For Immediate Release                 

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Kurt Aldag, kurt@aldag.net
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or
Laura Mirsky, lauramirsky@iirp.org
IIRP Media Relations
(267) 718-7374

IIRP Celebrates World's First Graduate Programs in Emerging Field   
of Restorative Practices

(Bethlehem, PA, October 19, 2006)—The International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) officially opened the world’s first graduate degree-granting institution specializing in the field of restorative practices today with a reception and press briefing at the eighth annual international conference on restorative practices.

“The rapidly expanding field of restorative practices offers a common thread to tie together theory, research and practice in seemingly disparate fields, such as education, counseling, criminal justice, social work and organizational management,” said IIRP president and founder Ted Wachtel to a roomful of the world’s leading experts, educators, youth counselors and students in the field of restorative practices. Wachtel then introduced the administration, faculty and student deans who described the campus, school resources, and programs followed by a video montage of the growth and development of IIRP.

On September 9, 2006, the IIRP marked a historic new beginning for educators and youth counselors with the first day of classes of the world's first graduate school wholly dedicated to the field of restorative practices. Authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the IIRP began offering two master's degrees in the emerging field of restorative practices: a Master of Restorative Practices and Education (MRPE) degree, and a Master of Restorative Practices and Youth Counseling (MRPYC) degree.

Both master's degree programs share a core curriculum that constitutes the first part of each degree's coursework and the basis for a 12-credit certificate program. The balance of either master's degree is a curriculum specific to Restorative Practices and Education or Restorative Practices and Youth Counseling, respectively. 30 credits are required for completion of either degree.

The restorative practices concept has its roots in restorative justice, a new way of looking at criminal justice that focuses on repairing the harm done to people and relationships. Originating in the 1970s as mediation between victims and offenders, restorative justice broadened in the 1990s to include communities of care as well, with victims' and offenders' families and friends participating in collaborative processes called "conferences" and "circles."

For the last decade, the IIRP has been developing a comprehensive framework for practice and theory that expands the restorative paradigm beyond its origins in criminal justice. On June 26, 2006, the Pennsylvania Department of Education authorized the IIRP to open its new graduate school.

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