The PEACE Center is an alternative education site.  The mission of the PEACE Center is to provide students the socio-emotional, academic, behavioral, and vocational skills necessary to increase their attendance, earn a high school diploma, and prepare them to enroll in a higher educational or vocational program, enlist in the military, or obtain gainful employment.

I have been the Program Coordinator for the PEACE Center for six years. I am responsible for instruction and curriculum, student educational growth and achievement, safety and security, staff development and evaluation, community building, financial management, and student services. The growth of students emotionally, socially, and academically is the most rewarding part of this job! I have held other positions within District 205 that I also found very rewarding including dean of students, special education teacher, and program coordinator of the 21st Century After School Program.

The PEACE Center has adopted a holistic approach to leadership, guidance, supervision, and accountability which fosters teamwork and motivates all of us to do our best.

One of our most recent accomplishments was how we successfully supported and encouraged our students, and each other, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to adopt a remote learning format. Our teachers, paraprofessionals, support service professionals, students, and parents displayed high levels of resilience and fortitude that resulted in several successful outcomes.

Teacher Sara Reyes created online applications to increase learning in her creative arts class. Students built individual web pages that they can use as digital portfolios. Ms. Reyes, Dr. Infini Jeminson-Ewing, and Ashly Hay met to design cross-curricular classroom assignments that kept students engaged and helped to stabilize attendance.

Our new parent coordinator, Janet Miles-Pruitt, worked diligently and quickly to get to know our staff, students, and their families. She collaborated with staff to create Strong Coffee Connections to engage the PEACE Center community through virtual cooking classes and “Snack & Paint” gatherings. What a great way to build community!

We are super proud of our graduating seniors. Due to the pandemic, some students needed to get jobs to help support their families and others had to care for siblings and sick family members. Through it all, they showed perseverance and grit to meet their graduation goals. Every graduate has either secured acceptance in college or trade school or is employed in a sustainable position.

For the 2021-2022 school year, we are focused on providing students with social, emotional, and academic support to ease the transition to full-time, in-person learning. Programs and activities will include, but are not limited to:

Academic

• Blended learning
• SAT alignment
• Data-driven decisions

Social-Emotional

• Monthly student celebrations
• Guest speakers
• College/trade school visits
• Community postings of affirmations and student accomplishments

The above initiatives will generate the following benefits:

• Help students transition from e-learning back to in-person learning.
• Accelerate teacher response to student issues.
• Provide better educational accessibility.
• Increase self-esteem and self-advocacy.
• Motivate learners to achieve.

Everything that we do at the PEACE Center is aligned with our goal of providing students a second chance to have a fresh start!