The Center for Peace Education, based in Mount Auburn, has been combating escalating violence in Greater Cincinnati schools for more than 20 years.

        Since April's riots and student threats against teachers at Tristate schools, the group's conflict resolution and racial tolerance lessons have been in great demand, said Director Jennifer Smith.

        The center has been working with St. Margaret of Cortona Elementary School in Madisonville since 2000. The K-8 school, with a diverse student body of 102, had “a rough environment” at the time, said Principal Judy Szilagyi.

        In October 2000, 85 students in kindergarten through third grade received demerits for such infractions as profanity, stealing and others. Eight months after peace education programs began, only 14 demerits were issued to those same grades in April 2001, she said.

        At a school's request, the center will train teachers, parents and students in self-esteem, cooperation, communication, diversity and conflict management. The program, which costs $2,000 to $18,000, runs three to five years.

        St. Margaret of Cortona in Madisonville hosts these Peace Education 101 open houses: 8:30 a.m. Jan. 28; 1 p.m. Feb. 11; 8:30 a.m. Feb. 14; and 8 a.m. Feb. 25. The school is at 4100 Simpson Ave.
       

Bringing Graham to town rises above race
Fire damages Northside foundry
Reece still mum on Lemmie
Small businesses get a piece of the ballpark action
FBI investigating shooter's past
His projects help out diverse groups
Hundreds recall teen killed in crash
Interviews teach youth about 1960s
Peace center counsels teachers, students
Tristate A.M. Report
Tristate events to remember Martin Luther King
BRONSON: Weird play
CROWLEY: State lawmakers trade jabs on bipartisanship
HOWARD: Some Good News
PULFER: American story
Getting view of Islam from the inside
Trustee stirs up Butler politics
Three dead in separate shootings in Dayton
River town once 'Atlantic City of Midwest'
Seat belt law iffy
Trial in UK student's '94 slaying postponed