The bill establishes the Youth Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Pilot Program within the Community School Grant Program, set to begin no later than the 2026-2027 school year and lasting for three school years. The program aims to reduce juvenile violence by equipping students with essential skills for peaceful conflict resolution through a specified curriculum. The Center for Community Schools at the University of Central Florida is tasked with implementing the program, which includes seeking input from the Department of Education on curriculum selection, identifying participating schools (with priority given to those with high juvenile violence rates), and ensuring that schools provide necessary training and data collection.
Participating schools are required to train staff and community partners, provide students with conflict resolution skills, and complete surveys before and after the pilot program. The center will monitor the program's implementation, collect relevant data on student discipline and juvenile violence, and provide periodic updates to the Department of Education. Upon completion, the center must submit a report detailing student enrollment, discipline rates, survey results, and recommendations for broader curriculum inclusion in middle and high schools. The subsection establishing the pilot program will expire upon the submission of this report.