| FROM THE DIRECTOR
Peace Learning Center began in 1997 at Eagle Creek Park here in Indy. While our mission and programs focus on Indiana, many opportunities come our way for exciting national and international opportunities to share our programs.
We are humbled that our partnerships in eight US cities (Indiana cities that include Columbus, Jeffersonville, North Manchester and Fort Wayne) plus Milwaukee, Portland, Philadelphia, Racine/Kenosha WI, and five countries around the world (Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Jamaica, and Philippines) are helping to replicate our programs. This includes translations of our Peace Education Student Workbook into Arabic by a Catholic Nun in Egypt and Spanish by a bilingual Peace Learning Center staff person.
There are many people from Indiana, the United States, and around the world who turn to Peace Learning Center for help with curriculum and program ideas. Here are some of our great partnerships:
Educators for Conflict Resolution - In 1995, Charlie Wiles managed IndyCorps - a domestic violence service corps and Tim Nation was Indiana AmeriCorps director. Both Tim and Charlie attended conflict resolution training led by Bob Gross from Educators for Conflict Resolution in North Manchester. After attending these sessions, Charlie and Tim recognized this education was the missing link in our culture. It is a critical skill for each person to know how to deal with problems and conflicts - especially with the proliferation of guns and a lack of common values of respect and empathy.
After starting Peace Learning Center in 1997, concepts taught by Educators for Conflict Resolution were incorporated into programs and curriculum. In 2004, Peace Learning Center was approached by Educators for Conflict Resolution to learn our programs. Now, this organization that inspired Peace Learning Center implements our elementary education program - coming full circle. A video about this partnership and other PLC videos can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/PeaceLearningCenter
Rotary Partnership - Jamaica - After completing a "white paper" in partnership with Sagamore Institute about their service activities in Jamaica, in 2005 members of Indianapolis Rotary recognized the need for peace education programs in that country. After sending many medical missions, Rotarians were shocked to see Jamaica has double the rates of violence than America. Looking for Indianapolis resources to address this issue, Rotarians approached Peace Learning Center to lead an effort that would partner with Indianapolis and Savanna la Mar Jamaica Rotaries and the Jamaican Ministry of Education, to build the capacity of teachers, principals and guidance counselors to implement meaningful conflict resolution and peace education programs in their schools and communities. After eleven exchanges between Indianapolis and Jamaica - with teachers and police traveling to Indy and PLC volunteers traveling to Jamaica - Peace Learning Center hosted four conferences reaching more than 225 people representing 28 schools.
Also, all teachers and school staff at three schools - Cokes View, Ferris, and Sir Clifford Primary Schools - engaged in more than fifty hours of conflict resolution and peace education activities implementing programs in their schools. Ferris Primary School Principal Paulette Hibbert reported last May that in past years, "there were many incidents of fighting and discipline -- but this year since September we've had zero discipline reports. This is because of our peace program."
Philippines Partnership - Since 2002, Christian and Muslim Filipino high school and college students travel to Peace Learning Center in Eagle Creek Park to learn peacemaking and mediation techniques over two days of training and workshops. Most are from Mindanao, the largest and least-developed island in the southern Philippines. Mindanao is home to 13 different ethno-linguistic groups and has been a frequent site of civil unrest. Muslims, Christians, and tribal peoples populate the island. Titled "Bridging the Gap," the Northern Illinois University training institute aims to teach conflict resolution skills, examine the important role of volunteerism in civil society and introduce participants to American institutions that promote tolerance and religious diversity.
Peace Learning Center educates, empowers and inspires people to live peacefully. We are proud to make Indiana a leader in education for healthy relationships.
Tim Nation
Cofounder and Executive Director |
| PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
 In addition to the ongoing partnership with the IPS's Alternative Education programs at Arlington, George Washington, John Marshall, and T.C. Howe schools and programs at Northwest and Coleman Academy, the Peace Learning Center Youth Services team begins three new program partnerships this winter. Through the Peace School program, students at IPS #94 George Buck Elementary will receive training in peace-making skills, positive communication and emotional intelligence. In January, we launched new anti-gang programming with an after-school program at Arsenal Tech for students facing behavioral challenges. Finally, through a special partnership with IPS's Title 1 programs, Peace Learning Center is beginning a pilot program in partnership with the ACT OUT social issue theatre ensemble at two IPS elementary schools, #51 and #91, as well as Manual High School and Shortridge Magnet High School. Through these new relationships, the Youth Services team will reach out to parents, as well as continuing to serve students through innovative arts-enriched and social justice-focused curricula.
The following is a confirmation of PLC's results-driven programs in the schools:
"It is a pleasure to be associated with the Peace Learning Center. The programming has been exceptional and my students have grown significantly during a short duration of time. I am extremely pleased with the progress of each student.
I am particularly proud of a student who had been previously disciplined for being defiant, confrontational and fighting. A few weeks into the program, she was confronted by a teacher and would not follow the teacher's directives. She was escorted to the discipline dean's office, but ran before the assistant could get her there. She returned and apologized even though it did not feel right to her. Since that time, doing the right thing has become more comfortable for her.
It should be noted that when students are angry, she now assists them by talking them through their frustrations. The benefits derived from participating in the program will help her throughout her life.
We are blessed to have Rachel Mae Curtis from the Peace Learning Center as a facilitator in our school. The program is phenomenal!"
- Harold V. House, Teacher
Arsenal Technical High School
January 2010
Corporate & Community Programs 
Peace Learning Center in partnership with Leadership Ventures convened over 100 board chairs to participate in the inaugural Central Indiana Board Chair Summit On January 22nd. It appears this event struck a deep need in the nonprofit sector as this session filled to capacity within 30 days of its announcement at our first venue then sold out again at our second and larger venue, The Madame Walker Theatre Center. The focus of the Summit was to bring board leaders together to learn new practices and share ideas with each other. Brian Payne, President of the Central Indiana Community Foundation provided a candid keynote address on the state of nonprofits today; a panel presentation from current and past board chairs shared their best advice for handling the role of board chair. Panelists included Susan Brock Williams, board president for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central  Indiana, and former Board Chairperson of the Lacy Leadership Association (LLA); Dick Hester, past Board Chair for Leadership Ventures; Robert Kaspar, Chairman of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Joseph Simpson, past Board Chairman for the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis. In addition, Marnie Maxwell, of Maxwell Associates, served as our featured workshop presenter. Our evaluations show that participants found their time at the Summit highly valuable and would attend again in coming years.
Add more tools to your professional development tool box while donating to a great cause! All proceeds from the February 19 half-day session will be donated to Peace Learning Center to invest in the youth of our community.
February 19, Peace Learning Center board member Patti Ayars, offer a session on the Art of
Leading Transformational Change, 8:30 a.m.-12:00, $49. This session will teach participants the difference between incremental and transformational change and what it takes to lead successful, sustainable change in an ever changing world. Each participant will receive a copy of Patti's new book, The Art of Leading Transformational Change (a $29.95 retail value). Patti has offered to donate her fees for this session to Peace Learning Center. For more information and to register, click here.
February 24th, PLC will have a fundraiser which will take place at The Center for Inquiry, IPS School #2, from 7:15am - 8:30am. Please attend this fundraiser to support the work we do and learn about all the ways Peace Learning Center has positively impacted the lives of thousands of youth and adults in our community. Register here to attend the fundraiser - this is a free event.
 International Interfaith Initiative
The second annual Middle East Journey returned to Indianapolis on January 9, 2010. This year eleven individuals from Central Indiana representing a variety of religious, community and academic organizations traveled together from Amman, Jordan south through the desert sites of Petra and Wadi Rum to the Gulf of Aqaba then north through Arad, Israel the Dead Sea, Bethlehem and several villages in the West Bank of Palestine, to Jerusalem and then to the northern Israeli towns of Haifa, Acco, Cana and Nazareth before ending the journey in Madaba, Jordan. The two week trip included many amazing opportunities to meet with and engage local people and organizations. In Amman, Jordan alone we spent an evening listening and sharing a meal with Iraqi refugees struggling to survive in Jordan, we met with an Orthodox Priest who leads a program called "Coexistence" promoting Muslim-Christian dialogue, we listened to a lecture at Jordan University entitled "Muslims In America" that was given by IUPUI professor Edward Curtis who is there on a Fulbright Scholarship and we visited many historic places and ecologically sustainable gift shops in the city.  The Middle East is a place where history collides with the present in sometimes graceful and other time's quite tragic ways. Meeting with Iraqi refugees early on in the journey reminded me of the many mass exoduses of populations from one region to another throughout history in the Middle East. Baghdad once the center of civilization now has a very uncertain future as multiple forces violently struggle to gain control. The people we met, each human story that rattles the conscience, contributes to the well-worn fabric in the unfolding drama in this region. We then traveled south through the desert to Petra and Wadi Rum spending New Year's Eve in a beautiful Bedouin "style" lodging that included sleeping in a tent and eating food prepared in an underground barbeque. It was a fascinating party in the middle of the Jordanian desert with an eclectic mix of culture, good music, a wonderful feast, and dancing with travelers from multiple countries. We crossed from Aqaba, Jordan to Elat, Israel on Friday January 1st and were treated to a Shabbat meal at the first hotel we stayed in Arad. It felt good to participate in prayers and ritual that have been alive in that region for thousands of years. Day two took us to the Dead Sea and Bethlehem where we stayed in a Palestinian refugee camp. We visited an under-resourced clinic that is meant to serve 25,000 Palestinians that are living in a "seam" zone between the 1967 border and the barrier that separates the Palestinians from Israelis. The journey then took us to Jerusalem for two days where we visited the Old City, Yad Vashem (Holocaust Memorial), and participated in a local interfaith dialogue with the Interfaith Coordinating Council in Israel.  The conversations within our group were difficult at times as we traveled and observed challenging circumstances however it was enlightening to be together as a diverse group. I know for myself that my sensitivity to the narrative of the "other" was extremely heightened and that offered me a much more in-depth experience throughout the trip. It was fascinating opportunity to travel with a diverse (religiously and otherwise) group, each of us adding a unique piece to a puzzle as we try to better understand the world we live in. It was truly an honor to be a part of the experience and I look forward to future conversations. It was gratifying to witness the many relationships that developed along the trip, between Muslim and Jew, Evangelical and Catholic, gay and straight, young and older. I'm confident that many good things will develop as a result. Each and every one of us enriched the overall experience and I believe we all hold a piece of a larger truth that will lead to better understanding. Our final days were spent in northern Israel and we visited the gorgeous port cities of Haifa and Acco before lodging in Nazareth for two evenings. It was dumbfounding to stand in the spot where Mary was told she'd give birth to Jesus and to then to visit the "Synagogue/Church" where Jesus proclaimed he was the Messiah. We also visited, shared a fantastic meal, sang and dialogued with several members of Evangelical Churches in the Galilee.   
Arriving in the New York and Detroit airports after two weeks of intense and varied experiences in the Middle East and being bombarded with the latest news about the fate of Balloon Boy's father was a bit of culture shock to say the least- The twelve hour flight in the silver tube felt like passing through a rabbit hole and coming out on the "other" side and in a completely new reality. The more I experience this the more the saying "curiouser and curiouser" comes to mind. International Interfaith Initiative constantly strives to find opportunities where each of us in our multiple identities can put a collective foot forward in making a better future here in Indianapolis and in the Middle East. After several trips and discussions with our local community it appears to make sense to work together with caring Jordanians to establish a medical clinic for Iraqi refugees who are struggling to survive in and around Amman. This effort would be much more powerful if it came as a result of an interfaith effort here in Central Indiana and we will be working with many religious and community groups to make this happen. It will serve as a rich opportunity to increase understanding in our own community as well as offering a window into the Middle East. Many of the travelers contributed to a blog as we traveled and you can see their comments and photos at: www.indymideast.blogspot.com. When we came through customs in NYC the immigration agent asked if our visit abroad was for business or pleasure and I replied by saying a little of both but mainly for business. He asked what type of business and I described it as an interfaith trip to better understand the issues that confront us in the Middle East. He said that it sounded like an admirable mission and wished me luck... More about the Iraqi refugee project is at: www.internationalinterfaith.org. Planning for the third Middle East Journey is underway and applications will be available on the website soon. Article by Charlie Wiles Photos by John Samples and Paul Gibson |
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UPCOMING EVENTS - FEBRUARY  Feb. 5: The Lewis Family Benefit (See info below regarding this event)
4pm to Midnight
Indianapolis Firefighters Hall 7
748 Massachusetts Avenue, Indianapolis, IN
Feb 19: The Art of Leading Transformational Change, presenter: Patti Ayars, 8:30am-12:00. Location: The Marten House, Lilly Auditorium, $49. Special Donation Session - all proceedswill be donated to Peace Learning Center to invest in the youth of our community. Register here.
Feb 24: Peace Learning Center Breakfast Fundraiser: PLC will have a fundraiser which will take place at The Center for Inquiry, IPS School #2, from 7:15am - 8:30am. Please attend this fundraiser to support the work we do and learn about all the ways Peace Learning Center has positively impacted the lives of thousands of youth and adults in our community. Register here to attend the fundraiser - this is a free event. |
| IN THE COMMUNITY & MEDIA
"The best day my son and I spend together all year." - MLK Community Fest Participant
According to NUVO, "Indy's Peace Learning Center has long-embodied the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr., and their annual celebration is always a must-see commemoration of the life and philosophy of the slain civil rights leader."
This year's 12th Annual MLK Community Festival was a wonderful day of entertainment and activities for the entire family.
Benefit to Help a PLC Alum
On Friday, February 5, Peace Learning Center will host a benefit for our good friend Ernest Lewis and PLC Alum who not only lost his house and all its contents, but his wife is in critical condition from a fire on the northwest side of Indy. Amazingly Stephan Sikora - also a PLC Alum - was a fireman on the scene and EMT who administered CPR to Ernest's wife and brought her back to life. He then consoled the family who were all out of the house and arrived during the fire. Ernest is the lead singer and Stephan is the drummer for City Squirrles.
The benefit will be from 4:00-Midnight at the Indianapolis Firefighters Hall 7 at 748 Massachusetts Avenue. PLC Alum Chris Hunt will have two turntables and microphone with an eclectic mix of music - and there may be a City Squirrels reunion jam. Donations will be taken at the door and there will be food and drink for sale. If you cannot attend, please make tax deductible cash donations at peacelearningcenter.org or on our Facebook cause page and write "Lewis Family Fund" in the notes/memo section.
PLC and III in current issue of NUVO
Click here to check us out in the cover story "The New Face of Peace". |
PLC SUPPORTERS
Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Fund
We would like to thank the Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Fund for its generous support of PLC's Peace Schools Program with a $25,000 grant.
Rotary Club of Indianapolis
We would like to thank the Rotary Club of Indianapolis for supporting PLC's K-12 programs with a $5,000 grant.
Madame Walker Theatre
A big thank you to the staff and board of the Madame Walker Theatre for generously donating their space for the Central Indiana Board Chair Summit!
MLK Community Festival
We greatly appreciate everyone who helped make Peace Learning Center's 12 Annual MLK Community Festival such a huge success. Many thanks to the Christian Theological Seminary for providing the terrific venue; NUVO for promoting the event; ACT Out Ensemble, Branches Breath, Farm Fresh Delivery, Peace through Yoga, Positive Repercussions, Blair Karsch, and Carol Tharp-Perrin for providing the entertainment and activities; and to all the volunteers and community groups that participated.
Longhorn Steakhouse in Carmel
Thank you to John Curtis (husband of one of our incredible facilitators, Rachel-Mae Curtis) for providing food for a recent celebration event at Arsenal Tech. |
 GET INVOLVED WITH PLC
There are several ways to be a part of Peace Learning Center - - whether making a donation or volunteering. For more information, please click here
TO DONATE PLEASE CLICK HERE
Donate via designated payroll contributions through Annual Employee Campaigns
If you work for an employer that has a workforce campaign, Peace Learning Center can be designated by writing the name of our agency if it is not listed as a choice. Contact your employer's human resources department or payroll representative about making designated payroll contributions to PLC if you have questions. Peace Learning Center receives contributions given through campaigns associated with the United Way of Central Indiana and others.
Sponsorship Opportunities
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