An Endurance Test for Project WIN: A Conflict Transformation Program in a Low-Income, Urban, Middle Level Classroom

Abstract

There are effective conflict transformation1 programs available for students at the middle level. What is missing is a program designed to have an enduring message, that is, a message that is both positive and vivid. Project WIN provided a positive message by teaching students how to create a justice-based community in their classrooms and the program made the message more vivid by teaching students about transforming power. Project WIN was implemented in a low-income, urban middle level classroom. Students were taught that they have transforming power within themselves to bring about a justice-based community in their own classrooms. The variables sense of community and transforming power attitudes were measured with valid and reliable instruments and were assessed before treatment, immediately after treatment, and at two months posttreatment. Both variables showed sustained gains for the treatment group and sustained declines for the control group. The results were discussed in terms of 1) the extent to which these results will generalize to other groups, 2) the need for more rigorous evaluation and endurance testing in the field of conflict transformation, and 3) the need for practitioners to pay more attention to evaluation results when choosing conflict transformation programs.