Abolition means it’s up to us to move in when conflict and harm arises.
Do people tend to turn to you when they experience conflict? Have you been mediating conflict, but are looking for more abolitionist skills and community to strengthen your approach?
bluelight academy of the liberatory arts is hosting a 60 hour certification training cohort program from January through December of 2026, bringing together budding conflict workers to learn from Spring Up and each other about how to hold spaces for conflict that invites transformation while prioritizing agency, care, accountability, and healing.
Conflict mediation is political, and the reality is that most mediation training programs don’t focus on disability justice, equity, and power analysis enough. Learn from a team of queer, racially diverse, nonbinary mediators with over 25 years of experience in restorative meditation, community accountability, felony juvenile + adult diversion, and facilitating both in person and virtually.
Specific dates and titles for each session can be found on the program syllabus here!
Components: 60 hours of training
- Twelve (approximately monthly) skills building webinars including 30 minutes to debrief directly with the facilitators about how to translate the skills into practice
- Six private cohort sessions for practice and peer support
- Six 1:1 coaching sessions
- Three daylong training retreats throughout the year
- Two role plays of mediations + dozens of case studies and real world scenarios
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Opportunities to co-mediate real world conflict cases alongside Spring Up team members
Important Dates + Times:
Apply to be in the program (application here) by
January 23rd, 2026.
We will let you know by January 26th if you are invited to join a group interview, which will take place on either January 27th from 2-3:30 PM PT / 5-6:30 ET or on January 30th from 10-11:30 AM PT / 1-2:30 ET.
We will inform you if you were selected to participate by February 4th, and the program begins on February 10th.
For programming dates and titles, please check out our program syllabus here.
Pricing
The program is offered at sliding scale pricing, with scholarships available.
Consider the questions in this scholarship form to determine what price on the sliding scale would be appropriate for you!
We have a limited number of spots available at each price point, since supporter rate registration covers the difference for the reduced rate registration option.
Registration costs can be paid in one lump sum, or in monthly payments for 11 months.
The at cost registration rate for the program is 11 monthly payments of $300 ($3,300 total), the reduced registration rate is 11 monthly payments of $200 ($2,200 total), and the supporter rate registration is 11 monthly payments of $400 ($4,400 total).
Components of the Cohort
Participants in this year-long cohort will have access to all of the following offerings in addition to cohort-specific sessions and 1:1 coaching.
