Restorative Practices wins Rep. Gwen Moore’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Wisconsin’s Fourth District

When asked what inspired the creation of Restorative Practices, the students said, “Restorative justice is really important for communities because it’s a way of dealing with conflicts that focuses on fixing things and rebuilding relationships. Instead of just punishing people, it involves everyone affected: victims, offenders, and the community. This approach helps individuals understand and take responsibility for their actions. Through talking and working together, restorative justice not only deals with immediate problems but also looks at why conflicts happen in the first place. This way, it helps communities become stronger and more united in the long run. It’s like a way of turning conflicts into opportunities for learning and making things better, while keeping a community peaceful and strong. 

Audubon Technology and Communication Center is a small high school on the south side of Milwaukee. Due to the small size, students and staff are able to form strong relationships with each other with a focus on emotional and academic support. The addition of restorative justice principles to our school community has helped build our bonds and has drastically improved the quality of the school day. All students are required to take a restorative justice course and are trained on the concepts as well as how to run a restorative circle. The building also houses a 6-8 traditional middle school program. Our middle school students are not currently trained in restorative justice due to the size of the middle school and the already full schedule of classes they are required to take. Our solution is to create an app that teachers and students can use to train themselves on the tenets of restorative justice.”