Community Mediation School Corps

The Community Mediation School Corps (CMSC) AmeriCorps program is a partnership between the NY State Unified Court System, Community Dispute Resolution Centers (CDRCs), and their local schools to recruit and place members in schools, where members offer a variety of conflict resolution services to youth to support social-emotional learning, engagement and contectedness to the larger school community, and ultimately try to reduce the need for or reliance on suspension, detention, and other punitive discipline procedures. Our goal is to foster a positive school climate by collaborating with students and community members and providing open spaces to learn the skills needed to handle conflict and build just, nurturing, and supportive relationships. Members have notable latitude in tailoring and managing programs to best fit their communities and circumstances.