Restorative Works

Restorative Works! Hosted by Claire de Mézerville López, Ph.D., M.Ed., M.S., is centered around restorative practices – the study of building relationships and community. With guests from across the globe, we invite you to listen and be inspired by transformational stories from passionate restorative practitioners, community leaders, researchers, and more.Learn practical solutions to addressing harm/traumas and proactively increasing a sense of belonging in your community, schools, and at home. Explore methods to facilitate meaningful conversations that create understanding and positively impact the people around you.

Restorative Works is a society podcast hosted by IIRP, with 179 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

IIRP hosts Restorative Works, a society show with 179 episodes published.

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  Episode #23

  Creating the Conditions for Change: Restorative Practices and Collective Care

  Aug 13, 202626 minS4

  How can schools move beyond reacting to harm and instead create the conditions that help prevent it? A continuation of the conversation started in the episode, The Sustainability Myth: What Schools Get Wrong About Restorative Practices, host Claire de Mézerville López welcomes back Lan Nguyen and Jennifer Vermillion of the San Diego County Office of Education to explore how restorative practices can interrupt the school-to-prison nexus through systems change, collaboration, and relationship-centered leadership. Together, they challenge traditional approaches to discipline and examine why keeping young people out of the justice system requires more than school-based interventions. From engaging families and community organizations to ensuring restorative processes are accessible to all students , the conversation highlights the importance of expanding who has a voice and who has a seat at the table. Lan and Jennifer also discuss one of the greatest barriers to sustainable implementation: expecting educators to lead change without first creating the conditions for their own well-being. They argue that lasting transformation begins by investing in adults, fostering belonging, and moving beyond one-time training toward leadership that embodies restorative practices. Jennifer is a project specialist with the San Diego County Office of Education, providing professional learning and coaching on restorative practices implementation. Before working with the County Office, Jennifer spent 5 years with a non-profit, supporting schools in San Diego with their restorative practices implementation, training, and student leadership initiatives. She provided direct services in addressing conflict issues between students, families, and school staff through a restorative justice model that kept youth out of the justice system. She received her bachelor's degree in psychology and her master's degree in peace and justice studies. Lan is a futurist, educator, and leader who is passionate about designing and implementing more liberatory ways of engaging, teaching, and leading in schools. In her work, she critiques and examines systems of power, applies participatory and humanizing approaches to systems change, and uses a decolonial lens to understand issues of educational and social inequity. Lan has held diverse roles in K-12 education, supporting local, statewide, and national projects on community engagement and school climate. She currently supports restorative justice practice s implementation across San Diego County at the San Diego County Office of Education. Tune in to hear more practical wisdom for restorative practitioners navigating current social challenges , with more patience, trus t, and humility.

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  Episode #21

  From Conflict to Community: Intentional Connection in Academic Environments

  Jul 30, 202620 minS4

  In this episode of Restorative Works! , host Claire de Mezerville Lopez welcomes guest Melkam Tesfaye for a grounded conversation on restorative practices in higher education and student affairs. Tesfaye draws on her background in law, mediation, and conflict resolution to explore how approache s that are rooted in restorative practices take shape inside complex university systems, particularly within the context of Gonzaga University. Tesfaye emphasizes that restorative practices is more than just an initiative, it is culture-building, relational leadership, and sustained engagement. She highlights a common challenge across both K–12 and higher education settings: not resistance to restorative practices, but the ongoing difficulty of finding time to implement and sustain them. From onboarding conversations to cohort-based training models, she illustrates how institutions can move beyond one-off workshops toward long-term relational learning. Melkam is the assistant director of student conduct and conflict at Gonzaga University, where she works with resident directors on student conduct cases and manages conflict resolution services , such as educational conversations, mediation, and restorative justice conferencing. She is a trained restorative practices facilitator and serves on a divisional task force implementing restorative practices within Student Affairs. With a background in law, Melkam brings extensive expertise in mediation, adaptable dispute resolution, and restorative practices, along with a multidisciplinary perspective to conflict resolution. Melkam is a member of the Restorative Justice Network of Catholic Campuses (RJNCC) national planning team. She has led trainings on de-escalation and restorative practices in the workplace and is an active community mediator. Tune in for stories and examples of everyday practices that are foundational to building trust, compassion, and shared accountability in academic environments.

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  Episode #20

  Beyond the Stage: Joy, Imagination, and Restorative Practices

  Jul 23, 202621 minS4

  In this episode of Restorative Works!, host Claire de Mezerville López welcomes Assistant Director of L earning and Community Engagement at Manhattan Theatre Club , Gabbie Ballesteros . Together, they explore the powerful intersection of art, advocacy, and restorative practices, revealing how creative expression can strengthen relationships, amplify voices, and inspire meaningful social change. Drawing from her work in classrooms, community organizations, and theaters across New York City and around the world, Gabbie shares how theater s create spaces where people feel seen, heard, and valued. She discusses the parallels between restorative practice s and theater, explaining how both rely on trust, vulnerability, dialogue, and shared accountability to build stronger communities. The conversation also highlights Punch , the Broadway production inspired by a real restorative justice story, and the innovative post-show dialogue circles that invited audiences to move beyond passive viewing into authentic community conversation. Gabbie reflects on how storytelling encourages empathy, sparks curiosity, and creates opportunities for lasting transformation both on and off the stage. Gabbie is a multi-disciplinary administrator, teaching artist, and performer who believes deeply in universal access to and engagement with the arts. In her role at the Manhattan Theatre Club, she collaborates on programs spanning classrooms and community spaces throughout New York City, across the US, and around the world that empower learners to engage joyfully and authentically with theat er . Gabbie has led a session on community partnerships with the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, moderated special panel events and audience discussions, and was selected for the 2026 Emerging Leaders Program with the New York Foundation for the Arts. She has proudly served as an educator in the New York and Washington, D.C. , areas and her home country of the Philippines. She strives to uplift the intersection of art and advocacy across all avenues of her work. Tune in t o hear about Manhattan Theatre Club's educational initiatives, including international playwriting programs, partnerships with community organizations, and free theater resources that make storytelling accessible to educators and learners worldwide.

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  Episode #19

  Building Bridges: Leading in Higher Ed with Restorative Practices

  Jul 16, 202624 minS4

  In this episode of Restorative Works! , host Claire de Mezerville López welcomes Dr. Alex Boesch, educator, higher education administrator, and organizational culture expert, for a thoughtful conversation about how restorative practices can bridge intercultural competence and social justice in higher education. Drawing on more than 15 years of experience implementing restorative practices on college campuses, Dr. Boesch explores how circles create space for meaningful dialogue across differences. He shares real-world examples from his work at Wayne State University, including facilitating listening circles following moments of community trauma and creating spaces where students, faculty, and staff can process difficult events with care and dignity. He discusses the importance of intentional facilitation and how structures rooted in restorative practices provide emotional safety, ensuring every voice has the opportunity to be heard. In his current role at Wayne State University, Dr. Alex Boesch leads strategic initiatives that support a positive and healthy organizational culture. He regularly designs and facilitates workshops, retreats, and learning experiences for employees. He is skilled at leading working groups to improve organizational culture. Dr. Boesch has infused restorative practices in his higher education and consulting work for 15 years. He has presented at conferences on the intersection between restorative practices, intercultural competence, and social justice. Dr. Boesch holds a doctorate in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University. Tune in to discover how intentional dialogue and restorative practices can transform how we lead higher education.

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  Episode #18

  The Teacher's Sphere Collaborative Episode: The Role of Teacher Leaders in Civil Discourse

  Jul 9, 202629 minS4

  In this special collaborative episode of Restorative Works and The Teacher's Sphere Podcast , hosts Dr. Claire de Mezerville Lopez, Dr. Kobi Nelson, and Sarah Lane explore how educators can cultivate stronger school communities through civil discourse, restorative practices, and meaningful dialogue. Our hosts invite us to examine the role teacher leaders play in fostering civil discourse among colleagues, emphasizing the importance of listening, intellectual humility, and curiosity. Sarah introduces Sphere's AWARE framework (Assert, Wonder, Accept, Respect, and Establish) as a practical tool for guiding productive conversations and building understanding across differing viewpoints. Explore how teachers, administrators, families, and staff can move beyond adversarial thinking and focus on shared goals that support student success. We dive into cognitive biases and their impact on decision-making, relationships, and school culture. Our hosts examine how self-awareness, restorative practices-rooted dialogue, and intentional engagement with diverse perspectives can help educators recognize and navigate these biases more effectively. Kobi is the content development specialist for Sphere Education Initiatives . She hosts Sphere's podcast, The Teacher's Sphere , and creates curricular resources in collaboration with K-12 teachers and content scholars. Kobi has two decades of experience teaching reading, writing, and literature in middle schools, high schools, and colleges. Kobi holds a bachelor's and master's in English as well as a master's in Curriculum and Instruction. She earned her doctorate in Education and Human Development from the University of Colorado. Sarah is a manager of alumni and educator engagement for Sphere Education Initiatives . She also supports hosting Sphere's podcast, The Teacher's Sphere . She leads professional development across the country to partner with educators and administrators to foster spaces of civil discourse and community. She has K-12 experience as a teacher, instructional facilitator, and curriculum writer. Sarah has a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction, principal certification, and is a National Board Certified Teacher. Tune in to discover more practical insights and valuable resources for anyone committed to creating educational environments where dialogue, empathy, and diverse perspectives can thrive. Resources from Sphere Education Discussed in Today's Episode: The Civil Discourse Primer Bias Bites Sphere's Leadership Toolkit for Civil Discourse (full of tools for leaders to use to cultivate the culture of civil discourse discussed in the episode)

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