Gryphon Place - Partner, Social-Emotional Learning
Gryphon Place has been in operation since 1970 and provides a range of services to the Kalamazoo community. KCIS has turned to this organization for more than 7 years to help meet identified needs, offering solid support to KPS staff on conflict resolution in the alternative classroom setting and addressing bullying issues on elementary playgrounds. Gryphon Place, like all loyal partners, has hung in with KCIS through thick and thin.
Through its Dispute Resolution Services program, Gryphon Place provides services to students at Kalamazoo Central High School (as well as many other schools in the area). Gryphon Place offers K-Central students critical and consistently high-quality services that are responsive to student and school needs and reflective of best practice.
Last school year, Gryphon Place developed a peer mediation program for K-Central. Susan Douglass, School Programs Coordinator/Trainer for Gryphon Place, developed a strong training component for the initial year of the program. Susan worked closely with the K-Central Freshman Principal in the development of this program according to the specific needs of the school. Twelve students were trained as peer mediators, and Susan’s training on peer mediation techniques was incorporated into the KCIS Orientation Assistant program.
This school year, K-Central and KCIS identified conflict resolution skills as an unmet need of K-Central students. Gryphon Place rose to the challenge and developed a solid curriculum geared to small groups of students. Susan Douglass has been facilitating the weekly group since January. She has shared her considerable skills and insight with the WMU social work intern placed at K-Central, welcoming the intern as a co-facilitator for the group. Susan has worked closely with 30 students through this conflict resolution program.
Deb Faling, Senior Site Coordinator at K-Central, has this to say about Susan Douglass and her work for Gryphon Place: “Susan is no-nonsense and creative in her approach to teaching conflict resolution and peer mediation techniques. She is unflappable and compassionate. She truly wants to assist students in gaining the skills that will help them be successful in school and in the wider world. She is always willing to help and share her insight with others. She is a wonderful asset to KCHS.”
Gryphon Place, we thank you for helping students stay in school and succeed in life.