Concluded Grants

$25,000 to produce a series of public service announcements educating the general public about mediation and encouraging its use for interpersonal and business disputes, available through public, cable, satellite and commercial television outlets. www.abanet.org/dispute

$8,000 to develop and publish a comprehensive guide for judges, court administrators, and others interested in developing or refining their court-based ADR programs. The handbook provides detailed information about establishing ADR processes in a number of different court settings and a wide variety of case types. www.abanet.org/dispute

Based on experience with a previous series of JAMS Foundation-funded mini-grants, this $10,000 grant funded the development and distribution of a “myth-buster” guide addressing some of the misconceptions preventing pro bono and legal service providers from using ADR more effectively.www.abanet.org/dispute

$37,000 to develop a unique curriculum for middle and high school youth combining leadership, communication, and conflict resolution skills, teaching them how to turn information into power and conflict into an opportunity for greater understanding.   www.abanet.org/dispute

$36,000 to fund the creation and distribution of a peer-mediation program start-up kit for schools and non-profit organizations, providing all the resources necessary to initiate, administer and evaluate a peer mediation program, including instructions for implementing a program, student training manual for peer-mediators, trainer’s manual, instructional PowerPoint presentation, video of exemplary live training, and online access to continuing education courses on peer mediation. www.apadrc.org

$10,000 to help support two regional youth conferences bringing together peer mediators from throughout the region and successful professional mediators attending ACR’s annual conferences in Austin, TX and Atlanta, GA. www.acrnet.org

$7,000 to fund the production and distribution of a full-color calendar featuring activities and educator tips for promoting conflict resolution in schools, including significant conflict resolution events, peacemaker birthdays, and links to additional learning modules and reference materials. Available in hard-copy and downloadable online versions. www.acrnet.org

In collaboration with Resolution Systems Institute and Marquette Law School, $10,000 to support a meeting of national leaders in civil and family court dispute resolution, exploring current challenges facing court-ADR programs and innovative approaches for addressing them. www.afccnet.org

$10,000 to support a public education campaign to complement existing programs and services, focusing on mediation and restorative justice in a variety of court-referred and community-based settings. www.bluffton.edu

$19,700 to help fund a symposium on environmental conflict resolution and the publication of a special issue of the Cardozo Journal of Dispute Resolution devoted to the subject. www.cardozo.yu.edu

$25,000 to support a program to increase the number of ADR professionals from traditionally underrepresented ethnic and racial groups by exposing users of ADR services to qualified neutrals of color. www.natlctr4adr.org

$48,000 to develop a training manual and DVD of simulated mediations for counselors and other dispute resolution providers working in communities with high levels of gang violence. The materials will offer constructive approaches to addressing violent conflict between gangs, at-risk youth, and other individuals in troubled areas. www.citizenpeacebuilding.org

$10,000 to fund the development of an in-depth training program to prepare experienced volunteer mediators to mediate guardianship disputes. Targeting contested probate guardianship disputes typically involving unrepresented low-income parties, the program’s specialized training and curriculum will be made available to Superior Courts throughout California. www.chd-prevention.org

$10,000 to support the development of a specialized conflict prevention and anti-harassment curriculum and training program regarding Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender (LGBT) youth. www.communityboards.org

$20,000 to support the development and expansion of a prisoner re-entry program providing mediation services to inmates preparing for release from prison, their families, and other interested parties, and helping them develop mutually agreeable plans for inmates’ release back into the community. www.marylandmediation.org

$50,000 to develop a multi-level screening program for land use disputes, evaluating cases at local, regional, and statewide levels to determine their appropriateness for mediation and developing best practices for addressing these disputes. www.cbuilding.org

$10,000 to help establish an elder mediation pilot program providing specialized training to service providers and no-cost mediation services to seniors, families, and others involved in disputes regarding elder care. www.creativemediation.net

$50,000 to fund the creation of a documentary-style DVD and leader’s guide targeting issues of bullying, harassment and intolerance and presenting a variety of constructive approaches to resolving conflicts arising from them. www.cruinstitute.org

Complementing their previous JAMS Foundation-funded peer-mediation materials for elementary and middle-school students, this $50,000 grant funded the production of another video focusing on inner-city youth and specifically, on conflicts involving African-American students and other people of color. The video addresses the ways in which achievement is sometimes devalued in these communities, suggesting new ways for these students to view themselves and their options. www.cruinstitute.org

$59,000 to fund the creation and production of 24 colorful bookmarks featuring expert tips on conflict prevention and resolution, part of a larger effort to increase public awareness about dispute resolution processes and techniques. http://johnjay.jjay.cuny.edu/dispute

$20,000 to fund several pilot programs in Washington, D.C. schools to improve services to special education students by providing mediation services and training to parents, teachers, and school administrators seeking to address the unique needs of special education students. www.dcappleseed.org

$10,000 to support the implementation of a pilot mediation program for families and caregivers, promoting mediation as a vital component of the organization’s existing family support services. www.echoparenting.org

$10,000 to support a pilot re-entry program for incarcerated persons preparing for release from North Carolina prisons, providing mediation services to inmates, family and community members in order to facilitate inmates’ successful reintegration into their communities. www.crc-mediation.org

$10,000 to help support a conference and working group on white collar crime and business bankruptcy, developing protocols for handling conflicts involving commercial bankruptcy and civil and criminal forfeiture proceedings, including the potential role of professional neutrals in resolving these disputes. law.ggu.edu

$23,000 to help fund a pilot project to facilitate access to ADR worldwide through the development of a ‘wiki’ style online resource and learning network for businesses and vulnerable populations affected by their activities, improving access to global conflict resolution mechanisms and addressing environmental and human rights disputes involving companies and external stakeholders. www.baseswiki.org

This $25,200 grant provided emergency financial assistance to Federal Court employees in New Orleans affected by Hurricane Katrina. The fund provided financial relief to employees who sustained substantial or total losses of their homes and personal property, helping them to get back on their feet and return to their work administering justice through the courts. www.laed.uscourts.gov

$44,000 to fund an educational and promotional campaign to encourage and develop public sector demand for the mediation of inter-governmental disputes involving local and state government agencies and other public entities. www.cacities.org/index.jsp?zone=ilsg

$10,000 to fund a series of psycho-educational workshops for rural families going through divorce or other family conflict, providing conflict resolution and communication skills training to parents and children. www.kidsturnsd.org

$10,000 to support a campus-wide initiative to develop a sustainable Bystander Awareness program, providing university students and staff with information and resources for intervening constructively and effectively in order to prevent or reduce harm. www.lmu.edu

$10,000 to support the development of a Peace Helper program, introducing K-2 students to conflict resolution by partnering with older peer mediators to learn and apply the basics of mediation. Classrooms in participating schools establish a ‘peace corner’ where students go if they are upset or have a conflict, with Peace Helpers available to listen and, in appropriate cases, mediate disputes. www.morningsidecenter.org

$10,000 to support the creation and distribution of a curriculum book to accompany an award-winning music CD. The songs and accompanying materials provide experiential, music-based lessons in conflict resolution to elementary school students. www.mosaicproject.org

$50,000 to develop and administer an online clearinghouse of community mediation resources and customizable templates, including thousands of downloadable and translatable documents collected and vetted from community-based programs and centers worldwide. www.nafcm.org

$50,000 to support the development of a specialized mediation training and service program for National Guard and Reservist troops returning from combat and seeking to reintegrate into their communities. www.nafcm.org

$36,000 to fund an innovative program to provide telephone mediation services to indigent and low-income seniors in appropriate cases. www.seniorlegalhotline.org

$34,250 to fund an invitational symposium for government and business leaders highlighting the role of corporations in fostering democratic institutions in developing countries, including mechanisms for conflict prevention and conflict management. www.partnersglobal.org

$10,000 to fund the development of an interactive software program teaching conflict resolution and problem solving skills to students in several different age groups. Comprised of separate components that can be used independently or in combination, includes a lecture-style presentation with virtual instructor, a video-role play library of conflict scenarios, an interactive ‘build your own adventure’ game, and a catalogue of experiential learning activities exploring dispute resolution and team-building skills, as well as a comprehensive teacher’s guide and student workbook for each age group. www.thepeacemakerprogram.org

$10,000 to help fund a two-day ADR teaching symposium for law professors and ADR instructors, reviewing current best practices for teaching a variety of ADR courses and seeking to bridge the divide between the classroom and professional ADR practice. www.law.pepperdine.edu

$32,000 to update the organization’s core educational materials on the use of collaborative problem-solving and dispute resolution to address public policy issues, including a guide to consensus-building and training materials on the use of collaborative processes in public policy settings. www.policyconsensus.org

Based at Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, CA, among the largest women’s prisons in the world, $10,000 to support a training program embedding conflict resolution and peacemaking skills into prison culture, preparing inmates serving life terms or very long sentences to serve as leaders, mentors, trainers and mediators to other inmates, and providing all inmates with access to more constructive forums for addressing and reducing conflict. www.prisonofpeace.org

$50,000 to support the creation of a series of online training videos on fostering and facilitating dialogue in a variety of settings, as well as offering practical guidance to organizations and underserved populations seeking to address conflict in their communities. www.publicconversations.org

In partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other local colleges, $10,000 to fund the pilot expansion of a Training Active Bystanders program, teaching skills for safely intervening to prevent harm, developing bystander awareness, and encouraging positive action from others, from elementary and middle schools into institutes of higher education. www.quabbinmediation.org

$40,000 to fund the pilot testing, technical upgrade and national marketing of Cool School, a fully-developed interactive video game teaching conflict resolution skills to children ages 5-8. www.rationalgames.org

$7,800 to fund the design, implementation, and promotion of a free monthly electronic newsletter for court administrators and others in the field, providing up-to-date news and research related to court ADR. www.aboutrsi.org

$6,300 to fund the collection and analysis of user data and feedback from target users of RSI’s court-ADR websites in order to develop an effective plan for upgrading the sites to better meet user needs. www.aboutrsi.org

$50,000 grant to help fund efforts to institutionalize social and family mediation in Morocco, including the creation of a public directory of organizations, mediators, and centers providing ADR education, training and services, as well as laying the foundation for effective legislation recognizing mediation as an alternative to litigation. www.sfcg.org

$10,000 to help launch a community-wide initiative to prevent and address conflict in underserved neighborhoods through a series of conflict resolution training workshops involving neighborhood residents, school administrators, university partners, parents, police, and youth service agencies. www.seedscrc.org

$59,000 to support their “We Can Work It Out At Work” program, integrating conflict resolution training into career education and work placement programs for young adults. www.streetlaw.org

$10,000 to fund the creation of a training video demonstrating advocacy techniques for effectively representing clients in mediation, employing realistic case scenarios to present a full array of techniques used by skilled advocates to advance the interests of clients in legal and commercial disputes. www.law.suffolk.edu

$75,650 to fund two annual training institutes on court-ADR systems design for non-U.S. lawyers, judges, and court professionals, combining practical and theoretical instruction, simulation exercises, one-on-one consultations, opportunities to meet with local judges, administrators and practitioners, and to observe select court-ADR programs. http://cndr.uchastings.edu/professionals/sli/index.php 

$10,000 to help strengthen and expand an existing program providing mediation skills training and re-entry mediation services to inmates preparing for release from prison. www.voaww.org

Building on the success of previous JAMS Foundation grants, $42,000 to fund the development of two new touring outreach shows addressing bullying in elementary and middle schools, marketing materials to promote the productions to schools and theaters nationwide, and expansion of a semester-long, in-class theater residency program addressing issues of bullying and conflict resolution. www.walnutstreettheatre.org

$10,000 to support the development of a pilot project to mediate disputes arising from incidents of biased policing and racial profiling. www.westernjustice.org

$12,500 to help sponsor a peer-mediation invitational gathering for elementary school students, teachers, and volunteers, showcasing successful programs and featuring demonstrations of peer-mediators resolving mock conflicts. www.westernjustice.org