What You’ll Learn

In this innovative program, you’ll gain direct experience in creating safe, respectful spaces for restorative dialogue and in designing and facilitating a variety of restorative practices. Courses are designed to be highly experiential and activity-based, providing students with many opportunities to engage directly with the learning material.

In your core courses, you will trace the history of the American criminal legal system and explore the historical roots of peacemaking. You’ll study Circle processes, restorative justice theory and applications, and how to facilitate restorative practices. Electives allow you to explore topics of interest, such as alternatives to violence; race, class, gender, and crime; and victim advocacy.

An internship with one of the organizations or individuals we partner with will build your on-the-ground experience with restorative justice practices. You’ll also learn how to teach restorative practices to groups and individuals.

Outside the Classroom, In the Community

Spending time in different areas of the field is critical to your learning, with some of these opportunities woven directly into your courses. These may include:  

• Observing and participating in restorative processes within the local community through our connections with state-wide Community and Restorative Justice Centers.  
• Completing an internship to develop your skills, learn how to apply knowledge, and build professional experience. 
• Delivering a restorative justice training or educational program about restorative practices. 
• Participating in a Circle process with justice-impacted individuals and CoSA (Circle of Support and Accountability) volunteers. 
• Co-facilitating restorative community-building Circle process with our first-year students. 

Recent internship placements have included: 

• Northeast Correctional Facility  
• Northeast Kingdom Youth Services  
• The St. Johnsbury Community and Restorative Justice Center 
• Lamoille Restorative Center 

Special Facilities

Our program provides “learning labs” for students to engage directly in restorative justice practices. Students have access to a specially designed pre-conference room and a Circle room where students design and facilitate restorative Circle processes and gain experience conducting pre-conference sessions.

Program Outcomes

Students graduating with restorative justice credentials work in the following areas:  

• Victim-offender mediation   
• Diversion and delinquency prevention  
• Restorative justice practice in schools and universities  
• Victim assistance/supporting survivors of violence   
• Trauma and resiliency work  
• Conflict resolution  
• Anti-violence work  
• Restorative re-entry  
• Community organizing 
• Youth advocacy and outreach