Students may be settled into their summer break - but in Minnesota, some remain focused on setting a peaceful tone ahead of their return to school this fall. Those involved with an emerging Minneapolis program hope it becomes a model elsewhere.

Through a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant, the group Nonviolent Peaceforce has teamed up with the district for the Building Peaceful Schools project at two city high schools.

Student advisory groups work with peers and administrators on things such as relationship building and de-escalation.

Jassani Bland is a recent graduate of Roosevelt High School. She said she appreciated student-led discussions about certain scenarios, and gave examples.

"If your friend tells you they're going to be getting into a fight after school, are you going? Are you going to be the person that's recording?" said Bland. "And it created a big conversation, like, 'You're not a good friend if you're not going to be there for your best friend that's fighting. But then on the other hand, you're encouraging violence, you should be discouraging them.'"

She said having students lead the way allows peers to better understand each other's backgrounds, and how issues such as community violence factor into their lives.

Program leaders say after the July 4th holiday, they'll open a safe space for weekly discussions, while holding new training sessions. Others involved suggest additional grants would help to expand to other districts.

The project follows Minneapolis Public Schools' decision to no longer contract with the city's police department after George Floyd's murder.

Brandon Krona is the building peaceful schools project coordinator for Minneapolis Public Schools. He said some school resource officers were effective, but adds this new initiative puts students in the driver's seat.

"You're not going to be able to change everybody's opinion," said Krona. "But try to change minds and hearts eventually, and give these kids that opportunity to have a voice in what they want to see in their schools prevention-wise."

Sam Taitel, a program manager and community trainer for Nonviolent Peaceforce, said the project is a detour from bowing to personal pride and reputation amid tension within the student body.

"There are a lot of defense mechanisms to valid trauma," said Taitel, "and how to actually disrupt that cycle is difficult."

To get past that barrier, Taitel said students and staff are encouraged to show vulnerability.

In early August, fall registration opens at several South Dakota locations offering a national program geared for grade-school-age girls. It combines social and emotional skill building with physical activity.

Girls on the Run is a nonprofit, which built the youth development curriculum. It is carried out by roughly 200 councils in North America, with trained volunteer coaches leading spring and fall seasons.

Jasmina Nelson, program coordinator for South Dakota for the group, said they want to help the target age group navigate new situations they encounter, such as bullying.

"We want the girls to understand that who they are is very unique and special and that they should be confident in who they are and their unique abilities," Nelson explained.

This after-school activity lasts for 10 weeks, capping the season off with a noncompetitive, celebratory 5K run. There is a registration fee, but organizers say they are willing to work with families on overcoming any cost barriers to ensure access to the program. The South Dakota locations with upcoming registration can be found on the local chapter's website.

Nelson pointed out they also thrive on volunteers and encourage interested adults to learn more about helping out. She added the running component is just a catalyst for the mission, and the girls are not pressured to become track stars.

"It's all about the movement," Nelson noted. "They can hop, skip, jump all the way across their finish line, or they can run whatever their pace is."

The program is designed for girls in grades 3-8. Most of South Dakota's sites are for the younger grade levels. A study by the University of Minnesota found 85% of program participants improved in areas such as confidence, caring and connection to others.

The summer season and violent crime can fuel narratives by the public and the media about safety in urban settings. But in Minnesota's largest city, an emerging effort aims to show that some youth want to firmly establish peace through communication.

Like many other places, Minneapolis has seen increases in violent crime in the past couple of years. On the north side, a group called Nonviolent Peaceforce is scaling up its Community Peace Builders program.

Will Wallace, a local mentor for the initiative, said a handful of young adults are trained in risk-assessment and de-escalation.

"I just think your tongue is your worst enemy," said Wallace. "They got this thing where they say, 'Oh, this summer is going to be hot, there's gonna be a lot of killing.' Well, we need to erase that."

The training emphasizes terms such as "listen" and "affirm." Peace Builders who are recruited are young adults who have overcome past issues tied to conflict in the streets.

Beyond easing tension among peers, they also provide unarmed security at local events.

Elijah O'Neal, one of the local Peace Builders, said he hopes to stifle narratives that area residents are only capable of violence.

He said he wants his peers to know they can overcome stereotypes and think about the bigger picture.

"We're not used to talking," said O'Neal. "All we're used to doing is yelling and screaming and trying to get somebody to hear us. But I'm trying to get them to understand that we could talk it out without getting so violent."

Fellow Peace Builder Markess Wilkins said one challenge is overcoming skepticism among his acquaintances. But he said he remains undeterred in convincing everyone about the path he chosen, hoping others follow suit.

"It kind of drains me a little bit," said Wilkins. "But at the end of the day, I know the work I'm doing. So, I don't ever let the putdowns get to me."

These Peace Builders began to hone their mentorship skills through the local organization EMERGE.

The training offered by Nonviolent Peaceforce has been used in conflict zones around the world.

National Foster Care Month in May celebrates Ohioans who care for children in times of crisis, and as the calendar turns, the focus shifts to an important objective.

June is National Reunification Month, which highlights bringing families back together.

Heather Mason, a foster parent in Lancaster, explained foster children need safety and stability.

"These kids need people besides them," Mason asserted. "They're just normal teenagers going through things and want normalcy. And we definitely try to help them with that."

Melanie Allen, director of Sandusky County Job and Family Services, said foster parents can help support visitation and mentor the children in their care.

"We believe in putting these children back home in a better type of setting," Allen emphasized. "We really have a great set of foster parents who can model and coach parents."

In 2021 about 4,500 Ohio children in the foster care system were successfully reunified with their birthparents.

Mason typically fosters teenagers, and acknowledged unfortunately reunification can be difficult. However, she tries to open up as many avenues as possible to help nurture relationships with biological families.

"One of our kiddos, her mom was in and out of drug rehab programs, and so we helped get her clothes, and foster that relationship between mom and daughter and try to show them that it can be different," Mason recounted.

Allen explained there are more kids coming into care with significant mental and behavioral health needs. But she added there are not enough treatment-level foster homes to help ease the transition from a group or residential placement.

"We have a very difficult time getting them to step down and get into a homelike setting," Mason noted. "And there's a huge need for that in order to improve their own outcomes when they do leave care, reunify home, or even emancipate to become successful."

About 12,000 of the children in the child welfare system in March were in family-based settings, with a quarter in treatment-level foster homes. Roughly 2,000 other youth were in congregate care, but advocates say more could be in treatment-level foster care if there were enough qualified individuals to take older children with behavioral challenges and work toward family reunification.