Nancy Schertzing
Circle Experience
I have 15 years experience using Circles and restorative practices in schools from elementary and secondary to graduate level in higher ed.
My work with students, faculty, staff, parents and community members has included peace-making, community-building, teaching and family-conference circles. I am also certified to facilitate conferencing and serve in community mediation.
I have had the privilege of learning the Circles Process from Kay Pranis and other experienced facilitators. My RJ experience began with IIRP Conferencing training, and I later earned certification as an IIRP trainer. I have supported RJ programs in school districts and Intermediate School Districts across Michigan’s lower peninsula as a trainer and consultant, and served as an RJ Coordinator for Michigan State University’s Residence Life Division as a grad student. In addition, I supported the Michigan Dept. of Education in rewriting the state Board of Education’s Policy on Reducing Suspensions and Expulsions, the MI Dept. of Ed’s Model Code of Student Conduct, and I developed the online RJ training modules available at michigan.gov
Areas of Interest and Service
My RJ work now focuses on training and consulting with school personnel in integrating the restorative paradigm within their cultures. This includes developing trainings and presentations, webinars, and resources my clients can use beyond my tenure. I enjoy facilitating restorative Circles when asked.
Bio
Founder and CEO of Schertzing Communications, Nancy Schertzing, MS, has a passion for restorative justice (RJ) nurtured over more than a decade of facilitating RJ Circles and training hundreds of people from all walks of life. This passion drives her to help schools and other organizations embrace restorative philosophy and practices.
Nancy considers it a privilege to transform the fear and pain of conflict into the peace and healing of resolution. Her trainings and seminars have equipped hundreds of educators, officers and mediators with the understanding and skills to harness RJís healing power for the people they serve. She brings a wealth of practical experience to her training seminars and coaching services.
Her experience includes:
• Directing the Central Michigan Restorative Justice Initiative serving 19 schools and saving nearly 7,500 days suspension from 2005 to 2010.
• Coordinating Restorative Justice at Michigan State University (RJ@MSU) integrating RJ into the culture and practices of MSU’s residence halls system and discipline process through trainings, interdepartmental coordination and resource development from 2010- 2012.
• Advising the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) in developing the State Board of Education’s Model Policy on Reducing Student Suspensions and Expulsions (5/12/14) and the Michigan Department of Educationís (MDE) revised Model Code of Student Conduct (8/12/14) .
• Authoring MDE’s basic Restorative Justice training, Restorative Justice to the Power of Three: Philosophy, Principles, Practices. This free training resource includes original videos Schertzing helped produce.
• Earning her Masters of Science in Community Services, developing her thesis on a mixed methods case study of a restorative justice intervention between employees and management in an institution of higher learning.
- Listing ID: 1917