Why is Community Connections so effective?  Brain research shows that when you’ve had trauma,  especially sustained trauma, the part of your brain that is designed to determine safety and threat is over-engaged.  Under these circumstances, we are often quick to respond with either fight, flight, or freeze. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) determined that at least two-thirds  of us have experienced trauma in our lives, which is why we see fight, flight, or freeze responses everywhere.

According to Marshall Rosenberg, developer of Nonviolent Communication, every conflict is the tragic expression of an unmet need.  The solution is to understand our feelings and needs, understand others’ feelings and needs, and develop healthy ways to communicate.  In Community Connections, we learn to recognize the feelings that we have in the moment, the unmet needs that give rise to those feelings, and how to hear one another.   In short, we learn to slow down and use our higher-level brains to circumvent tragic conflicts.  This technique has a measurable and transformative impact on both the teens and the volunteers.  

For this innovative approach to restorative justice, Dr. Cindy Bigbie, Director of Community Connections, received the Dennis Maloney Award for Youth-Based Community and Restorative Justice from the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (NACRJ) at the 2019 conference attended by 1700+ people across the country.

It’s not the sole responsibility of our police, elected officials, or the staff at Community Connections to maintain safety and keep the peace.  It is the responsibility of us all. How can you help improve safety, healing, and connection in our community?  Help us increase conflict resolution, restorative justice, and connection in our community; help us make Tallahassee a national leader in reducing crime.

Here’s our plan.  We want our entire community to experience the effectiveness of nonviolent communication and restorative practices; we will start with the youth and faculty within our schools.  Remember, it costs $150,000 per year to incarcerate a youth...and there’s a 70% chance that this strategy will not stop the cycle of trauma and violence.  It costs only $4,000 to send one teen through a 14-week cycle in Community Connections...and it will change their lives and stop the cycle of trauma and violence.  Currently, Community Connections changes the lives of about 50 teens per year. Our goal is to expand this to hundreds of youth per year. In particular, we plan to teach our youth empathy and conflict resolution skills in Leon County Public Schools before the trauma escalates out of control.  

To ensure that this plan succeeds, we are rolling it out with purpose and care.  First, we will start a two-year pilot program in one school. Once we introduce nonviolent communication and restorative practices to this school, we’ll expand into other schools, one at a time.  The initial list of schools include Success Academy and Fairview Middle School. The initial cost for this pilot program is $80,000 per year. We ask that you help us raise funds for one year, and we'll ask the schools to match this community support to ensure a second year for this pilot program.  Help us stop the cycle of violence, and help us make Tallahassee an innovative leader in restorative justice. Your donation will help us fund this pilot program, and it will send a strong message of community support, so please donate whatever you can.  If you are feeling particularly generous and inspired, consider sponsoring one teen for $4,000. It will change his or her life forever.