Relationships First Newfoundland and Labrador (RFNL) is a provincial restorative justice (rj) organization housed in Memorial University’s Faculty of Education. RFNL aims to provide support, resources, research, and recommendations for the sustainable integration of rj in NL. RFNL understands rj as the framework upon which communities nurture the capacity of people to engage with one another and their environment in a manner that supports and respects the inherent dignity and worth of all.

Dr. Dorothy Vaandering, education professor and director of Relationships First NL, Memorial University has had two extensive careers (1) Primary-Elementary educator (2) researcher and teacher-educator who examines the implementation and sustainability of restorative justice in education. Her focus on connecting theory and practice has led to confronting the realities of colonization, past and present. She is author and co-author of a variety of academic and professional publications including Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education.

Sarah McDonald Moores, B.Mus/B.Mus.Ed, M.Ed, is the Restorative Justice Education Coordinator with Relationships First Newfoundland & Labrador (RFNL), seconded from her position as a music teacher in the provincial public school system. Sarah teaches a graduate course in restorative justice education at Memorial University. In her current roles with RFNL and Memorial University, Sarah hopes to help those engaged in all levels of education to embrace restorative justice as a way of being.