The Circle Keepers

The Circle Keepers is a Brooklyn-based non-profit organization. We dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline by training youth organizers as restorative justice practitioners, participatory action researchers and socially conscious activists. By centering the lived experiences of youth leaders, we promote peacemaking through cultural and educational community organizing that heal the harms of racial segregation in schools.

The Circle Keepers started in 2017 as a volunteer-run after-school program for high school students to learn restorative justice practices, such as peer mediation protocols, conflict resolution circles, and community building activities. It was also a place where youth could  engage in political education and be involved in social justice oriented projects to create change in their schools and neighborhoods.

Since then, some of our strongest achievements include:

• Helped reduce suspensions by 95% at 2 pilot schools.


• Trained over 1000 students as restorative justice peer mediators


• Trained over 100 NYC Public School staff in school based restorative justice practices


• Testified to City Council advocating to restore $22M+ in cuts for funding restorative justice programs in NYC schools.


• Produced The 2024 AND 2025 Peace and Justice Youth Conference, a youth-led conference engaging over 700+ NYC youth, rooted on the theme of “peace and justice”, bringing together 50+ stakeholders, including youth development organizations, city agencies, elected officials+ NYC youth in Brooklyn.

At The Circle Keepers, we believe that young people are not the problem — they are the solution! Every week, across Brooklyn and beyond, our youth leaders facilitate restorative justice circles, create art for community healing, organize for safety without policing, and show us what true liberation looks like.

But their work doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because a community — our community — believes in them.

Why We Need You This #GivingTuesday:

This year, 70 middle and high school students from across NYC found a home with The Circle Keepers. A home where:

They are fed with homemade meals and nourishment.

They are equipped with musical instruments, art supplies, and restorative tools.

They experience mentorship, joy, and connection with peers and caring adults.

They learn to lead circles that heal conflict, build trust, and transform their schools.

Our four youth programs run year-round, regardless of what grants do or don’t come in. To sustain this work, we rely on our community — people like you who believe in youth organizing, abolitionist pedagogy, and creative approaches to justice.

Your Gift Makes the Circle Possible

On GivingTuesday, your tax-deductible gift helps us provide:

🍲 Weekly homemade meals + snacks

🎨 Restorative justice & art-making materials

🎶 Instruments for Sounds of Justice & Joy

🌱 Youth mentorship and healing-centered leadership development

🌀 Youth-led circles that shift school culture from punishment to possibility

A gift of $25 feeds a youth circle.

A gift of $50 buys restorative arts supplies.

A gift of $100 supports circle keeper training and coaching.

A gift of $250+ fuels a full month of youth programming.

“Everything worthwhile is done with other people.” — Mariame Kaba

At The Circle Keepers, we know this to be true. Every meal we serve, every circle we hold, every young person who finds their voice — it’s all powered by collective care.

This GivingTuesday, stand with our youth.

Donate today to sustain youth-led restorative justice in Brooklyn. Together, we can build the conditions for healing, creativity, and liberation — not just someday, but right now.