Last week, OSI-Baltimore’s Education and Youth Development program hosted Open Society Foundations education advocates from around the world and the UN Special Rapporteur, who were looking to learn more about OSI’s work integrating Restorative Practices and mindfulness into the Baltimore City Public School system and the dramatic results of doing so.
In addition to discussions with the Education and Youth Development team, Karen Webber and Jennifer Kim, the delegation visited Hampstead Hill Elementary/Middle School, where they talked with principal Matt Hornbeck, visited classrooms, and participated in a restorative circle, and Bard Early College High School, where they met with students and principal Francesca Gamber.
In the afternoon, the group participated in a panel discussion with Baltimore City Schools Police Chief Akil Hamm, who described the dramatic reduction in school-based arrests and suspensions since his department partnered with OSI to adopt restorative approaches, Andres Gonzalez, co-founder of OSI-Baltimore grantee Holistic Life Foundation, which trains Baltimore City Students in mindfulness practices, and Cristina Duncan Evans, newly elected chair of the Baltimore City Teachers’ Union.
