In order for the field of change and conflict management to continue to produce new ideas and talent, new generations of leaders need to be educated in theory and practice. Theory helps inform practice by providing an intellectual framework for new interventions, while practice helps develop theory by providing concrete case studies and examples of impact that ensure that theory responds to real world developments.

Partners designs academic and training curricula on change management and conflict resolution that incorporate both theory and practice, and trains universities and schools to develop their own materials for use in the classroom.

For over ten years, Partners’ international practitioners have developed training manuals on organizational development, conflict management, consensus building, local governance, and tolerance and diversity. Partners and Centers utilize these manuals to train target groups directly, as well as to train other practitioners as trainers.

Most recently, Partners developed the Partners Collaboration Model (PCM), an innovative approach to consensus building that draws on the involvement and empowerment of a diverse community through including all stakeholders and respecting the differences they bring to the table. The PCM prepares facilitators that are competent in multicultural skills and can play the dual role within the process of stakeholder and convener. Partners has successfully tested the PCM with several community organizations.

In addition, Partners trains professors worldwide to design university-level change management and conflict resolution courses. By working with professors from a range of disciplines, including sociology, psychology, political science, law, and business, Partners helps ensure that change and conflict management skills are disseminated throughout all fields of study. Partners also assists elementary and high school teachers design new curriculum in peer mediation and cultural tolerance for younger students.