HTA students lead the 39th Annual Peer Mediation Conference
On March 3, our Peer Education Program students from Waipahu and Līhu’e took the lead on the 39th Annual Peer Mediation Conference at the Filipino Community Center. The event brought together more than 90 middle and high school students and teachers from three islands.
Students took ownership of planning and executing the entire day: From designing the initial posters and agendas to planning and facilitating the workshops, everything was done by students.
The theme, “Elevate Every Voice,” was also chosen by the students — and it shaped everything that followed. Rather than planning an event for their peers, students planned one with them, using pre-conference surveys to make sure the sessions reflected what attendees actually needed. Students from each school facilitated their own workshop, and the result was a room full of young people genuinely invested in the work.
Attendees spent the day practicing strategies for active listening, managing emotions in difficult conversations, and working through real conflict scenarios. But more than any individual skill, the day was about creating a space where students felt safe enough to engage honestly.
“The goal was for every person in the room to feel like their voice mattered,” said HTA’s high school PEP teacher Shiloh Francis. “And by the end of the day, that’s exactly what happened.”
One sixth grader captured it simply: “I got to talk about my thoughts with people who actually listened and understood me.”
Peer mediation is rooted in the belief that young people are capable of navigating conflict and building community when they are given the right tools and support. Hosting this conference — especially at this scale — is our students putting that belief into practice.
Mahalo to the Hawaii Center for Youth Philanthropy whose grant made this event possible.
