Two Pasadena Unified School District middle schools received prestigious awards from the Western Justice Center (Photo – PUSD)
Under a clear night sky on Thursday, September 25, two Pasadena Unified School District middle schools received prestigious awards from the Western Justice Center (WJC) at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles.
By Jennifer Hall Lee
The Western Justice Center, a significant community partner to PUSD, presented the Dorothy W. Nelson Peacemakers Awards to Eliot Arts Magnet Academy and McKinley School during its annual gala, titled Empower: Be the Change. Reimagine Our Schools.
The awards recognized the collaborative work between WJC and PUSD. Accepting the honors on behalf of their schools were principals Dr. Maria Toliver for McKinley and Ms. Lanisha McKenzie for Eliot.
The WJC honored these schools with the Dorothy W. Nelson Peacemakers Award in recognition of their resilience amid a major campus transition: Eliot Arts is temporarily sharing the McKinley campus due to the Eaton Fire and the destruction of the Eliot campus.
PUSD Assistant Superintendent of Student Wellness and School Safety, Dr. Julianne Reynoso, delivered a speech filled with gratitude and vision. She shared that in the fall of 2023, PUSD and the WJC launched “one of the most transformative partnerships our district has ever witnessed.” She emphasized that this vital work “represents a true investment in restorative practice, community circles, and peer mediation.”
WJC Executive Director Elissa Barrett also addressed the audience, saying, “At the Western Justice Center, we teach peacebuilding starting in kindergarten and support our young peacemakers all the way through high school. Because peace is a practice. And like anything we might learn, a language, a musical instrument, a sport, we can certainly become proficient at any age. But there is nothing like the fluency we develop when we start practicing early in life.”
Also in attendance were Pasadena City College board member Tammy Silver and Board President Alton Wang. Wang introduced PCC Superintendent/President Dr. José Gómez, who received the Movement Builder Award for multiple accomplishments, including his decisive and compassionate leadership in opening the PCC campus as a disaster recovery space for the community following the Eaton Fire.
The rooftop dinner was both elegant and welcoming. Tables were filled with board members, staff, and friends from WJC, PCC, and PUSD. After receiving their awards, both PUSD principals addressed the audience and were joined onstage by students representing their schools, drawing enthusiastic applause.
These awards were especially fitting, as PUSD’s educational framework centers on nurturing the whole child.
All 23 PUSD schools have now been trained in the Western Justice Center’s exemplary practices. Their contributions cannot be overstated, they are not only indispensable to PUSD, but their bold and visionary work stands as a hopeful sign for the future of all public schools.
The ceremony last Thursday night was a powerful reminder that a more peaceful world will be shaped by young people empowered through their work with the Western Justice Center, an essential partner in reimagining education.
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