Big Love for Community!

May 22, 2024

What a lovely evening we had on May 16 at Terrapin in Athens to celebrate our community! Brittany Lopez was a fantastic emcee. Thank you, Brittany!

This year GCC chose Dignidad Inmigrante en Athens (DIA) as our Spotlight Community Partner who will receive 10% of all donations from the event.

In addition to the fantastic libations on offer at Terrapin and delicious food from Homy Made, we heard from the Peace Leaders at Clarke Middle school, along with Matt Fayoyin, restorative practitioner on faculty at CMS. Peace Leaders are students who learn restorative practices and have the capacity and willingness to co-facilitate circles amongst their peers. Last year the Peace Leaders held 14 circles that helped their peers work through conflict in nonviolent and accountable ways.

We were also wowed by the performances of Beto Cacao with his brother Noe and Vic Chestnut 2024 finalist Mannequin Party (Spencer Paul) throughout the evening.

Thanks to several Athens-area business owners and private donors, a silent auction included art classes (K A Artist), spa treatments (Urban Sanctuary), fitness sessions (Creed and TransFit), a basket of hemp-based products (Franny's Farmacy), a 50 inch TV, framed art by Greg Benson, and more. And our generous financial sponsors Joiner and Associates, Pawtropolis, Hope Animal Medical Center, and the District Attorney, Western Circuit.

Thanks to everyone, and a special shout out to Russel and Lindsey at Terrapin Beer who so very well represent the epitome of community!

For more photos, click here.

other blogs and recommended reading

NJEA Officers, Community Tour Restorative Justice Montclair

“As a teacher in Wayne and a resident and mayor here in Montclair, I could not be prouder of the leadership that the Montclair Education Association, the Montclair Board of Education, and our students, teachers, educational support professionals, and administrators have taken in showing what restorative justice looks like in action,” [President] Spiller said.

Read full article (LINK OPENS IN A NEW TAB) →

Restorative Justice

The Feminist Law Professor Who Wants to Stop Arresting People for Domestic Violence

A recent piece from The New Yorker which highlights Leigh Goodmark, a professor at the University of Maryland who advocates for the decriminalization of domestic violence. Though this sounds like a radical position, the article shows statistics that suggest there is merit in an approach that does not involve mass incarceration.

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Remembering How to Be Friends: After COVID, One School Uses Talking Circles to Help Kids Reconnect

That predictable, structured place to safely share is critical, especially for students who want to take on society’s bigger challenges, Swearingen said. “It puts us in a spot where we can be vulnerable with each other, and because we can be vulnerable together we can be productive.”

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New Study: Black, Special Ed Students Punished at Greater Rate Through Pandemic

Despite a dramatic decline in suspensions as students moved to remote learning during the pandemic, Black children and those in special education were disciplined far more often than white students and those in general education, according to a recent New York University study.

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Bridger Middle School Improves Student Behaviors With Restorative Practices

Over the last school year, Bridger Middle School leaders decided to take a different approach to deal with the fighting and students acting out.

Read full article (LINK OPENS IN A NEW TAB) →