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Vision

The Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) is hosting statewide 2025 Michigan Restorative Justice Summit, as an opportunity to invite, meet, and collaborate with practitioners, partners, and stakeholders of restorative practice in all its forms. 

The Summit strives to continue to create spaces of dialogue, explore and expand how we practice this work, as well as, disrupting systems of colonization and oppression, building more restorative spaces, and advocating for criminal legal reform in our communities.

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Date:

Thursday October 30, 2025 - Friday October 31, 2025

Registration opens March 1, 2025

Location:

Eastern Michigan University - Student Center

900 Oakwood St, Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Co-partners:

Request for Proposals

General Guidelines and Instructions 

  1. The format for breakout sessions is flexible but all sessions are 90 MINUTES in length (including a Q&A).
  2. All breakout session applications must be submitted using the google form application.
  3. Conference breakout sessions cannot be used to market or sell products or services.
  4. Presenters will have access to the standard audio/visual equipment provided by the venue, which includes projectors, screens and lectern microphones. Lectern computers will have internet access. Any additional audio/visual needs must be approved by the DRC to ensure that the conference venue can provide your requests.  
  5. $150 stipends provided for all summit breakout presenters. Registration is covered for presenters. Lodging and travel expenses are not covered.

We encourage innovative, non-traditional, and creative approaches to building engaging sessions! Interactivity, participant engagement, and time for discussion and questions is highly encouraged. Breakout sessions should be designed to fit a 90 minute time slot. Each session may include up to three presenters, plus one moderator (optional).

Breakout sessions should only be 90 minutes long and can be formatted in a variety of ways including, but not limited to:

  • Presentation
  • Workshop
  • Working/input session
  • Training
  • Panel presentation/discussion
  • Simulation

Breakout Session Categories

Below is a broad list of categories for potential presentations. These categories are shared as a starting point and are not exhaustive. Additional relevant sessions outside of these categories are welcome and encouraged.

  • Restorative Justice Practitioner Skills Building - Examples:
    • Practices and approaches used by RJ organizations and RJ practitioners
    • Holding community circles
    • Re-entry circles with formerly incarcerated individuals and their families
  • Systems Change (Advocacy, Legislation, Policy, & Criminal Reform) - Examples:
    • Deflection and diversion programs
    • Legislative bills, local administrative orders, policies
    • Advocacy campaigns
  • Youth & Schools - Examples:
    • Youth led programming & initiatives
    • Disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline
    • RJ in the classroom

 

Download the full RFP HERE.

Fill out the Google form application HERE