By Toria Barnhart for the Park Record (May 20, 2025)

Park City School District officials are exploring a district-wide cell phone policy that could restrict student device usage from bell to bell following the passage of Senate Bill 178 earlier this year.

Superintendent Lyndsay Huntsman emphasized that a new policy is being crafted to improve student engagement, youth mental health and human connection. It’s also in response to a new law taking effect July 1 that prohibits the use of cell phones and smartwatches in classrooms unless a school district establishes a policy outlining specific exemptions.

District administrators, including incoming Park City High School Principal Caleb Fine and interim Treasure Mountain Junior High Principal Isaiah Folau, who will take over as principal of Ecker Hill Middle School, participated in a community forum moderated by Mountain Mediation Center on Monday night at the Blair Education Center. The event was intended to encourage students, parents and staff to share their thoughts on a new strategy that would be adopted for the 2025-26 academic year.

“Most importantly, we want human connection. Our students are there to learn, and we don’t want distractions,” Huntsman said.

In August 2024, school board members set strict limits prohibiting students from using cellular devices during school hours. Yet Huntsman said the execution of the current policy has been inconsistent across different schools.

There has been a successful implementation of a pilot program of magnetic locking pouches made by the company Yondr at Treasure Mountain Junior High. However, the building for eighth and ninth-grade students will close at the end of the school year. So now administrators are looking to establish a cell phone policy for grades K-12 district-wide.

Under the current policy, Ecker Hill students are required to keep their phones out of sight and in their lockers, backpacks or other secure locations throughout the day. Treasure Mountain students have the Yondr pouches, and the high school doesn’t have a formal policy because each teacher adopts a different set of rules with expectations that students are to keep their devices from being a distraction.

Fine, the principal of Treasure Mountain until he was named interim superintendent last year, and Folau said they are “pro-pouch.” They affirmed that the Yondr system has been “wildly successful” with incidents related to student cell phone usage decreasing from 78 last year to 32 so far this year. There are also remedies in place to address ongoing challenges, such as requiring a parent to pick up a device if there’s a recurring issue.

School district officials recognized the system at Ecker Hill is not perfect, but Folau said, “You do not see kids scrolling through their phones during passing periods or have them out at once.” Teachers also have catchalls, such as calculator pouches for students to put their phones in, or an assistant principal who will come and collect phones if there is a concern.

Yet with eighth-grade students moving to Ecker Hill next year and freshmen heading to the high school, administrators agreed there needs to be a uniform, reinforced routine.

“I think the data is making it very clear that the kids on cell phones are distracted learners, and that’s a big part of it. Then, the other thing is just the mental health and well-being of kids on phones. It distracts you from learning, and then you’re also engaging in typically unhealthy behaviors if you’re just continuing to scroll and scroll and scroll,” Fine said. “I think it’s appropriate to give our kids the tools they need and the supports they need to really put it away. How many of you can put away your phone for seven hours? The answer is very few, myself included.”

About 40 people attending the event were split into four small groups, where they discussed questions including:

• “Why should or shouldn’t cell phones be in the classroom?”
• “Should cell phones be looked at differently in standard classrooms vs. in specialty classes like film, photography, learning AI vs. in the halls/lunchroom?”
• “What is important to you regarding how a cell phone policy should be implemented and enforced across or within schools and age groups?”
• “What do you want the Park City School District and/or school principals to know or to take into consideration as they make their decisions about policy changes and school practices?”
• “What are your thoughts around how cell phones in the schools affect students’ mental health, bullying, social safety, and/or addiction?”

Most high school teachers participating in the groups explained that cell phone usage is “nonstop” in their classrooms, and the educators are the ones “battling” students over their policies. Sometimes, students use burner phones to appear as if they’ve turned in their devices.

They also questioned whether students are developing soft skills that allow them to form meaningful connections with their peers.

Parents had mixed reactions, recognizing the dangers of social media use on teen mental health as described in “The Anxious Generation,” by Jonathan Haidt, but also said they want to be able to keep in touch with their kids. Most were in favor of limiting cell phone usage in some capacity. A survey of Park City School District parents suggests around 85% support substantial restrictions.

A few students also attended, largely opposed to the cell phone ban because they want to be treated as adults. They said the devices can be useful for making lunch plans with friends and staying up to date with changes to sports practices or games. The teens were also in favor of letting students regulate themselves, though they said they don’t receive any formal education about the impacts of technology on their brains.

Huntsman said the district may consider purchasing class sets of iPhones without cellular capacities for classes where cell phones may be beneficial. That would also aid with equity efforts, as some students may not have the most recent technology.

Park City School District officials will continue collecting community feedback about how to develop a comprehensive policy before the upcoming school year. A survey will remain open for about two weeks.

Huntsman said she expects a new policy will be announced within the next month.

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Click here to read this article on the Park Record website.

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Article by Park Record staff (August 2, 2024)

The fundraiser will feature pizza, drinks and an opportunity drawing. Attendees will learn about our critical work to prevent conflict, resolve disputes and build a more inclusive community.

The annual fundraiser supports Mountain Mediation work, including the following:

• Improving the community’s communications skills with “Let’s Talk” trainings and “Community Conversations”
• Preventing eviction and homelessness by helping landlords and tenants communicate together and through tenant education
• Mediating conflicts on a sliding scale, including domestic mediations that strive to create better outcomes for couples going through divorce and ensure positive outcomes for their children.

Space is limited. Tickets are available for purchase at mountainmediationcenter.org/events.

Mountain Mediation’s mission is to bring people together to prevent conflict, resolve disputes and build a more inclusive community. The nonprofit provides mediation services, landlord/tenant education, communication training and community conversations.

Mountain Mediation said it has developed a comprehensive landlord/tenant eviction diversion program and that it also offers trainings to help individuals, organizations, schools and businesses within Summit and Wasatch Counties engage in constructive dialogue and effectively manage and resolve conflicts.

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Click here to read this article on the Park Record’s website

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Article by Michele Roepke for Town Lift (July 12, 2024)

PARK CITY, Utah — The Mountain Mediation Center for Restorative Justice (MMC) and Utah State University Extension’s Park City Swaner Nature Preserve and Ecocenter will host Nurturing Nature, a talk about how your beliefs, values, experiences, or religion shape your role in caring for nature.

The event will take place on Thursday, July 25, from 6-7:30 p.m., and is intended to be a community conversation on weaving personal values into environmental stewardship.

Register for the event or donate to the nonprofit here. Kris Campbell, MMC program director told TownLift, “We ask people to register so we can plan appropriately. The event is free to attend.”

For several years, MMC has hosted an ongoing series of live and virtual bilingual community conversations. The aim is to foster new relationships, share perspectives, and build a stronger sense of shared community.The community conversations are modeled after restorative community-building circles. Participants meet in small groups, each accompanied by a Spanish-language interpreter. An MMC volunteer trained in restorative justice practices facilitates the discussion, enabling everyone to listen and to share their experiences and insights.

Some conversations are preceded by a brief panel discussion to provide background information and current research/data to help frame the discussion. However, in these community conversations, there are no “experts.” Each participant’s lived experience has equal value and adds to the richness and diversity of the discussion.

The Circle is a fundamental form in the practice of restorative justice. It is rooted in the ancient tradition of sitting together around the warmth and safety of a fire to share food, stories and enjoy each other’s company.“In dominant Western culture, we often organize ourselves in rows, facing the leader of a meeting, presentation or class. The Circle, in which everyone sits facing one another in a position of equal authority, is by its nature more inclusive and more conducive to relationship-building,” said a statement from the MMC.

“Restorative Justice Circles are highly structured, intentional spaces in which people share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings,” said a statement from the MMC. “They require active listening and promote the development of understanding and empathy for the purpose of community building, collaborative problem solving, resolving conflicts and repairing harm.”

MMC offers its services to individuals, organizations, schools, and businesses primarily within Summit and Wasatch Counties.MMC strives to be a safe and non-judgmental environment for people who are experiencing a conflict with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, or within organizations. They offer our services at reduced fees for clients with financial needs.

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Click here to read this article on the Town Lift website

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Article by Scott Iwasaki for the Park Record (May 10, 2024)

The need for civil discourse rises during times of division, like what is happening in the country and world today.

And it’s important for people to know they can still be friends and part of a community even if they disagree with one another.

That lesson will be conveyed during the Mountain Mediation Center‘s upcoming “From Contention to Conversation,” which will be led by author and co-founder of Mediators Beyond Borders International Ken Cloke, a world-recognized mediator and dialogue facilitator, on Thursday, May 16, at the Park City Hospital’s Blair Education Center, 900 Round Valley Drive.

Registration is now open for two different options, said Gretchen Lee, the nonprofit’s executive director.

“You can come all day, which will be an in-depth training to facilitate conversations,” she said,
“or there is an afternoon option if you just want to participate in the conversations. That’s when those who attended in the morning will practice some of the skills they learned.”

Registration deadline for the all-day option, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes lunch, is Monday, May 13. People who want to attend the afternoon session can register up until May 16. (See schedule below)

The event ties into Mountain Mediation Center’s mission, which is to “build local capacities for peace, advocate for mediation and facilitate the transformation of conflict globally,” Lee said.

“The neat thing about this is that it totally overlaps with our ‘Let’s Talk’ training that we’ve been doing in the community,” she said. “This workshop will allow people to practice those ‘Let’s Talk’ skills.”

Leadership Park City‘s Class 29 initiated “Let’s Talk” as its class project. Leadership Park City is a community program that encourages and trains new leaders and provides a long-term, group-oriented learning opportunity.

“They got us involved, based on the work we do, and when the class ended in October, we took ‘Let’s Talk’ over,” Lee said.

“Let’s Talk” features four different modules — self awareness, active listening, communicating to connect, and finding common ground, which are all needed during this divisive time, said Chris Campbell, Mountain Mediation Center’s director of development.

“This is what the Leadership Class found as they were going around getting input about their project,” he said. “When they talked with nonprofits, government officials and businesses, they saw a need to be able to talk civilly with each other, be more effective through our communication and work through some of this discord that is so common these days.”

Those who participate in the “Let’s Talk” initiative, have enjoyed learning its principles and skills, Campbell said.

“Once they learn them, their next question is, ‘What’s next?’” he said. “So there’s an interest in wanting to engage and use these skills.”

Those skills are important if people are going to start having civil conversations again, Campbell said.

“I think part of the reason why it’s been challenging to engage with each other is that people don’t want to do harm or make things worse,” he said. “So, this Ken Cloke training that is coming up will give people the skills and confidence to go into these conversations, be productive and not cause harm. And the afternoon conversation is a chance for people to practice talking about these challenges with one another.”

Lee discovered Cloke after she took in one of his training sessions pre-COVID in 2019.

“He’s a very well-respected and renowned person in his field,” she said. “I found out that he would be coming to the Utah Council of Conflict Resolution symposium as the keynote speaker on May 17, so, I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring him up to Park City the day before.”

Campbell said learning to disagree with one another and still stay in connection is “powerful and magical.”

“It’s (amazing) to be in a space where you can talk strongly about things you disagree with in a way that helps you feel heard and helps other people to feel heard and reach a place of better understanding,” he said. “There is a way to disagree and stand strongly for your own opinions without needing to attack and denigrate the other person. When you can have that respect for each other, the conversation is so rewarding to participate in.”

‘From Contention to Conversation’ schedule 

• 9:45 — Check-in and coffee
• 10 a.m. — Facilitator training begins with Ken Cloke
• Noon —  Lunch
• 12:45 p.m. — Afternoon participant check-in
• 1 p.m. — “What Is a Facilitated Dialogue?” by Ken Cloke
• 1:30 p.m. — Conversations led by facilitators begin
• 3 p.m. — Debrief dialogs led by Ken Cloke
• 4 p.m. — Event ends

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Click here to read this article on the Park Record website

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Article by Scott Iwasaki for the Park Record (April 30, 2024)

Park City Film and the Friends of the Children’s Justice Center of Summit County invites the public to look at “Broken Trust.”

Jill Yesko’s documentary short film, which examines sexual and emotional abuse that Olympic and world-class athletes experience, will screen for free at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 2, at Park City Library‘s Jim Santy Auditorium, 1255 Park Ave.

The evening will also feature a post-screening panel discussion, moderated by Summit County Councilman Roger Armstrong, featuring Wendy Crossland, Summit Count Attorney’s office victim advocate, Prevent Child Abuse Utah Executive Director Laurieann Thorpe and the film’s Olympian, Parkite and the film’s associate producer Carrie Sheinberg.

The discussion will in turn be followed by small, group conversations facilitated by Mountain Mediation, said Park City Film Executive Director Katharine Wang.

“Not everyone is comfortable talking about this topic in the large-scale setting,” she said. “So, these groups help us take things down to more in-depth conversations and help people get involved in more actionable items like how people can get involved — how they can find support if they need it, and how they can become allies.”

Wang first became familiar with “Broken Trust” through Sheinberg, whose mother, Jill Sheinberg, sits on Park City Film’s board of directors.

“Carrie brought the film to me when it first came out during COVID-19 in 2020,” Wang said. “While we were so taken by it, we felt it would be better to show the film in person. So, we had been looking for an opportunity to bring the film to our community because sports is such a big part of our conversation here in Park City.”

That chance came a few months ago after Wang was approached by the Friends of the Children’s Justice Center, a nonprofit that is committed to supporting the Children’s Justice Center Summit County House.

The Children’s Justice Center Summit County House, located at 5870 Silver Summit Prkwy., provides a neutral and comfortable environment, where investigators can speak with children and families of children who have been abused. (See accompanying story).

“When the Friends of the Children’s Justice Center approached me about screening a film in the spring, ‘Broken Trust’ immediately came to mind,” Wang said.

The Friends of the CJC journey to partnering with Park City Film was a long journey, said Tracy Walton, board secretary.

“The Friends of the Children’s Justice Center was founded in 2016, and (we) knew there were a lot of blanks out there in how we could make the community aware of what we did,” said Walton, who is also the organization’s former board president. “A former board member, Vanessa Brown Laurella, went out and did some training in the medical community in the Summit County, and other board member Vanessa Conabee suggested maybe we should look to creating book clubs because the subject is, a lot of times, hidden away and hard to talk about.”

The book club idea appealed to the Friends of the CJC because it seemed easier to talk about child abuse in small groups, according to Walton.

So, she and the board reached out to Kate Mapp, Park City Library’s adult services librarian.

Mapp told Walton that book clubs can be effective, but reading the book and holding discussions can take time to raise awareness.

“That’s when Vanessa Conabee and another board member Beth Armstrong (suggested) we talk with Katy at Park City Film,” Walton said. “We told Katy that we wanted to do, and she suggested ‘Broken Trust.’”

The film fits well with Park City Film’s Raising Voices Series, which showcases and brings to the forefront underrepresented communities and issues, Wang said.

“Abuse is a challenging topic, and while everyone agrees these conversations are important, to find something like ‘Broken Trust,’ which is a short film, kind of lends itself to be easier for some people to see,” she said. “The film also bridges the gap that talks specifically about sports and the interest of protecting our children and the athletes in our community. And by looking through that angle, it may appeal to a broader audience and (put into focus) the systemic and social forces that contribute to abuse, not just in sports but throughout communities.”

Still, Wang knows that athlete abuse doesn’t happen everywhere.

“There are great coaches, but there are certainly abuses that happen within the coaching systems that need to be addressed,” she said.

Walton believes screening “Broken Trust” comes at an important time, especially because the United States Justice Department and more than 100 victims of former USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar — including Olympians Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney — recently reached a civil settlement over allegations that FBI agents failed to properly investigate the gymnasts’ claims of abuse against the now-convicted doctor.

“These ladies stood up to talk about this, and they had the power for being famous, which is great,” she said. “But as a friends organization like us, it’s hard to get people to understand that the CJC House is such a good resource. So, we hope that the screening will help people who have gone through abuse understand that they are not alone.”

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Click here to read the article on the Park Record website

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• A reading of the play “A Sissy in Wyoming” being held September 19th from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Kamas Library and September 20th from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Park City Library. A Q&A and community conversation being held after the readings.
• Upcoming trainings in critical listening skills in partnership with Leadership Park City.
• A fundraiser on September 29th, “Pizza at the Pendry.”

Click here to listen to the on-air segment.

(September 15, 2023)

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Article by Michele Roepke for Town Lift (July 12, 2023)

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Meeting people where they are, literally and figuratively, the Christian Center of Park City (CCPC)’s Mobile Food Pantries have been bringing free, healthy food to all corners of the County for a couple years. For this summer, they’ve brought on some new community partner entities to serve people more thoroughly thus creating a one-stop-shop.

“In the spirit of bringing services to the community, we have invited like-minded nonprofit partners to join us at our mobile pantry events,” Matt Melville, programs director for the CCPC told TownLift. “Partners that join us include: People’s Health Clinic, Mountain Mediation Center, Summit Community Gardens, Park City Police Department, and Summit County Health Department.”

Dates, locations, and times for the Mobile Food Pantry, as well as the Food Pantries in both Park City and Heber can be found here.

The post Christian Center Farmacie RX and mobile food pantry partners with local wellness nonprofits appeared first on Mountain Mediation Center.

Article by Scott Iwasaki for the Park Record (April 23, 2023)

The post Park City Film and Mountain Mediation Center welcome a ‘Stranger at the Gate’ appeared first on Mountain Mediation Center.