Richmond Rotary Peace Project (Archive)

What is the Peace Project?

The Richmond Rotary Peace Project is dedicated to the goal of reducing violent crime in Richmond. The Project applies our organization’s considerable resources—our money, our influence, our readiness to pitch in—toward achieving that goal.

Between 2008 and 2009, the Richmond Rotary Peace Project supported 3 components: transformational workships for young adults, computer-based learning program (AutoSkill) on Saturdays at the Nevin Community Center, and a pilot conflict-resolution curriculum unit for elementary schools (the Peace Rug).

Between 2009 to 2011, the Richmond Rotary continued its support of Saturdays at the Nevin Center. The Peace Rug project continues to thrive in West Contra Costa County schools. These two projects are described here.

SATURDAYS AT THE NEVIN COMMMUNITY CENTER

child counting on fingers
Boy raising arms in victory
Boy with headphones, smilingChildren at the Nevin Community Cente.

In cooperation with Opportunity West, the Richmond Rotary helped keep the doors of the Nevin Community Center open on Saturdays.

Each Saturday, 1 or 2 Rotarians worked with children to sharpen their abilities in reading and math, using a computer-based learning program, AutoSkill. The software assesses each child's level of knowledge in the subject, presents exercises tailored to that ability level, and records the child's progress.

In addition to the volunteer support, Richmond Rotary funded staffing and other Saturday expenses, and purchased the software licenses for 10 computer stations.

Rotary members also donated computers to increase the center's capacity.

 

PROMOTING CONFLICT RESOLUTION

In 2008, Richmond Rotary introduced a pilot conflict resolution curriculum unit into a West County Unified School District elementary school.

Working with the district's curriculum specialist, we purchased the curriculum packages, which include books in English and Spanish, and the “Peace Rug”, an important element in the process described in the children’s book.

After its trial year, teachers concluded that the conflict resolution unit makes a real contribution to the classroom dynamics, offering alternative ways of resolving—or at least understanding—disagreement.

With this confirmation, Richmond Rotary has funded the purchase of more Peace Rug currculum packages, enabling the curriculum to be adopted in more elementary grade classrooms.