You understand the idea. You want to know how to actually live it.

Most people who arrive at Restorative Justice come through the same door: they read something, watched something, or sat in a training and felt it. Something in the framework named a thing they already believed but didn't have language for. Interconnection. Accountability without punishment. Relationship as the actual unit of change.

And then they went back to their classroom, their team, their organization, their family and weren't sure what to do next.

That gap between understanding Restorative Justice and practicing it is real. It doesn't mean you didn't pay attention in the training. It means practice is different from theory, and most introductions to RJ stop before they get there.

This course is where you close that gap.

WHAT THIS COURSE IS

Foundations of Restorative Justice Practice is a comprehensive, self-paced course that teaches Restorative Justice as what it actually is: a philosophy and a way of being in relationship with others, rooted in Indigenous values of interconnection.

This is not a certification program. It is not a scripted process you learn to run. It is a rigorous, honest introduction to the history, philosophy, and practice of Restorative Justice, built for people who want to understand it deeply enough to actually use it.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

The roots: where Restorative Justice comes from and what it actually holds

You will trace the history and Indigenous lineage of this framework. You will work through the seven core assumptions that ground a Restorative mindset, and you will examine what it means to hold Restorative values, not as a list to agree with, but as a practice to build.

The soil: self and community care as a prerequisite, not an add-on

Restorative practice starts with you. Before you can hold accountability processes for others, you need to know how to care for yourself and how to build the community conditions that make repair possible in the first place.

The trunk: daily proactive practice

The circle you hold after harm occurs is built on everything that happened before it. This course covers the proactive practices that develop the capacity to do Restorative work when it actually matters: communal agreements, check-in practices, identity work, and the communication skills that build genuine trust over time.

Power, privilege, and white supremacy culture

You cannot do Restorative Justice without an honest analysis of power. This course examines how socialization shapes the way we understand conflict and accountability, and how patterns rooted in white supremacy culture undermine Restorative practice. This is not background material. It is central to the work.

How Restorative processes actually begin

You will develop a clear understanding of how Restorative conversations and circles are initiated, how people are invited into repair, and what makes the difference between a process that holds and one that doesn't.

WHAT YOU WILL WALK AWAY WITH

• A working understanding of the history, Indigenous roots, and philosophy of Restorative Justice
• The seven core assumptions as a genuine internal framework, not a list you memorized
• Tools for self and community care that sustain Restorative practice over time
• A clear-eyed analysis of power, privilege, socialization, and white supremacy culture and how they shape conflict
• Communication practices that build the trust Restorative work requires
• A foundational understanding of how Restorative processes are initiated and how repair begins

WHO THIS IS FOR

This course was built for people who want to practice Restorative Justice in real conditions, not ideal ones.

That includes educators building Restorative classrooms and school communities. Leaders working to shift the culture of their teams and organizations. Community members, organizers, and facilitators who support collective accountability. And individuals who want a more honest, more humane way of navigating conflict and relationship in everyday life.

You do not need prior training or experience to begin. You need to be willing to do the actual work.

WHO THIS IS NOT FOR

If you are looking for a program to implement, a script to follow, or a certification that will let you skip the inner work, this is not the right course.

Restorative Justice cannot be franchised. It requires genuine relationship, honest self-examination, and the willingness to be changed by what you learn. This course will ask that of you.

A NOTE ON WHAT THIS IS NOT

This is not a scripted, manualized approach to Restorative practice. The framework taught in this course is grounded in Indigenous practices and the lineage of the Restorative Justice movement, including the foundational work of Howard Zehr, Kay Pranis, and others, held inside a clear ideological commitment to equity and anti-racism.

If you have been trained in one of the scripted approaches and felt like something was missing, this course will likely name what that was.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How is this different from a typical RJ training? Most RJ trainings give you an overview of the framework and send you home with a handout. This course is built for people who want to go deeper than that. It covers the history, the ideology, the proactive practices, the analysis of power and white supremacy culture, and how Restorative processes actually begin, in enough depth that you can start doing something with it. It is not a training you sit through. It is a course you work through.
2. How is this different from a certification program? Certification programs are built around a credential. This course is built around practice. You will not leave with a certificate that authorizes you to run circles. You will leave with a genuine understanding of Restorative Justice, grounded in its actual lineage and values, and the foundational tools to begin practicing it. The work of becoming a skilled Restorative practitioner happens over time, in real relationships and real communities. This course gives you a place to start that work.
3. Do I need prior experience with Restorative Justice to take this course? No. The course is designed to meet you where you are. If you have some familiarity with RJ in theory but haven't had the chance to practice it, you will find the course fills in what's been missing. If you are newer to the framework, you will find it builds the foundation you need without skipping the parts that matter.
4. What is the format? The course is entirely self-paced and asynchronous. There are no live sessions, no scheduled calls, and no cohort. You move through the material on your own timeline and return to it as you practice.
5. How long do I have access? Lifetime access from the moment you enroll.
6. What is the refund policy? This course is a non-refundable investment. Please read the course description carefully and make sure this is the right fit before enrolling.
7. What do I need to get started? An internet connection and a willingness to do the work. No prior training, certification, or academic background required.

Enroll in Foundations of Restorative Justice Practice

If you want to understand Restorative Justice deeply enough to practice it, and you are willing to do the work that requires, this is where you begin.