Training will be offered in St. Ignace next month for volunteers who want to learn more about resolving disputes peacefully.

The EUP Community Dispute Resolution Center will offer 40 hours of mediator training April 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, and 25 in St. Ignace. The training will be from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 16 and 23, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 17, 18, 24, and 25. Those who register will receive a confirmation letter including the schedule and site for each day. Sites include the St. Ignace Public Library, LaSalle High School Library, Little Bear East Conference Center, and the Mackinac Grille.

This training is approved by the Michigan State Court Administrative Office and is designed to prepare volunteers to mediate for the dispute resolution center. It also provides useful skills for anyone who wishes to resolve disputes peacefully, organizers say.

"This center arranges mediations at neutral sites throughout Chippewa, Luce, and Mackinac counties, and at this time, volunteer mediators are really needed in the St. Ignace area," Director Geraldine Stelmaszek said. "By holding the annual training in St. Ignace this year, we hope to increase our volunteer base in that part of our service area to at least 12 trained mediators. New volunteer mediators in all three counties are always appreciated."

Volunteers will be registered for the training on a first-come basis.

The highly interactive 40-hour mediator training course includes topics such as the mediation process, mediator skills, negotiation skills, communication skills, agreement writing, conflict resolution, and ethical issues.

"Basically, participants will have the opportunity to learn everything community dispute resolution mediators need to know to become effective mediators," said Ms. Stelmaszek. The course includes handson activities and exercises, and every participant takes part in practicing mediation role-playing.

A registration fee of $650 per participant is waived for all trainees who commit to observing 10 hours of actual mediations within six months of training completion and volunteering for at least 25 hours of mediating within the next two years.

The EUP Community Dispute Resolution Center is one of 20 court-funded centers across Michigan. The center also receives funds from United Way of the Eastern Upper Peninsula, contract and service fees, small grants, and donations. An endowment fund was created in 2007 with the Chippewa County Community Foundation.

Disputes mediated in the EUP include family issues, divorce, adult and child guardianship and placement, special education, business, contract, employment, landlord/ tenant, creditor/debtor, and neighborhood issues.

"In short," said Ms. Stelmaszek, "if you have any kind of a dispute - from trouble between parents and teens to a breach of contract in your business dealings - call us, and we will help you to resolve the dispute via the mediation process."

For more information, contact the center at (906) 253-9840 or at cdrc@northernmi.net.