Restorative Works

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Nikki Fynn, Ed. D., to the Restorative Works! Podcast .  We are joined by Dr. Nikki Fynn, a restorative education and leadership consultant whose journey through guilt, grief, and shame has reshaped her approach to healing, leadership, and human-centered systems. She shares with us a pivotal moment from 2018, when a mentor's story about a monkey trapped by its o...

In this special collaborative episode, Claire de Mézerville López is joined by cohost Bridget Johnson , current IIRP graduate student and founder of the Deans' Roundtable , an organization that supports student life professionals. Together, they dive into this collaborative episode on Restorative Practices That Move the Needle. Through the power of storytelling and the exchange of in-depth experie...

This week we're revisiting our conversation with Marlee Liss from January 18, 2024! Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Marlee Liss to the R estorative Works! Podcast . Marlee speaks with us about her experiences as a survivor of sexual assault. Her case made history as the first in North America to conclude with restorative justice processes through the courts. She describes her experience in the...

This week we're revisiting our podcast episode from November 23, 2023! Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Shelley Jones-Holt, Ed. D., to the  Restorative Works!   Podcast , World Conference series. This series of conversations were held during the 2023 IIRP World Conference,  Building Thriving Communities: A Radical Approach Through Restorative Practices,  held in Detroit, MI, October 2-4, 2023....

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Blair Kirby and Professor Mark Osler to the Restorative Works! Podcast . Blair and Mark join us to illuminate how restorative practices intersect with clemency work, storytelling, and systemic reform. Their conversation opens a window into the human impact of policies that often feel remote, revealing how small acts of recognition and repair can shift entire sys...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Officer Warren Edmondson to the Restorative Works! Podcast . Officer Edmondson joins us to share how he first embraced restorative practices when transitioning from street policing to middle school hallways. He describes the emotional landscapes of sixth to eighth graders and explains why relationship-building became the cornerstone of his approach. Rather than...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Devanshi Patel to the Restorative Works! Podcast.   Devanshi joins us to explore how youth leadership, community trust, and restorative practices intersect to build what she calls "the beloved community"— a vision rooted in justice, dignity, and belonging. She shares the groundbreaking work of the Youth Peer Court Ambassador Academy, a hands-on training program...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Kevin Jones to the Restorative Works! Podcast.   Kevin joins us to explore how vulnerability and authenticity transform leadership, build stronger teams, and repair workplace divides, especially in times of conflict. Through real stories, Kevin illustrates how restorative circles and authentic conversations can turn tension into trust. From school districts inte...

Claire de  Mézerville  López welcomes Amanda Carrasco to the  Restorative Works!  Podcast .   Amanda is a family survivor of homicide and sexual assault who has turned profound personal tragedy into a mission for healing and accountability. She  uses her story to illuminate how truth, empathy, and connection can break cycles of harm and bring re pair  to individuals and communities alike.   Amanda...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Marin Broadbent-Bell, alumni coordinator at Community Matters , to the Restorative Works! Podcast for this special series titled Matters that Restore Community in partnership with Community Matters. Community Matters is an internationally recognized, innovative, and thought-leading organization committed to improving the social-emotional climate of schools and c...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Erica Vogel, CEO of Community Matters , to the Restorative Works! Podcast for this special series titled Matters that Restore Community in partnership with Community Matters. Community Matters is an internationally recognized, innovative, and thought-leading organization committed to improving the social-emotional climate of schools and communities. Founded in 1...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Edwin Freeman to the Restorative Works! Podcast.   What happens when hip hop culture meets restorative practices in the classroom? Edwin Freeman , actor, filmmaker, educator, and founder of the Hip Hop Harmony Program , helps us explore how art, culture, and restorative circles are transforming urban schools. Through the Freeman Foundation for the Arts , he deve...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Ruth Ifakemi Efungbemi Jeannoel to the Restorative Works! Podcast . Ruth joins us and shares her powerful journey of weaving ancestral wisdom, social justice organizing, and restorative justice into practices that transform communities from within. As founder and director of Fanm Saj, Inc. , Ruth describes her work as "catching communities , " a practice rooted...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Dr. Ellen Skilton to the Restorative Works! Podcast. Dr. Skilton joins us as we explore how creative expression and restorative pedagogy open new pathways for repair, resilience, and transformation. She shares moving selections from her poetry manuscript Collateral Repair , weaving together themes of grief, love, and unexpected healing. She reflects on her perso...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes back Dr. Nicholas Steffner to the Restorative Works! Podcast. Dr. Steffner shares compelling findings from his dissertation, Building Restorative School Communities: A Study on the Impact of Restorative Practices , including data from the five-year implementation of restorative practices at Ridgedale Middle School in Florham Park, New Jersey. His research docume...

On this special episode of the Restorative Works! Podcast, host Claire de Mézerville López welcomes three leaders transforming school culture in Worcester County, Maryland: Dr. Jenifer Rayne, Principal of Pocomoke High School; Carlton Cartwright, Community School Liaison and Restorative Practices Coach; and Lauren Williams, Coordinator of School Health and Mental Health. Together, they share a dec...

In this special episode Claire de Mézerville López welcomes recent IIRP alumni, Matthew Leaf and Victoria Torres, to the Restorative Works! Podcast .    Matthew and Victoria are experienced professionals in education. They join us to share practical strategies and personal stories that highlight how restorative practices transform school culture. From greeting students at the door by name to creat...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes seasoned restorative justice practitioner and educator, Erin Dunlevy , to the Restorative Works! Podcast . In this series of episodes, we explore the use of restorative practices in higher education through various aspects of the college and university sphere.   We are joined by Erin as she delves into the power of culturally responsive pedagogy and restorative...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Dr. Jasmine A. Lee and Dr. Ciara R. Christian to the Restorative Works! Podcast.  Claire is joined again by co-host and IIRP Lecturer Kiyaana Cox Jones . In this series of episodes, we explore the use of restorative practices in higher education through various aspects of the college and university sphere. Dr. Christian and Dr. Lee share insights from their role...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Robin Riley-Casey to the Restorative Works! Podcast .  Claire is joined again by co-host and IIRP Lecturer Kiyaana Cox Jones . In this series of episodes, we explore the use of restorative practices in higher education through various aspects of the college and university sphere. Join us as Robin shares insights on the power of face-to-face connection and its ro...

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes IIRP alumnus Joseph Iacona to the Restorative Works! Podcast . We are joined by Joseph as he takes us behind the scenes of projects in schools, libraries, prisons, shelters, and behavioral health facilities, revealing how restorative practices create authentic collaboration between artists and communities. He shares powerful stories, including a mural co-created...

Claire de Mézerville López is joined by co-host, Professor Emanuela Biffi, for the "Powerful Intersection Between Restorative Justice and Art" podcast series, a special initiative by the IIRP together with the European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ). Art has the unique ability to connect and facilitate dialogue, making it a powerful tool in restorative justice practices. Throughout the serie...

Claire de Mézerville López is joined by co-host, Professor Brunilda Pali, for the "Powerful Intersection Between Restorative Justice and Art" podcast series, a special initiative by the IIRP together with the European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ). Art has the unique ability to connect and facilitate dialogue, making it a powerful tool in restorative justice practices. Throughout the series...

Claire de Mézerville López is joined by co-host, IIRP Associate Professor, Dr. Fernanda Fonseca Rosenblatt , for the "Powerful Intersection Between Restorative Justice and Art" podcast series, a special initiative by the IIRP together with the European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ). Art has the unique ability to connect and facilitate dialogue, making it a powerful tool in restorative justi...

Claire de Mézerville López is joined by co-host Bálint Juhász, for the "Powerful Intersection Between Restorative Justice and Art" podcast series, a special initiative by the IIRP together with the European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ) . Art has the unique ability to connect and facilitate dialogue, making it a powerful tool in restorative justice practices. Throughout the series, we will...