peace education
learning the ways of peace is a slow process
peace can often be a difficult topic to discuss. not because it’s not a worthy goal for us to labor for, but because the word itself has so many interpretations, and in many cases been used to hurt so many people. to understand peace, is to know that it is based in how our systems and relationships work for us, or not. peace, by its very nature, is systemic. it is about the environment we’re in, the balanced or imbalanced relationships we swim through, and how these relationships affect us every day.
non-violence, interconnection, and silence are at the root of this peace. they’re at the root of connection. they’re at the root of belonging. without them consistently applied, we consistently fall short. the pillars of peace turn a wide-ranging and complex idea into an readily applied reality.
to say we are creatures of our environments is a bit of an understatement, and an oversimplification. for example, there are thousands of different perceptions running through our unconscious minds and bodies at any given point, everyday, all day. the sheer volume of the capacity required of our minds for this is staggering.
building peace really all comes down to how we’re taking care of each other, and how well we love each other in the all of the gentle and tangible ways.
when nurtured gently, peace can be a symphony of souls
all things considered . . . in order for peace to take hold in our homes and neighborhoods we must make space for authentic human communities to take root; places where deep listening and the markers of a grounded and tangible hospitality flow around us in love and charity. only then can the calls for peace sound not only in our hearts, but throughout our shared halls, resonating in kinship and with a care for the capital O, Other, in each of us.
peace curriculum©
peace 101
building peace
This course explores the multifaceted nature of peace through historical, spatial, sociological, and practical applied lenses. Students will examine peace and conflict at the individual, community, and global levels while developing skills for constructive trust-building engagement across differences. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking about peace and violence, active participation in peacemaking, and understanding systemic approaches to creating more peaceful societies.
This curriculum is designed to equip students with the peacebuilding skills to better build trust in, and de-polarize communities.
course objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to analyze the core frameworks of peace, evaluate different approaches to peacebuilding and potential conflict resolution, apply listening and communication skills in real-world scenarios, examine the relationship between positive peace and community connectedness and belonging, and develop informed perspectives on contemporary peace and conflict issues.
peace 201
conflict resolution & mediation
Building off of PEACE 101, where students learned the multifaceted nature of peace through historical, spatial, sociological, and practical applied lenses. Students will learn in PEACE 201 more about conflict, mediation, intervention strategies, de-escalation, and non-violent strategy. Examining peace and conflict at the individual, community, and global levels while developing skills for constructive trust-building engagement across differences. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking about peace and violence, active participation in peacemaking and conflict intervention, understanding systemic approaches to creating more peaceful societies.
This curriculum is designed to equip students with the mediation and conflict intervention skills to better build trust in, and de-polarize communities.
course objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to analyze the core frameworks of conflicts, evaluate different approaches to de-escalation, intervention and potential conflict resolution, apply listening and communication skills in real-world scenarios, examine the relationship between positive peace and trust in polarized communities, and develop informed perspectives on contemporary peace and conflict issues.
peace 301
peace leadership
Building off of PEACE 101, where students learned the multifaceted nature of peace through historical, spatial, sociological, and practical applied lenses; as well as PEACE 201 where students learned more about conflict, mediation, intervention strategies, de-escalation, and non-violence; Peace 301 examines the types of leadership skills, frames, and strategies to create social change and build positive peace. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking about best practices in the field for peacebuilding, understanding the organizational structures and social changes necessary to facilitate systemic change to create more peaceful societies.
This curriculum is designed to equip students with the leadership skills and social change toolset to better build trust in communities, and then create the changes they want to see.
course objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to analyze situations and lead teams to create the social changes for peace they wish to create. They will know the leadership frameworks most associated with best practices, know the ebb and flow of the relationships between positive peace and trust in polarized communities, and have the tools to lead people through these practices utilizing contemporary leadership and social change strategies social innovation and peace and conflict studies apply.
peace 401
practicing peace
Peace 401 is the capstone of the entire sequence — a senior practicum course in which students move fully into the role of emerging peacebuilding practitioners. This is not a course about peace; it is a course that is peace practice, conducted in the living laboratory of the student's actual community. Students carry ongoing peacebuilding projects, engage in supervised community practice, conduct original research or create original peace education materials, and begin to articulate their own peace philosophy and professional identity. The course is structured as a seminar with individual supervision — smaller group, deeper practice, genuine accountability to community outcomes.
This curriculum is designed to put the previous three years into applied practice. With social and organizational partnerships across the community, students will build peace: renew trust, de-escalate conflicts, build connection into the fabric of the community one peace project at a time.
course objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to properly understand the immediate state of peace and conflict in their community. They will understand its implications on the levels of trust, polarization, othering, and how best to intervene and/or create a lattice of social connections to re-establish the necessary social and cultural infrastructures to renew cultures of peace. They will know how to organize and successfully lead a team, applying the proper organizational frameworks and specifically tailored impact strategies for the behavior changes to occur in practice.
curriculum licensing tiers
Equity Access Program
Peace education is most urgently needed in precisely the schools that are least able to pay standard licensing fees. The Equity Access Program exists to address that reality
Schools serving student populations where 60% or more of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch may apply for adjusted licensing fees. Adjusted fees range from 40–70% of standard licensing, based on documented school need. No school that can demonstrate genuine need and genuine commitment to implementation will be turned away on the basis of cost alone.
To apply: contact me with the school name, the course(s) of interest, and a brief description of the school community and why peace education matters in this specific context
Applications reviewed on a rolling basis; decisions within two weeks of complete application
Equity Access schools receive full curriculum materials and support — no reduced-service tier
Equity Access licenses are renewable annually, subject to continued eligibility and ongoing implementation commitment
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$1200 per course / per year
Full curriculum package: unit plans, lesson plans, assessment rubrics, and student materials for one course
Access to the Curriculum Portal (digital platform with materials, updates, and teacher resources)
One 2-hour onboarding call with Preston or designated curriculum specialist
Email support (48-hour response window) throughout the license year
Annual curriculum update: revised materials, new readings, refreshed activities delivered at the start of each license year
Right to reproduce student materials for enrolled students only
Usage rights: one teacher, one section per semester
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$3,500 per course / per year
Full curriculum package for all teachers at the school teaching this course
Access to the Curriculum Portal for all licensed teachers
One full-day (6-hour) onboarding professional development session delivered by Dr. Lindsay (in person within 50 miles of Chicago; virtual nationally)
Two follow-up coaching sessions (2 hours each) during the license year — for teacher questions, lesson adjustments, and implementation support
Priority email and phone support (24-hour response)
Annual curriculum update delivered before the start of the academic year
Right to reproduce student materials for all enrolled students at the school
License for up to 6 teachers and unlimited sections at the school site
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$9,500 per course / per year
Full curriculum package for all district teachers of this course
Access to the Curriculum Portal for all licensed teachers district-wide
Two full-day professional development sessions for district teachers (in person within 100 miles; virtual nationally) — one at year start, one at mid-year
Quarterly coaching sessions with district curriculum coordinator or department lead
Dedicated account contact: Dr. Lindsay available for district leadership conversations and board presentations
Priority support throughout the year; same-business-day response for urgent matters
Right to reproduce student materials for all enrolled students district-wide
Unlimited teachers and sections district-wide for the licensed course
Option to co-brand curriculum materials with district name and identity (at no additional fee)
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$2,400 per course / per year
Full curriculum package adapted for college/university/ adult learner contexts (additional scaffolding and adult learning design elements included)
Access to Curriculum Portal for all licensed faculty
One 3-hour onboarding session for faculty team
One mid-year coaching session (2 hours)
Email and phone support throughout the year
Annual curriculum update
Right to reproduce for all enrolled students
License for up to 4 faculty at the institution
