With biweekly meetings, the Restorative Justice Club at Colorado State University promotes principles of conflict resolution to create community and build connections among students. The club originated from the course ETST 265: Culture of Care in Schools, taught by Adjunct Professor Tom Cavanagh. After spending time in New Zealand, Cavanagh returned to the U.S. with a goal of fostering a culture of care in educational settings.
The club consists of student-led conversations about the principles of restorative justice, with each meeting centering on a community-building circle — a guiding pillar of restorative justice.
New attendee Hillary Condit, who works at CSU’s Student Resolution Center, emphasized the importance of community-based learning and that it sets students up for success when there are conflicts in educational settings.
“I really love how the culture of care approach is proactive,” Condit said. “It’s like, ‘Let’s build a community first; let’s build a foundation first, and then we’ll have something to work with and come back to when there’s friction or conflict.’”
“You find yourself using restorative justice practices just passively. I feel like a big part of that is just listening to understand. That’s one thing that just, like, sticks with me and retaining your humility that you don’t know everything, and the way that you learn is by listening to other people.” –Mia VonLunen, CSU Restorative Justice Club founder
Cavanagh also attended and discussed his experience teaching Culture of Care in Schools and his appreciation for the course.
“Teaching the course is just the highlight,” Cavanagh said. “I really, really enjoy it. … It’s a real privilege to get to teach what you love.”
Mia VonLunen, an early childhood education student and founder of the Restorative Justice Club, focused on how she uses restorative practices in everyday life.
“You find yourself using restorative justice practices just passively,” VonLunen said. “I feel like a big part of that is just listening to understand. That’s one thing that just, like, sticks with me and retaining your humility that you don’t know everything, and the way that you learn is by listening to other people.”
Another important topic the club covers is how restorative justice practices are rooted in Indigenous interpretations of community and culture — and how Western society contradicts that framework. Cavanagh discussed how the idea of individualism presents itself on CSU’s campus, potentially making students feel unwelcome.
“If we truly want to be a diverse campus and make our people from other cultures (and) other languages feel at home, then we have to get out of, ‘This is the only way to think.’ And this is exciting work,” Cavanagh said.
With the future of the club and its goals in mind, VonLunen discussed increasing membership and attendance while fostering connection and inclusion.
“Right now I’m hoping for the club just to create a sense of community and have people become more educated on restorative justice because I think the term ‘restorative justice’ is a big roadblock for people getting interested,” VonLunen said.
Another attendee was Aden Valdez, who is not currently a CSU student but is actively involved in the club and surrounding community. They focused on the wide reach of restorative justice and how it extends beyond the classroom.
“I want the greater community to kind of experience (restorative justice) and see that, you know, … this is good stuff to be working towards,” Valdez said.
Jay Bates Domenech, a sociology student, emphasized the effectiveness of restorative justice practices in settings outside of the classroom.
“I found restorative justice and … the practices with culture of care specifically helpful in, like, casual situations, like roommates and friends and family and … all of these different spaces, and that’s been what’s really impactful for me,” Bates Domenech said.
Also in attendance was Patricia Vigil, the director of university partnerships and student success at CSU. She has worked with Cavanagh for many years and helped build the culture of care principles. She focused on supporting students and helping them reach their ultimate goals.
“How do we support … one another so we’re not feeling alone?” Vigil said.
The club has an Instagram page where meeting locations and information about upcoming events are shared.
Reach Aubree Miller at life@collegian.com or on social media @aubreem07.
