Sydney Butler is a youth development and restorative justice practitioner with 12 years of experience in PreK-12 education focused on racial equity, identity and power, inclusion, belonging, social emotional learning and restorative justice practices. During those years she supported, mentored and guided hundreds of youth and families from varying backgrounds in their journeys through educational and social development. She has equally worked with adults teaching trauma-informed youth engagement and advanced DEI topics to educators, and facilitating an abundance of adult healing spaces for deep learning and growth and post-harm restorative justice processes for numerous nonprofit workplaces and community organizations across the DMV.
Most recently she managed the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services’ restorative justice partnership as the primary community trainer for multiple youth detention center residential staff and youth across the state. Through weekly engagements with youth in detention centers she taught the art of dialogue as a conflict response with the goal of harm reduction. Prior to that she facilitated restorative processes for youth court cases in Virginia and school conflicts in Baltimore. With her early years of experience in the Howard County Public School System as a Black Student Achievement Program Liaison, Maryland Leadership Workshops as a facilitator and facilitation coach, and her experience in nonprofits in Baltimore and beyond, she has been dedicated to her passion for youth development, systems change, community building, restoring relationships and social healing. She is thrilled to join UBalt and CFCC!