Please note: Completion of the Restorative Practices Part 1 Training is required for participation in Part 2.
Restorative Practices deepen in power when applied to real moments of harm, misunderstanding, or breakdown, those inevitable tensions that emerge in labs, departments, and mentoring relationships. Day 2 introduces the structured and transformative process of Restorative Conferencing, designed to address harm in ways that foster accountability, empathy, and healing. Through modeling, practice, and guided role play, participants will learn how to facilitate and participate in conversations that separate the deed from the doer, create space for authentic emotion, and rebuild trust within their research group.
Drawing on affective neuroscience and social discipline theory, this day emphasizes the emotional roots of conflict, particularly the role of shame, and equips participants with tools to navigate high-stakes situations without blame or avoidance. Participants will practice preparing for and facilitating restorative conferences using tested scripts and realistic workplace scenarios, including those that mirror tensions common to research teams, faculty–postdoc relationships, and mentoring groups.
This training empowers participants to:
A nourishing lunch and plenty of coffee will be provided!
About the Trainer:
Since 2016, Susan has served as a Restorative Practices Facilitator and Trainer under the guidance of the International Institute of Restorative Practices (IIRP). In addition to this role, she has been a board member and volunteer conferencing facilitator with the local non-profit Centre County Community Conferencing since its inception in 2020.
With extensive experience in Restorative Practices and Restorative Conferencing, Susan has dedicated countless hours to training others. She has facilitated conversations focused on building community, repairing harm, and restoring relationships across the State College Area School District, Penn State, and the wider Central Pennsylvania region. Before launching her own business, Susan spent 34 years as a school counselor, including seven years as the head school counselor at State College Area High School, where she introduced restorative practices throughout the district.
About Your Hosts:
The program is a partnership between the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the Office of Faculty Affairs, underscoring our commitment to mentoring and the added value of restorative practice as a complementary framework.
This training will be capped at 40 participants.