Our goal was to develop a culture of encounter and to make restorative thinking a part of our school's everyday life. We wanted to develop these practices so that our young people grow up to become adults capable of mediation. We also wanted new operating models for adults and more opportunities for mutual interaction and new ways of working for students. Our goal was for the student to be seen in our school as developing social skills and as an active actor. We believed that the change in interaction supports the strengthening of both learning and social interaction.
Hakkari school is a basic middle school for grades 7-9. The students are 12-16 years old. There are about 510 students in our school. The school's staff includes 50 people who work in teaching. The subject of our project was restorative practices at school. Some restorative procedures have already been used in Lempäälä municipality and Hakkar school, for example educational discussion, peer mediation and adult-led mediation. However, we still wanted to develop a culture of encounter, participation and interaction in our school. The restorative approach has entered school life with the new curriculum. The important themes of our project were: respect, listening, meeting, strengthening the individual's own expertise and abilities, and changing the way of thinking in human perception.