Our Impact

Transforming schools by centering youth leadership and restorative practices.

Western Justice Center partners with schools that face the greatest barriers and hold the greatest potential. More than 90% of students in our partner schools are youth of color, one in three is an English learner and over 60% qualify for free or reduced price lunch.

These are the students and families most often pushed to the margins and they are at the heart of our work

The Road To Resilience

Since 2023 we have been designing and implementing a Restorative Schools Model that trains an ever expanding corps of young peacebuilders and the adults who support them.

• We launched districtwide partnerships that bring conflict resolution education and restorative practices to schools across Los Angeles County.
• In the 2025 school year we will train more than 600 students as peer mediators who will support 1,000 to 2,000 of their peers, while another 2,500 students participate in restorative circles.
• Educators are adopting our practices and tools to support students who face the steepest obstacles on their campuses.
• Administrators are using our approach to navigate complex problems in their districts and move from short term fixes to long term culture change.

Peace Is A Practice

Students: Young people are trained as peer mediators and circle keepers. They practice listening, problem solving and leadership, and they support classmates through conflict instead of watching fights escalate.

Educators: Teachers and school staff use restorative practices that help them support students who face the steepest obstacles. They have concrete tools to repair harm, not only to punish it.

Administrators: Principals and district leaders apply our model to complex challenges on their campuses. They shift from crisis response to schoolwide systems that build safety, trust and belonging.