Kids Managing Conflict, SCMA Education Foundation sponsored four Southern California Schools on March 16 to the Museum of Tolerance. The students were able to have a guided tour of the Museum and then hear from a Holocaust survivor in person. They were all profoundly moved by the experience and you can get their impressions in this short video.

At the dinner Maria recounted the accomplishments of the Foundation, observing that it had been a year of considerable growth and change, and that growth into new levels of activity often needed new leadership as well. ​ “So, as of January 1, the Foundation will have that new leadership, someone I am thrilled to see take the leadership position and who I know will do a wonderful job," Maria continued.

Sally Patchen

​ “Please join me in congratulating the incoming president of the Foundation, Sally Patchen.” Sally has done much to advance the Foundation, from taking the lead on implementing the new software and working on fundraising, to putting together the wonderful gifts for the silent auction. She was named the Volunteer Mediator of the Year by the LA County Bar Association, and is a graduate of the Dominguez Hills program in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding. The Foundation Board is thrilled that she has agreed to accept this responsibility and looks forward to her new ideas and approaches.

Shaune Gatlin

Two new board members have also joined the Foundation in the last two months. Shaune Gatlin, previously with the LA County Bar Association, joined the Board in September and will be working on updating a training program for middle and high school students. The program was made available by the LA County Bar Association, and Shaune has been the primary trainer for the Bar for many years. Her expertise and experience with the program are an invaluable asset to the Foundation.

Andrew Culberson

Andrew Culberson joined the Board in October, and is the director of the Veterans Project at Patriotic Hall, overseeing the delivery of pro bono services to veterans in LA County. He was formerly the director of the Bar Association’s Civic Mediation Project and oversaw the training programs at middle schools in Santa Monica as well as providing low and no-cost mediation services to the community. He and Shaune worked closely together on delivering and developing training programs for students, and his knowledge of the field adds expertise to the Foundation.

A. Marco Turk, teacher and international peacebuilder, was named the recipient of the Foundation’s 2017 Directors’ Award for Exemplary Contributions to Mediator Education.

A. Marco Turk

In accepting the award Prof Turk related an experience he had with students on Cyprus where he was a Fulbright Scholar, who told him that they wanted peace, that their generation wanted to build a more peaceful society. He cited the students’ goals for supporting mediator education for students as early as possible, and noted the important work of the Foundation in this area.

In announcing the award, Maria reflected on her long association with Prof. Turk as a member of the faculty at Cal State Dominguez.

“It has been a gift to work with Marco Turk, to be mentored by him, and to enjoy and be able to count on his friendship. I know firsthand of his commitment to mediator education, to creating the best possible opportunities for students, and for valuing the very hard work that teaching, mediation and peace building are. It is wonderfully rewarding to see graduates of this program, a program he grew and developed and nurtured, taking their leadership positions in our profession.”

Prof. Turk is Emeritus Professor and Director of the Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Program at CA State University Dominguez Hills, as well as adjunct professor of law at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law. He has worked with thousands of students over the years and been a friend and mentor to them all.

Prof. Turk is recognized internationally for his work as a mediator, educator and trainer, emphasizing mediator ethics, restorative justice, and peacebuilding. Having been a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Conflict Resolution on the island of Cyprus (1997-1999), Professor Turk has made seven funded return trips to continue his peacebuilding work there, and has conducted programs for Cypriots in the USA through the U.S. State Department and the Fred J. Hansen Institute for World Peace at San Diego State University. In October 2003, he participated as one of only two Americans invited to attend the Oxford University international workshop on "Getting to Yes" regarding efforts to reunify Cyprus. He is a recognized scholar concerning the Cyprus Problem, and he has written extensively on the subject.

Prof. Turk has a long history in California Alternative Dispute Resolution and has received several awards acknowledging his service to the field.

"It was my great pleasure to work with Prof . Turk as an adjunct professor in the NCRP program for over ten years and learn from his contributions to the field," said Maria, "as well as to see the many contributions that graduates of the program are now making. He has been a wonderful mentor and friend to everyone who knows him, so we are especially pleased that he has accepted this award from us."​

Our sincere congratulations to A. Marco Turk from all of us in the mediation community.

Maria Simpson, Ph.D. received the SCMA President’s Award from Jason Harper, President of the Southern California Mediation Association, at the SCMA’s conference dinner Friday, October 20 for her leadership of the Foundation. ​

SCMA President's Award

Maria has been the Board Chair since 2013. She has focused on increasing efforts to support Peer Mediation Programs in the middle and high schools, and expanded fundraising so that more students and programs could be supported. In addition, she has established several new initiatives (see below) that will be implemented in 2018 and began collaborative efforts with organizations to provide additional services to schools, such as new programming, new training materials and services, and expanded financial support. ​ In accepting the award, Maria thanked Foundation supporters “who are committed to mediation, as the kids say, as a ‘way of being, not just process.'” She also said, “the last five years have been exhilarating, exciting, rewarding, frustrating, and frankly exhausting. And I wouldn’t trade them for anything. Thank you for the opportunity.”

Our new look makes what the Foundation does clearer and more specific, and sums up our focus. It also reflects our revised mission statement:

​“Supporting and promoting programs in K-12 schools

that teach students conflict management skills

to enrich their lives into adulthood.”

We’re certainly not giving up the SCMA Education Foundation name or connection. They’re part of our history. In fact, our logo includes SCMA Education Foundation, because that’s who we are.

Congratulations to Maria Simpson for her Educational Leadership Award! This award was presented to Maria on June 14, 2018 at the Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center's annual Conversity Awards reception in Little Tokyo. Maria was honored for her dedication to improving Los Angeles through her leadership and commitment to diversity.

Board Members gathered to honor fellow Board Member and award recipient Maria Simpson for her dedication to improving Los Angeles through her leadership and commitment to diversity.

Board Members (l to r) Jason Harper, Maria Simpson, Marvin Whistler, Sally Patchen

Held on May 3, 2018, this event was presented in partnership with our parent organization, the Southern California Mediation Association (SCMA).

​The day acknowledged those involved in the program as we heard from peer mediators about their experiences and value of participation.