Anders Benoit is a teacher at a Juvenile Court school in Shasta County, where they support youth through River’s Edge Academy. The program’s mission is to empower youth not only to become functional, contributing members of the community, but also to grow into leaders within their region. This fall, Anders will complete a Master’s in Restorative Practices with an emphasis on Relational Facilitation for Healing Trauma from the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP). Their coursework has deeply influenced their approach to supporting youth and has inspired a vision for creating school environments—both in systems and daily interactions—that are authentically restorative for students and adults alike.