SAN FRANCISCO – The JAMS Foundation’s Ninth Annual Warren Knight Distinguished Service Award will be presented to The Mosaic Project, an organization that teaches children, teachers and families to build diverse, inclusive communities and to resolve conflicts peacefully. The award, along with a $25,000 grant, will be presented tonight at the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Awards reception in San Francisco.
Named in memory of JAMS Founder, the Warren Knight Distinguished Service Award recognizes the work of extraordinary individuals and organizations in advancing collaborative forms of dispute resolution and the peaceful resolution of conflict.
Since 2000, the Oakland-based organization has provided more than 39,000 children and 9,000 adults with immersive, experiential education programs in diversity, empathy and conflict resolution. Programs such as the In-School Project, Youth Leadership Project and Family Camp, provide opportunities to address difficult issues and encourage collaborative approaches to resolving conflict. Their award-winning Outdoor School brings together young children from varied backgrounds, providing them a safe space for exploring difficult issues. Through challenging, fun, hands-on activities, children build critical life skills, friendships and a better understanding of those different from themselves.
The JAMS Foundation is proud to support The Mosaic Project’s commitment to resolving conflicts through non-violent means and fostering diversity, creativity, community and peace. With profound challenges around the world reflecting our increasingly uncertain times, the work of this group has never been more relevant or critical.
- David Brandon, Managing Director of the JAMS Foundation
This is an incredible honor. In this time when the media is flooded with news of separation, discrimination and violence, we offer an opportunity to create a better future. This award will enable elementary schools from low-income communities to participate in our Outdoor School. This award and recognition come at an important time for us as we prepare to expand our impact and reach more individuals to foster connection, empathy and peace.
- Lara Mendel, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Mosaic Project
Hon. H. Warren Knight (Ret.) founded JAMS in January 1979. Judge Knight was considered a pioneer in the ADR and legal communities and was instrumental in introducing and advancing ADR, including mediation and arbitration, within the legal community in California and throughout the U.S.
The JAMS Foundation was created to provide support to the New York Bar Association in offering pro bono mediation and related services for 9/11 victims and their families. Since 2002, the Foundation has made more than 200 grants to more than 100 nonprofit organizations.
About the JAMS Foundation
The non-profit JAMS Foundation is the largest private provider of ADR-related grants in the world. The Foundation was established in 2002 by JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution services worldwide, and is funded by JAMS mediators, arbitrators and employee associates who contribute a percentage of their income. The JAMS Foundation has provided more than $6 million in grant funding since its inception. Founded in 1979, JAMS and its nearly 300 full-time mediators and arbitrators are responsible for resolving thousands of the world’s most important cases.