HCC Offering Three-week Mediation Training Course Starting June 8

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College is running a three-week course for anyone interested in becoming a trained mediator or those just want to improve their conflict-resolution skills.  

The 40-hour, five-session program will run on Fridays and Saturdays, June 8, 9, 15, 16, and 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in HCC’s Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development, 303 Homestead Ave. 

Debbie Lynangale, a mediator from the Mediation & Training Collaborative in Greenfield, will lead the class, which will cover different approaches to conflict and explore various communication tools mediators use to manage challenging situations. 

“This course is the perfect place to start if you want to become a formal mediator or develop effective skills that can be used in professional and personal situations,” said Ken White, dean of Community Services at HCC.

This certified, interactive, practice-based training will increase participants’ ability to deal with conflict or help others work through conflict, and will teach simple steps for dealing with fights or disagreements. The course includes working with cultural differences, experiential skills practice, and mediation role-playing. The program qualifies attendees for social work CECs, CEUs, and Massachusetts or Vermont attorney CLEs, and includes a course manual and refreshments.

For more information or to register, contact HCC Community Services at (413) 552-2123 or hcc.edu/bce.