Northwest Minnesota Foundation ~ Developing Community Assets ~ Serving 12 Counties
STAR Teams to Present at Nobel Peace Prize Forum senters include Peacemaker Resources staff members Sue Liedl, Brooke Wichmann and Barb Houg.
Schoolcraft STAR Team (left to right): Abigail Bakke, Anna Ingalls, Eli Straw, Hannah Pearson, Hank Bellefy and Nikki Anderson-Weir
Northwest Minnesota Foundation’s STAR (Students Teaching Attitudes of Respect) program will be presented at the 24th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum, being held on the campuses of Augsburg College and the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Peacemaker Resources staff has been invited to conduct a STAR workshop at the Forum on Education Day, March 2nd, 2012. The Nobel Peace Prize Forum is a premier international event designed to inspire peacemaking. As the Norwegian Nobel Institute’s only affiliation outside Norway, the Forum has probed the deep questions of peace and conflict for more than 23 years. It is not a “sit and listen” conference. In the physical presence of a Peace Prize winner, attendees are uplifted by hearing firsthand of the Laureate’s work, struggles, and triumphs, and they have opportunities to ask questions and interact with the Laureate in a dynamic setting. The Peacemaker Resources workshop is entitled: And The Children Will Lead Us--Youth as Teachers of Peace Skills. It will feature a presentation by a team of students from the Bemidji area’s Schoolcraft Learning Community STAR program. Other preLearn more at http://nobelpeaceprizeforum.org/the-event/
The workshop is based on the STAR concept that creating a culture of peace requires that individuals develop the skills to make healthy choices, relate compassionately to others, and non-violently resolve conflicts. Participants will learn how the STAR program is creating positive change by teaching middle school students conflict resolution skills and providing them with opportunities to teach these skills in their schools and communities. NMF’s STAR program continues to grow and flourish. From a humble beginning in 1995 as a University of Minnesota “Respect” workshop, STAR has grown into a year-round program utilized in over 27 schools throughout the NMF 12-county region. Students, school staff and parents continue to rate the program, the training and the impact of the STAR teams as one that is positive and meaningful. In a recent (July 2011) evaluation: • 96% of student participants indicated that the program is meaningful. • 97% of parents report that the program has had an impact on their child. • Schools enthusiastically support the peer-to-peer interactions of STAR teams teaching skills to other students. (Continued on page 6)
Winter 2012 ~ Number 55
The Northwest Minnesota Foundation invests resources, creates opportunities and promotes philanthropy to make the region a better place to live and work.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gary Purath Chair Red Lake Falls Bob Hager Vice-Chair Roseau Laurie Wilson Secretary Crookston Judy Roy Treasurer Redby Tom Anderson Director Clearbrook Faye Auchenpaugh Director Thief River Falls Eric Bergeson Director Fertile Pete Haddeland Director Mahnomen Jody Horntvedt Director Baudette Jon Linnell Director Warren Leah Pigatti Director Park Rapids Jon Quistgaard Director Bemidji