Our Mission

why we do what we do

Our mission is to help schools to be safer places, free from bullying and harassment, and to help youth learn positive relational skills like empathy, respect, cooperation and how to resolve conflicts peacefully.

We do this work because there is too much violence and discord. We do this work because people and relationships matter. We do this because peace is worth our commitment.

When we help children learn to be peacemakers, we create less violent schools and communities.

When we help someone at a young age to talk through conflicts, to treat others with respect and to know their own self value, we make a difference that lasts a lifetime.

When we help someone who is told that they are worthless, who is disconnected from friends and tormented by peers, we make a difference that means the world to someone.

Who we strive to be:

We strive to be leaders in violence prevention education and generators of support for helping youth learn to be peacemakers.

Vision and long term goal:

Our vision is a more peaceful world, where people live in kinship with one another; a world where people talk through differences without hurting relationships; a world based on love.

To help realize this vision, our long-term goal is to one day help youth in all 311 Minnesota school district communities

Our Commitments:

1. People and relationships matter. These values permeate all that we do and are shown by our communications, the time we give people, how we help people to meet their needs for connection, positive identity, and autonomy. We seek to build people up, to develop competencies and to maximize potential. We work to develop trust and to convey hope.

2. We are goal driven. We will work with clarity about what we want to accomplish; with discipline to focus on what we do best and on what matters the most; and with tenacity to overcome challenges. We are committed to planning, applying resources, producing outputs, and realizing outcomes. We are persistent.

3. In all things we learn. We are continuously seeking to improve. We work with transparency and accountability regarding what is happening, or not happening, with our work.

4. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Our mission is to help schools to be safer places for everyone. We honor and celebrate diversity within the people and communities who make that possible: partner schools, students, staff, volunteers, Board of Directors members, interns, vendors, community partners, and others. We call on one another to demonstrate and utilize the skills our services aim to develop in young people: empathy, respect, cooperation, and peaceful conflict resolution.

We work to maintain an inclusive environment in which those we work with feel welcomed, included, heard, respected, and valued. Including diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives helps to generate innovation and progress, making our organization stronger and leading to better services and programs for the people and communities we serve.