Howard Taft High School has been selected as the recipient of the 2008 Outstanding School Peer Mediation Program Award, recognizing its dedication to providing a high quality, self-sustaining peer mediation program.  Peer mediation enables students to resolve their own conflicts, without the intervention of school staff, through the use of students trained as peer mediators.

William Howard Taft High School, located in the Northside Independent School District, began its peer mediation program in the fall of 2000.  Dedicated to the principles of peace and conflict resolution, the peer mediators have been very successful in preventing student disagreements from escalating into violence.  This success has been noted by school administrators who have commented on the tremendous impact peer mediation has had in creating a peaceful school climate.  Thanks to the introduction of the peer mediation program, “Students talk about their disagreements with trained student mediators, creating a sense of trust and compatibility among the student body.”  As one school administrator remarked, “Their mediations are almost always successful, and they are far more successful than we as administrators are with mediating between students.”

The young men and women who serve as peer mediators at Taft High School have become the true leaders and mentors of the campus.  They have earned the respect of other students, the faculty and staff, school police, and administrators.  They are truly deserving of the 2008 Peacemaker “Outstanding School Peer Mediation Program” Award.

You make a BIG difference!

Frank Rizzo Always Needs More Mentors and Trainers!
If you like to work with kids and have just one free day a month, call him at (210) 335-2128