Formerly Peace Games

Peace First began as a response to the sky-rocketing youth homicide rates in the early 1990s, as an approach to look at children as problem-solvers, rather than witnesses, or victims of their surroundings. Peace First was conceived at Harvard University in 1992 as an annual festival where children gathered to play cooperative games and share their dreams of peace. Peace First was student-run until 1996 when it became an independent non-profit organization under the leadership of Harvard graduate, Echoing Green fellow and Ashoka fellow Eric D. Dawson. In 2000, with Boston as a flagship site, Peace First began national expansion of its intensive approach to whole school climate change. We now operate in Boston, Los Angeles, and New York, and receive requests for our work from all over the world.

Peace First has taught over 40,000 students critical conflict resolution skills; created over 2,500 peacemaker projects that improved communities and instilled a sense of civic engagement in students; recruited over 4,000 volunteers who provided 400,000 hours of volunteer teaching service; and trained 2,500 teachers in conflict resolution and classroom management skills. We have seen remarkable results in each of our schools: a 60 percent reduction in violence, but more importantly, a 70-80 percent increase in instances of children breaking up fights, including others and helping one another—resulting in better schools and better potential for each child in that school.
Kid games 4u