At PeaceMaker Minnesota, we recognize that many people across our state are feeling hurt and unsettled by recent acts of violence in our communities. We know the children, schools, and families we serve are affected — and so are many of you.

Moments like this remind us why PeaceMaker Minnesota exists. Since 1998, our work has been grounded in the belief that people and relationships matter, and peace is worth the work. Our mission is to help schools be safer places and to help young people learn empathy, respect, cooperation, and how to talk through conflict without causing harm.

This mission extends beyond school walls into the communities where children live and grow. We believe everyone deserves to feel safe, and that responding to harm requires care, courage, and connection — not silence or indifference.

This is not a time to despair, but a time to recommit ourselves to peacemaking — for children, schools, communities, and one another. Thank you for standing with us in the work of peace.

The Peaceful Pen

Peace Can't Only Live in Classrooms

Peace can’t live only in classrooms. It has to live in communities.

At PeaceMaker Minnesota, we’ve always believed that peace is worth the work — and that it begins with learning how to listen, speak, and stay connected, even when things are hard.

For years, we’ve helped children build these skills in classrooms across Minnesota. What we’re learning now is just as important: adults want — and need — these skills too.



That insight gave rise to the Peaceful Pen, a eight-week adult education pilot designed to strengthen peaceful communication through reflective listening, simple writing, and shared conversation.

Participants don’t come to be “fixed.” They come to be heard, valued, and connected — and to leave with tools they can use in everyday life.

Sixty participants answered “yes” to both questions. One person said, “Maybe.” The rest chose not to answer.



But just as meaningful as the data were the reflections participants shared — about slowing down, listening without judgment, responding to conflict differently, and remembering that community matters.

Why This Matters for Kids, Too

The Peaceful Pen is more than an adult class. It’s an extension of our mission.

In elementary schools across Minnesota, we help children learn empathy, self-advocacy, and peaceful conflict resolution. But kids don’t learn these skills in isolation. They learn them by watching the adults around them.

When caregivers, educators, and community members practice peaceful communication themselves, they model it for youth — creating consistency between classrooms, homes, and neighborhoods.

Peace can’t live only in schools. It has to live in communities.

the same skills we teach children — or if you’d like to learn more — we’d love to hear from you.

Because when adults learn to listen with care, children learn that peace is possible. And now more than ever, peace is worth the work.

Program Developments

What's growing, changing, and strengthening our work

Here’s a snapshot of what’s happening across our programs in schools and communities.

Ambassadors for Respect

This winter, PeaceMaker Minnesota’s Ambassadors for Respect visited fourth-grade classrooms at Cedar Ridge Elementary (Eden Prairie), Oak Hill Community School (St. Cloud), Kennedy Community School (St. Joseph), and Liberty Ridge School (Woodbury). Through powerful, personal presentations, students learned about kindness, inclusion, Person-First Language, and how to advocate for themselves and others.



Teachers shared that the program consistently resonates with students. One noted, “The students learned a lot, and learned useful ways to be advocates.”

“It’s a great program with the perfect message for fourth graders. This is always so wonderful and impactful for the kids—it is always a highlight of the year!”

— Fourth-grade Teacher

Books for Peacemakers

In December, we purchased books for students at Kaposia Education Center in South St. Paul and Seward Montessori in Minneapolis. Through shared reading and guided discussion, students explored themes like kindness, self-advocacy, emotional regulation, and peaceful problem-solving — skills that support both learning and relationships. The books are designed to stay with students, reinforcing these lessons in classrooms and beyond.

Peace Guide Services

Last December, PeaceMaker Minnesota distributed 127 teacher toolkits to classrooms in schools where Peace Guides are actively serving students. These toolkits were designed to strengthen the support already happening through Peace Guide Services — giving educators practical tools they can use every day to help students regulate emotions, manage stress, and stay engaged in learning.

“The teacher toolkits were a real bright spot during an incredibly difficult time for our school community.”

~ School Principal

Delivering care, one classroom at a time — teacher toolkits heading to schools supported by Peace Guide Services.

Inside a Peace Guide teacher toolkit: books, sensory tools, and classroom resources that support emotional regulation and peaceful problem-solving.

Three schools in St. Paul, one school in White Bear Lake, and one school in Champlin received toolkits.

The schools selected benefited from Youth Intervention Program (YIP) funding in 2025, with State funding covering part of the cost and generous donations to PeaceMaker Minnesota helping meet the required match.

These teacher toolkits, combined with the dedicated support of our Peace Guides, help students build skills they can carry with them — strengthening relationships and creating school environments where children feel heard, valued, and supported.

Safe School Initiaves

This academic year, Safe School Initiatives provided $13,975 in financial assistance to classrooms in communities including Vermillion, Eagan, White Bear Lake, Minneapolis, Elko New Market, Cambridge–Isanti, Monticello, and St. Paul.

These funds supported a range of classroom and school-wide efforts — from practical resources that help create calm, respectful learning environments, to Kindness Retreats, Calming Corners, and curriculum that strengthens relational skills. Funding also enabled students to participate in interactive presentations on bullying and harassment, helping them learn how to get along, speak up, and stop harm before it starts.

Together, these investments give students shared language and concrete tools for empathy, emotional regulation, and respectful communication — helping classrooms become places where belonging is practiced every day, not just discussed.

At PeaceMaker Minnesota

Here’s what’s happening across our organization as we continue our work in schools and communities

Our Board of Directors

At the December board meeting, PeaceMaker Minnesota’s Board of Directors elected John Nelson, an attorney with Fredrikson, and Bill Hudson, retired Head of School at Mounds Park Academy, to serve two-year terms beginning January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027.

Employment & Internships

Fall Into Fun, Make Peace Possible

SAVE THE DATE FUNDRAISERS

Cribbage Tournament

Sunday, April 26, 2026, Adagio's in New Brighton

Community Counts Campaign

May 1 - 10, 2026

Golf Tournament

Monday, June 15, 2026, at River Oaks Golf Course

Peacemaking in Daily Life

How everyday moments shape safer, kinder communities

One of the most important mindsets for peacemaking is caring. Caring means choosing to stay connected to another person, even when you disagree or feel hurt. It doesn’t mean giving up your own needs or opinions — it means approaching the conversation with empathy and a genuine concern for how the other person is being impacted.

In everyday life, caring might look like pausing before you correct or defend yourself and instead saying, “Help me understand what this has been like for you.” When someone feels that you truly care about their experience, tensions often soften, and real conversation becomes possible.

Right now, many people are carrying stress, fear, and frustration. Practicing caring — through listening, patience, and simple acts of kindness — helps create the conditions for understanding and resolution. Caring reminds us that peacemaking isn’t about winning an argument; it’s about protecting relationships and our shared humanity.

In this difficult time, we recognize how hard listening and caring can be — and we’d be honored to hear how you’re showing care or practicing peacemaking in your own life, if you feel called to share.

Your generous support enables us to provide Peace Guides, books, book discussions, Ambassadors for Respect trainings, and grants to help children and educators foster a culture of respect, empathy, and problem-solving. Together, we can create safer, more inclusive school environments for our children.

If you believe people and relationships matter and want to make a lasting impact, consider donating today. Every contribution brings us one step closer to a more peaceful world.

Another way to leave a lasting legacy of peace is to include PeaceMaker Minnesota in your will or estate plans. A planned gift ensures that future generations of students will continue to learn conflict resolution and peacemaking skills. To learn more about how you can make a meaningful impact for years to come, please email Dan McNeil.

Peace Is Worth the Work—Help Spread the Message!