Restorative Works

What happens when Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and restorative practices come together in the classroom? On this episode of Restorative Works! , host Dr. Claire de Mézerville López speaks with Brianne Parker, Dr. Katie Novak, and Jina Poirier, co-authors of UDL Now! Universal Design for Learning in English Language Arts , about creating inclusive learning environments that support belonging...

What does community-led restorative justice look like when young people are at the center of the process? On this episode of Restorative Works! , host Dr. Claire de Mézerville López speaks with Queen - Cheyenne Wade, program director of Healing Futures , Philadelphia's first pre-charge, pre-trial youth restorative justice diversion program, housed at the Youth Art & Self-Empowerment Project (YASP)...

What does it take to build unity in a deeply divided society? On this episode of Restorative Works! , host Dr. Claire de Mézerville López meets  with entrepreneur, investor, and movement builder Adam Mizel about creating meaningful connections across political, social, and cultural divides.   After a 30-year business career, Adam turned his attention to what he describes as one of America's most c...

What happens when music becomes a space for healing and connection? On this episode of Restorative Works! , host Dr. Claire de Mézerville López is joined by  singer-songwriter and registered psychotherapist Cindy Doire , founder of Chorus of Courage and Dare to Defy Records, about the transformative potential of creativity and relationships in responding to harm.   Cindy shares the story behind Ch...

What happens when schools move beyond punishment and create meaningful opportunities for accountability, repair, and belonging? On this episode of Restorative Works ! , host Dr. Claire de Mézerville López speaks with Erin Chávez , the restorative p ractices c oordinator at Garfield STEM Magnet and Community School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, about building a safer, more connected school community...

What does it take to build a workplace culture where people feel safe, valued, heard, and able to do their best work? In this collaborative episode of Restorative Works! and The Behaviorist , Dr. Claire de Mézerville López is joined by IIRP Instructor and Implementation Coach Jen nifer Hiestand and Founding Partner at Work Wisdom, LLC , Sarah Colantonio , for a roundtable conversation about trust...

What if reading could do more than build literacy skills? What if books could help us regulate stress, strengthen empathy, foster connection, and support our overall well-being? In this episode of Restorative Works!, host Dr. Claire de Mézerville López speaks with literacy and teacher educator Stephanie Affinito about the connection between literacy, wellness, relationships, and restorative practi...

From personal and communal grief to creating a workplace that works for everybody. In this episode of Restorative Works! , host Claire de Mezerville López welcomes Assistant Commissioner for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, Dr. Iyana Titus, to explore how restorative practices can transform workplace culture and strengthen communiti...

What does it take to move restorative practices from an idea into sustainable, meaningful change? In this episode of Restorative Works! , host Dr. Claire de Mézerville López welcomes back IIRP Associate Professor Dr. Doug Judge for a conversation about the structural, cultural, and emotional dimensions of implementing restorative practices in schools and other organizations, as outlined in his rec...

In this episode of Restorative Works! , host Dr. Claire de Mezerville López speaks with Dr. Tahirah J. Walker, Chair of the Department of Community Engagement and Leadership at Point Park University, about the connections among restorative justice, community, education, writing, and joy. A writer, teacher, restorative justice practitioner, and scholar, Dr. Walker challenges the idea that writing a...

Food has the power to nourish more than our bodies; it can also strengthen relationships, build community, and create opportunities for healing. In this episode of Restorative Works , host Claire de Mezerville López speaks with Ali Rizvi, LSW, volunteer executive director of Garden of Joy Culinary Academy and school social worker with Cincinnati Public Schools, about how restorative practices, sha...

How can schools move beyond reacting to harm and instead create the conditions that help prevent it?  A  continuation of the conversation  started in  the episode,  The Sustainability Myth: What Schools Get Wrong About Restorative Practices,   host Claire de Mézerville López welcomes back Lan Nguyen and Jennifer Vermillion of the San Diego County Office of Education to explore how restorative prac...

In this episode of   Restorative  Works ! ,  host Claire de Mezerville Lopez welcomes Dr. Layla Dehaiman, assistant professor of special education at the University of New Mexico, to explore how  school communities  can become mor e  equitab le , inclusive, and transformative. Fresh from defending her doctoral dissertation with distinction, Dr. Dehaiman shares insights from her research examining...

In this episode of  Restorative  Works! ,  host Claire de Mezerville Lopez welcomes guest  Melkam  Tesfaye for a grounded conversation on restorative practices in higher education and student affairs. Tesfaye draws on her background in law, mediation, and conflict resolution to explore how  approache s that are rooted in restorative practices  take shape inside complex university systems, particul...

In this episode of   Restorative  Works!,  host Claire de Mezerville López welcomes Assistant Director of  L earning and Community Engagement  at  Manhattan Theatre Club ,  Gabbie Ballesteros . Together, they explore the powerful intersection of art, advocacy, and restorative practices, revealing how creative expression can strengthen relationships, amplify voices, and inspire meaningful social ch...

In this episode of  Restorative  Works! ,  host Claire de Mezerville López welcomes Dr. Alex Boesch, educator, higher education administrator, and organizational culture expert, for a thoughtful conversation about how restorative practices can bridge intercultural competence and social justice in higher education.   Drawing on  more than 15 years of experience implementing restorative practices on...

In this special collaborative episode of Restorative Works and The Teacher's Sphere Podcast , hosts Dr. Claire de Mezerville Lopez, Dr. Kobi Nelson, and Sarah Lane explore how educators can cultivate stronger school communities through civil discourse, restorative practices, and meaningful dialogue. Our hosts invite us to examine the role teacher leaders play in fostering civil discourse among col...

In this second part of our conversation with Saundra Hensel, alongside co-hosts Dr. Michael Washington and Dr. Doug Judge , we continue exploring the long-term, system-wide implementation of restorative practices in a large school district. With over a decade of experience, Saundra shares how integrating restorative practices with social-emotional learning, trauma-informed care, and behavior suppo...

In this episode of Restorative Works! , we are joined by Heather Gardley, a leader deeply committed to advancing community-centered approaches through restorative practices in higher education. Heather shares insights from her work supporting schools and organizations in building cultures rooted in trust, belonging, and accountability. Heather invites us to consider how we can implement restorativ...

In this episode of Restorative Works! , host Claire de Mezerville Lopez is joined by educator and researcher Dr. Cameron McCuaig to explore what it truly means to center student voice and reimagine schools as spaces of service, dignity, and community. Cam challenges traditional models of education by contrasting compliance-driven systems with a more relational, student-centered approach. Using rea...

In this special roundtable episode of Restorative Works! , host Claire de Mezerville López brings together a powerful group of restorative justice practitioners, educators, and leaders to explore the creation and impact of the Restorative Rainbow Alliance's Facilitator Code of Conduct. Guests Ames Stenson and Rami El Gharib, co-founders of the Restorative Rainbow Alliance , join Lindsey Pointer an...

In this episode of Restorative Works , host Claire de Mezerville Lopez is joined by Deanna Zilske, school leader, theater director, and restorative practitioner, to explore the powerful intersection of restorative and embodied theater practices . Drawing from her work with a community of educators, artists, and practitioners, Deanna shares how integrating narrative practices, such as compassionate...

We are joined by  Harvard researcher, author of  The Win-Win Workplace , and founder of Future Forward Strategies , Dr. Angela Jackson,  to   discuss  how organizations can redesign work to strengthen both employee well-being and business performance.   Backed by research across more than 1,700 companies, Dr. Jackson makes a clear, data-driven case for human-centered leadership. She reveals how or...

We are joined by Program Manager in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) Jen Torres, to explore what sustainable, system-wide implementation of restorative practices in higher education really looks like.   Jen brings a practitioner's lens to a challenge many institutions face: how to move from reactive, discipline-focused approaches toward proactive, r...

We are joined by criminologist, researcher, and educator at the University of Belize, Dr. Aveka Mano, to hear about the impact of restorative practices on the lived realities behind complex issues like gang involvement, human trafficking, and youth reintegration, and its connection to higher education.   Dr. Mano challenges traditional approaches to justice by emphasizing long-term reintegration o...