RJ Student Leaders Program (Undergrad)
UC Berkeley’s RJ Student Leaders program trains students to provide peer-to-peer training and services in restorative practices (community building and other circles) and restorative justice (responding to harm). As they invite their fellow students to engage in restorative practice and restorative justice, RJ Student Leaders promote a different kind of leadership that emphasizes engaged listening, empathy, conflict resolution, and recognition of multiple truths.
Every year, RJ Student leaders train hundreds of students and staff and guide dozens of students through restorative processes to address harm, resolve conflicts, and restore relationships.
RJ Student Leaders are busy! Here is a sampling of their efforts:
- Designing and maintaining our website, social media presence and newsletter
- Researching on RJ related issues including academic misconduct
- Engaging in activism and policy discussions to promote RJ options for conduct violations and sexual misconduct
- Education and outreach across campus and beyond
- Developing and producing RJ Events on campus
RJ Grad Student Leaders
The RJ Grad Student Leaders have become indispensable to the work of the RJ Center. Graduate students with outside experience in RJ, and those who complete the Graduate Student Inclusivity Training have helped us to expand our services for graduate students at a critical time.
RJ Grad Student Leaders work with graduate student cohorts from all fields and disciplines who want to engage in community building, get together in affinity spaces, work out issues, or just talk about the experience of being a grad student. Over the years, our Grad Student Leaders have worked with STEM students, and students in the MSW (Masters in Social Work); SPH (School of Public Health); GSPP (Goldman School of Public Policy); the Haas School of Business and Architecture programs among many others. RJ Grad Student Leaders also support the RJSL undergrad program with workshops and trainings and co-facilitation of community building and harm circles.
Graduate Student Inclusivity Training
Each spring, the RJ Grad Student Leaders facilitate the Grad Student Inclusivity Training (GSIT). 25 graduate students come together to experience community building, dive deep into issues of inclusivity and equity, engage in inter-departmental dialog about the challenges grad students are facing, and practice restorative responses to conflict and harm. Most years, the training lasts for three Saturdays in Feb-March, while this year we have revised the schedule to reduce zoom fatigue. Participants especially value the practices provided for creating a learning community in the classroom, and inclusive dialog through circle practice and the use of the talking piece. Our aim is for participants to take these practices back to their departments and disciplines to deepen relationships and strategize for creating more caring and inclusive spaces.
NEW The Graduate Student Ambassadors Program
Starting in 2023, grad students from across disciplines will form the grad ambassadors program. In this program, we are partnering with the PATH to CARE Center to offer trainings for grad ambassadors in prevention of sexual harassment, community building, and responses to conflict and harm. Grad ambassadors will do research in their departments to identify concerns in these areas, then create educational opportunities and/or interventions to respond to those concerns.