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MWI Court Program – Community Connections

MWI’s Court Mediation Program’s Community Connections is a dedicated space for Court Program Panel members to come together each month to meet, exchange ideas, strengthen ADR skills, and explore shared themes in our work. We hope that mediators use this community to build meaningful connections with fellow panelists, share tools and techniques, and support one another’s growth. These gatherings are exclusive to active Court Mediation Program mediators.

Schedule

All gatherings are held on the first Tuesday of each month (unless otherwise noted) from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET on Zoom. Please see the dates and topics listed below, and register by clicking on the date. Each program starts with opportunities to meet and connect with other Court Mediation Program mediators.

Upcoming Community Gathering Topics

  • April 14, 2026 – Bust the Block: Tools for Unsticking Stalemates
    • We’ll focus on practical techniques mediators can use when negotiations stall. Participants will explore how to diagnose the root causes of impasse and apply creative tools to help parties move past standstills and re-engage in productive dialogue.
  • May 5, 2026 – The Setting Switch-Up: How Changing Rooms Changes Conversations
    • The space where mediation happens can shape the entire conversation. In this session, we’ll explore how different environments, joint sessions, caucus rooms, and virtual spaces, can influence dynamics, trust, and outcomes. Learn how to intentionally use the setting as a tool to support productive dialogue and progress.
  • June 2, 2026 – Two to Tango: Mastering the Co-Mediation Caucus Dance
    • When is the right moment for a caucus, and how do co-mediators move through it seamlessly? This session explores the timing, coordination, and communication that make caucusing effective in a co-mediation model. We’ll discuss how mediators “dance” together to maintain trust, balance, and momentum in the process.

Save the Date. Additional details to come.

  • July 7, 2026 – Cool, Calm & Curious: Navigating Emotional Weather
  • August 4, 2026 – The Mediator’s Sandbox: Let’s Build Solutions Together
  • September 8, 2026 – The Digital Dance: Engaging People Across Screens
  • October 6, 2026 – Balance Beam: Keeping Conversations Fair and Flowing
  • November 3, 2026 – Heart & Horizon: Walking the Empathy–Neutrality Tightrop
  • December 1, 2026 – The Mediator’s Sandbox: Let’s Build Solutions Together

For More Information

Please contact Clarice Parsons at cparsons@mwi.org or 617-895-4030.

Past Community Connection Topics

  • January 2026 – The Power of Why: Moving Conversations from Positions to Interests
    • This session invites mediators to share experiences and techniques for identifying the real interests driving conflict. Through open dialogue, we’ll look at how shifting from positions to interests can transform the direction and outcomes of mediation conversations.
  • February 3, 2026 – Echo with Purpose: Ways to Reflect, Repeat & Rephrase
    • This session invites mediators to share approaches for using summaries that genuinely resonate with parties. By examining different methods of echoing what we hear, we’ll explore how effective summarizing can deepen connections and support productive dialogue.
  • March 3, 2026 – The Mediator’s Sandbox: Let’s Build Solutions Together
    • This discussion-based program offers a space for mediators to surface topics or dilemmas they’d like support with. Through shared problem-solving and idea-building, we’ll experiment, learn, and grow, just like a sandbox designed for creative solutions.
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