The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire, Savannah, Ga.’s leading organization dedicated to helping citizens proactively manage conflict, is honored to host the 2024 Youth Peacemakers Recognition and Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, April 17 at 5:30 p.m. at Herschel V. Jenkins High School, located at 1800 East DeRenne Avenue in Savannah, Ga.

 The annual awards ceremony will celebrate Peer Mediators, Restorative Youth Court volunteers and Positive Peer Influencers who are making a difference at Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) elementary, middle and high schools as well as the greater Savannah community.

“Our Youth Peacemakers Recognition and Awards Ceremony is always an annual highlight because we have the opportunity to celebrate inspiring local students who have dedicated themselves, through trainings and volunteer sessions, to promoting peace in their schools,” said Sherlisa Praylo, Director of Restorative Practices and Community Outreach at The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire. “These young peacemakers are the future leaders of our community, and we’re thrilled to recognize them for their commitment.” 

Attendees will enjoy dinner as well as inspiring remarks from guest speaker Kabrina Bass, a past board member of the National Association for Conflict Resolution (NAFCM), a Conciliation Specialist with Community Relations Service and former Executive Director of the Midlands Mediation Center.

Restorative Youth Court volunteers from Herschel V. Jenkins High School, Savannah Early College, Savannah High School, Sol C. Johnson High School, Mercer Middle School and Peer Mediators at various elementary, middle and high schools will also be recognized. The Restorative Youth Court is a youth-led diversionary program that positions trained youth volunteers as the lawyers, judge, bailiff and jury in sentencing hearings for students who have broken specified school code of conduct rules. The program utilizes restorative justice practices to promote behavioral change in students and reduce recidivism.

The Youth Peacemakers Recognition and Awards Ceremony will also honor local Peer Mediators, who are students trained to listen and help fellow students develop solutions to conflicts. These students help make their respective schools more peaceful places to learn and grow.  

Participants in the new Positive Peer Influencer Program, a pilot program designed to help local teens make healthy choices, will be recognized. This innovative program is a collaboration between The Mediation Center, SCCPSS and the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team that trains Positive Peer Influencers at Alfred E. Beach High School, Herschel V. Jenkins High School, Island High School and New Hampstead High School to serve as mentors to local middle school students. Positive Peer Influencers model healthy decision-making and speak with students about how to navigate peer pressure.

The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire’s youth initiatives are made possible by support from Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, Chatham County Blueprint Funding, United Way of the Coastal Empire, The Hodge Foundation, The One Hundred Children's Foundation, Chatham Narcotics, International Paper, The Kiwanis Club of Skidaway Island, Gulfstream and Chatham County Juvenile Court.

To learn more about The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire’s Youth Programs, please visit mediationsavannah.com.