Teaching peace at school: The case of Diversity School in the Midwestern United States

Abstract

This qualitative study examines a case of three peace educators in a progressive alternative school in the Midwestern United States. In doing so, the study aims to scrutinize the commitments of the school making possible peace education practices these practitioners employ. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with three peace educators as the primary data and field notes collected from 5th and 6th grade classes, interviews with other school community, and curriculum materials collected during observations as the secondary data, the paper examines the commitments of the school that allows for infusing critical peace education across the school curricula. The study reveals Diversity SchoolFootnote1 as a significantly receptive community to teach critical peace education thanks to Diversity School ethos and its democratic founding. How Diversity School built a community based on collaboration and interdependence provides noteworthy insights for practicing transformational education.