Become a Partner School for Healthier Environments and Well-Equipped Kids
Partner with PeaceMaker Minnesota and give your students the skills to work through conflict, a caring adult to turn to, and books that teach kindness. The result is calmer rooms, fewer disputes for your staff to referee, and kids who carry these skills for life. Joining is free.
Our reach
Totals since PeaceMaker began, through December 31, 2025.
See our annual reach on our Impact page.
We know what you’re carrying
The bell rings, and the hard part starts. Bullying lives in the gaps no adult can fully cover. Somehow the fallout still lands on you: the tearful kid at your door, the parent on the phone, or the class period that never quite gets back on track.
The administration and staff want to help. Most were never trained on anti-bullying measures and often balance the weight of many responsibilities. PeaceMaker Minnesota’s bullying prevention programs for elementary schools in Minnesota are built to close that gap.
You don't need another initiative to manage. You need help that shows up in the room.
of Minnesota 5th graders say they're bullied weekly — and only 1 in 4 say they can work through conflict without anyone getting hurt.
Minnesota Student Survey, 2025
What a partnership unlocks
Becoming a partner school is free and ongoing. It's how your school becomes eligible for funding for books with a classroom presentation and staffing:
| Program | What it is | What it costs your school |
|---|---|---|
| Books for Peacemakers | 136 skill-building books paired with 2 sessions from The Story Table Foundation. | $100 service fee. |
| Peace Guide Services | A trained adult who works with students one-on-one or in small groups to build confidence and resolve conflict. | $5,000 for a Peace Guide to work 500–660 hours at your school. |
| Safe School Initiatives | Grant funds towards training, curriculum, speakers, or supplies for your school's bullying-prevention and climate work. | $100 service fee for a $1,000 grant. Schools in communities with a larger PeaceMaker endowment may qualify for more. |
Not Ready to Partner? We’re Still Here
Ambassadors for Respect
Adult mentors with developmental disabilities lead a 4th-grade classroom session on inclusion and self-advocacy.
Ambassadors for Respect presentations and staff workshops are available to any Minnesota school — no partnership required.
Staff Workshops
Understanding and Intervening in Bullying Behavior, See Something Do Something, and other adult trainings.
See all our programs →
Who can become a partner school?
PeaceMaker Minnesota's partner school program works with public, charter, and private schools — Pre-K through 12 — anywhere in Minnesota. To qualify, a school:
Is incorporated in Minnesota as a public school district or a 501(c)(3)
Isn't already represented by another federated workplace giving campaign, like United Way
Is registered with the Minnesota Attorney General to solicit contributions, or meets a listed exemption (public schools and religious organizations typically qualify)
How to become a partner school
Apply. The application takes about five to ten minutes.
Sign a simple partnership agreement. It confirms your school’s eligibility to be a partner school and commits PeaceMaker to provide ongoing support for your work.
Tell us what you need. Safe School Initiatives funding, a Peace Guide, or Books for Peacemakers — we’ll help you decide.
Stay in touch. This is an ongoing relationship, not a one-time grant. We’ll ask for a short report and a few photos each year so we can keep telling your school’s story to donors.
SEE THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE
Audubon
Bayport
Belle Plaine
Bloomington
Champlin
Crystal
Duluth
Eagan
Eden Prairie
Edina
Elk River
Elko New Market
Golden Valley
Hastings
Hugo
Isanti
Maple Grove
Minneapolis
Minnetonka
Monticello
Moorhead
Mora
Mounds View
Northfield
Oakdale
Owatonna
Plymouth
Prior Lake
Red Wing
Roseville
Savage
South Saint Paul
St. Cloud
St. Joseph
St. Paul
Vermillion
White Bear Lake
Willmar
Woodbury
Are you ready to see your community added to this list?
Make your school's mission our mission
As a partner school, your community can support you directly. State of Minnesota employees can designate their Combined Charities Campaign gift to your school. Businesses, families, and civic groups can do the same through a direct donation.
Know a company, faith community, or civic group that wants to back a specific school? Point them here — every partner school is eligible.
Questions schools ask
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It's an ongoing relationship between a school and PeaceMaker Minnesota, not a one-time grant or a single service delivery. The PeaceMaker partnership is free to join and makes your school eligible for Safe School Initiatives funding, Books for Peacemakers, and Peace Guide Services, as long as the partnership continues.
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Yes. Safe School Initiatives is designed to work alongside a social-emotional learning program you already run—funding supplementary books, videos, guest speakers, or a climate survey to reinforce it, rather than replacing what's already working toward a positive school climate.
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Yes. Some districts have used Title IV-A to pay for Peace Guide Services. Ask your district's federal programs coordinator whether this is a fit for your budget.
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PeaceMaker can help your school align with the Act's requirements— through staff training to recognize and intervene in bullying, funding for a climate survey, and support for school-wide initiatives that build a positive climate.
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Any Minnesota school can book an Ambassadors for Respect session or a staff training without a partnership. A partnership is a separate, ongoing relationship that unlocks funding for Safe School Initiatives, Books for Peacemakers, and Peace Guide Services.
Your students are worth the work.
Calmer rooms and well-equipped kids start with one conversation. Not sure which program fits your school? Let's figure it out together — no pressure, no obligation.
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