Youth Services Volunteer Opportunities

Do your friends come to you with their problems? Are you often the person people turn to for a listening ear? Do you find yourself taking on leadership roles at school or in the community? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you would probably make an excellent mediator!

The Dispute Resolution Center is recruiting teens to volunteer as mediators in the Parent-Youth Mediation program. We are looking for teens age, 14-18, that are:

Self-confident
Good listeners
Have good communication skills
Have the ability to problem solve
Able to consider other person's point of view

Why should you become a mediator?
Through your mediation training and experience, you will:

• Take a leading role in changing how your community resolves conflict
• Improve your communication skills
• Develop highly marketable skills that you can later use when applying for jobs or college
• Enhance your college and career portfolio
• Meet other teens from Kitsap County who are involved in mediation

What do I have to do to become a teen mediator?
THE COMMITMENT- Teens accepted into the program will receive training on topics such as:

• Conflict theories
• Family systems
• Communication skills
• Teens will learn how to mediate Parent-Youth mediations

Once training is complete, teen volunteers will observe a series of Parent-Youth mediations to gain experience and insight into the mediation process. Once the teen’s observations are complete, he or she will have many opportunities to co-mediate with an experienced adult volunteer.

If this is something you might be interested in, please contact the Youth Program Coordinator at (360) 692-1579 or email voices@kitsapdrc.org