Toledo Law Students Provide Mediation Services at Local High School
by Briana Palmer | April 7, 2023
Rogers High School and Toledo Law have collaborated to address some of the challenges that students are facing in the post-COVID era. Specifically, they are working to address decreased attendance and the need for peaceful conflict resolution. Rogers High School Community Hub is committed to being responsive to its students' needs. To tackle these issues, the Rogers team approached Professor Maara Fink at Toledo Law to discuss a pilot mediation program.
After several in-person meetings and virtual discussions, the mediation program launched at the end of the spring 2022 semester. According to Hub Director Josh Davies, "An idea is only valuable if someone has the time and expertise to put it into action. Our partners at Toledo Law - both Professor Fink and the student mediators - have brought this idea to life and expanded our school's capacity to meet our students' needs." The mediation program has become a valuable resource for the school.
Toledo Law students now serve as mediators on-site at Rogers High School. Current students on the Mediation Team include Elora Scarmardo, Andre White, Maha Zeidan, and Amy Scruggs. They work under the training and guidance of Professor Fink who runs the Toledo Law Mediation Externship Program. Law students can be volunteer members of the Mediation Team or earn credit for an Externship. According to Zeidan, "It made a real difference for the students. We provided a resource they wouldn't have had otherwise. In the long run, programs like these can help students avoid citations, criminal charges, and even incarceration. It was so fulfilling to have this kind of impact." Samantha Knapp, Sarah Knepp, Elora Scamardo, and Allexis Spencer participated on the Mediation Team last semester in fall 2022.
Initially focused on truancy mediation, the mediation team expanded its work to include conflict mediation. Recent changes in the law have complicated how student truancy is measured and dealt with. The Toledo Law Mediation Team provided various benefits, including empowering students to find solutions to problems and avoiding potential legal issues.
The partnership's success has led to further collaboration between them. The Mediation Team has plans to help train a team of Rogers students as peer mediators. Rogers and Toledo Law are committed to continuing and expanding their partnership in the future. The Mediation Team's time, expertise, and compassion have had a significant impact on the school and its students, including an initiative to provide after-school activities that promote career exploration in the legal field.
The collaboration between the Rogers Mediation Team and the Toledo Law Mediation Team exemplifies the power of community partnerships. As the partnership continues to grow and strengthen, it will undoubtedly have a lasting positive impact on the students and the community as a whole.
To learn more about the Mediation Externship at Toledo Law, contact Professor Maara Fink at 419.530.4236 or maara.fink@utoledo.edu